The ongoing FBI investigation of Clinton national security adviser Samuel "Sandy" Berger for removing classified documents from the National Archives is highly unusual in several respects.
...Meanwhile, one former colleague said Tuesday that Berger only took copies of internal critiques on counter-terrorism from the National Archives last summer, apparently inadvertently, while preparing for testimony before the Sept. 11 Commission.
That statement appeared to soften some news accounts of Berger's actions. Initial reports said Berger took documents from the National Archives that were critical of the Clinton administration's efforts against terror and that those documents were now missing.
... Sources confirmed that the FBI is investigating the allegations, but any decision on whether to bring charges would be made by the Justice Department.
Removing classified documents is a violation of federal law. Berger also allegedly removed some of the notes he took while researching the documents, which also is forbidden without permission from archives staff. Berger's actions were reported to the FBI by archives staff.
UPI article
...Meanwhile, one former colleague said Tuesday that Berger only took copies of internal critiques on counter-terrorism from the National Archives last summer, apparently inadvertently, while preparing for testimony before the Sept. 11 Commission.
That statement appeared to soften some news accounts of Berger's actions. Initial reports said Berger took documents from the National Archives that were critical of the Clinton administration's efforts against terror and that those documents were now missing.
... Sources confirmed that the FBI is investigating the allegations, but any decision on whether to bring charges would be made by the Justice Department.
Removing classified documents is a violation of federal law. Berger also allegedly removed some of the notes he took while researching the documents, which also is forbidden without permission from archives staff. Berger's actions were reported to the FBI by archives staff.
Excuse me for being suspicious, but think about it. He's called before the Senate Commission on a very serious matter that will have lots of public testimony and private hearings. It's a really big deal. Am I supposed to believe that he "inadvertently" removed archived records? Records which it just so happens might have looked bad for the Clinton administration? I wish I could get a clear recollection of the testimony I saw Berger giving. I only remember thinking that something was peculiar. Perhaps it was that he seemed terribly uncomfortable, as though he were hiding something. And perhaps he was.
I am being asked to believe so much bullshit in the last three years that I wonder if I will be able to believe anything ever again.
But, I suppose there's always the possibility that it happened just as Berger says.
Former Clinton aide David Gergen...said Berger was not attempting to remove anything critical of the Clinton administration. Copies of the purportedly missing documents apparently were widely dispersed, and Berger has said the Sept. 11 Commission received everything it asked for.
... For his part, Berger has said in a statement that he regretted his "sloppiness" while reviewing thousands of pages of documents at the request of former President Bill Clinton, "but I had no intention of withholding documents from the commission, and to the contrary, to my knowledge, every document requested by the commission from the Clinton administration was produced."
Berger said as soon as he was told by the archives that there were documents missing, "I immediately returned everything I had except for a few documents that I apparently had accidentally discarded."
... For his part, Berger has said in a statement that he regretted his "sloppiness" while reviewing thousands of pages of documents at the request of former President Bill Clinton, "but I had no intention of withholding documents from the commission, and to the contrary, to my knowledge, every document requested by the commission from the Clinton administration was produced."
Berger said as soon as he was told by the archives that there were documents missing, "I immediately returned everything I had except for a few documents that I apparently had accidentally discarded."
Okay, it could happen. But if you ask me, and you didn't, that's some pretty sloppy handling of a situation that he has to know is a very delicate and very serious issue, considering it has a Senate investigative commission assigned to it.
Berger is a campaign adviser to Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, who should be nominated next week in Boston as the Democratic Party nominee for president. A decision on whether to prosecute Berger probably will be made by career Justice Department officials, but those officials are supervised by appointees of President Bush.
Do I hear chops being licked?
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