House Intel Chair Suspends Staff Member For Leaks/Dems Appalled
House Intel Chair Suspends Staff Member
WASHINGTON
Democrats say the Republican head of the House Intelligence Committee had no grounds to suspend a staff member who's come under scrutiny for the leak of a secret intelligence assessment.
The unidentified staff member, a Democrat, was suspended this week by Chairman Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., and is being denied access to classified information pending the outcome of a review, Hoekstra's spokesman, Jamal Ware, said Thursday.
The Intelligence Committee's top Democrat, Jane Harman of California, wrote to Hoekstra that she was "appalled" by his action, which was "without basis."
The leak to The New York Times of a National Intelligence Estimate on global terror trends caused a political uproar last month. In the assessment, completed in April, analysts from the government's 16 spy agencies concluded that the Iraq war has become a "cause celebre" for Islamic extremists, breeding deep resentment of the U.S. that probably will get worse before it gets better.
President Bush, who suggested the document was leaked for "political purposes" weeks before the midterm elections, later made public four pages of the estimate's key findings.
In a letter to Hoekstra dated Sept. 29, Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill., a committee member, said the Democratic staffer requested the document from National Intelligence Director John Negroponte three days before a Sept. 23 story by the Times on its conclusions.
"I have no credible information to say any classified information was leaked from the committee's minority staff, but the implications of such would be dramatic," LaHood said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. "This may, in fact, be only coincidence, and simply 'look bad.' But coincidence, in this town, is rare."
In her letter, Harman demanded that Hoekstra "immediately reinstate the staffer's access to classified information."
A conference call to the committee's nine Democrats on Wednesday to inform them of the aide's suspension prompted outrage, said two congressional officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about internal committee business.
The officials said that the National Intelligence Estimate was marked "secret," rather than "top secret" or another more restrictive classification. As a result, thousands of people across government would have had access to it, including the intelligence, armed services and international relations committees of the House.
The officials said the staff member acted appropriately in requesting the document on behalf of a committee member.
Relations between Democrats and Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee have soured in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, Harman unilaterally released the executive summary of an independent investigator's review into the actions of a jailed former congressman, Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif. The report found that he abused his position on the committee to help ensure lucrative contracts went to associates, in exchange for bribes.
Hoekstra called Harman's decision to release the document "disturbing and beyond the pale."
House Intel Chair Suspends Staff Member
Dems Appalled
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Let me get this right, it's ok for the Dems to release "Secret" documents just before an election, but when a Republican finds someone who is proabably the leaker of this information (And Lord only knows what else) to the NYT and other papers and suspends him until further investigation the Democrats throw a fit? I guess if I needed that leaker I would be pretty upset to. More liberal Hypocricy!
WASHINGTON
Democrats say the Republican head of the House Intelligence Committee had no grounds to suspend a staff member who's come under scrutiny for the leak of a secret intelligence assessment.
The unidentified staff member, a Democrat, was suspended this week by Chairman Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., and is being denied access to classified information pending the outcome of a review, Hoekstra's spokesman, Jamal Ware, said Thursday.
The Intelligence Committee's top Democrat, Jane Harman of California, wrote to Hoekstra that she was "appalled" by his action, which was "without basis."
The leak to The New York Times of a National Intelligence Estimate on global terror trends caused a political uproar last month. In the assessment, completed in April, analysts from the government's 16 spy agencies concluded that the Iraq war has become a "cause celebre" for Islamic extremists, breeding deep resentment of the U.S. that probably will get worse before it gets better.
President Bush, who suggested the document was leaked for "political purposes" weeks before the midterm elections, later made public four pages of the estimate's key findings.
In a letter to Hoekstra dated Sept. 29, Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill., a committee member, said the Democratic staffer requested the document from National Intelligence Director John Negroponte three days before a Sept. 23 story by the Times on its conclusions.
"I have no credible information to say any classified information was leaked from the committee's minority staff, but the implications of such would be dramatic," LaHood said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. "This may, in fact, be only coincidence, and simply 'look bad.' But coincidence, in this town, is rare."
In her letter, Harman demanded that Hoekstra "immediately reinstate the staffer's access to classified information."
A conference call to the committee's nine Democrats on Wednesday to inform them of the aide's suspension prompted outrage, said two congressional officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about internal committee business.
The officials said that the National Intelligence Estimate was marked "secret," rather than "top secret" or another more restrictive classification. As a result, thousands of people across government would have had access to it, including the intelligence, armed services and international relations committees of the House.
The officials said the staff member acted appropriately in requesting the document on behalf of a committee member.
Relations between Democrats and Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee have soured in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, Harman unilaterally released the executive summary of an independent investigator's review into the actions of a jailed former congressman, Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif. The report found that he abused his position on the committee to help ensure lucrative contracts went to associates, in exchange for bribes.
Hoekstra called Harman's decision to release the document "disturbing and beyond the pale."
House Intel Chair Suspends Staff Member
Dems Appalled
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let me get this right, it's ok for the Dems to release "Secret" documents just before an election, but when a Republican finds someone who is proabably the leaker of this information (And Lord only knows what else) to the NYT and other papers and suspends him until further investigation the Democrats throw a fit? I guess if I needed that leaker I would be pretty upset to. More liberal Hypocricy!
posted by Marie's Two Cents | 1:20 PM
7 Comments:
I was so angry about this I did my own post this morning when I got home from work.
The only thing we can do Marie is; to make sure you get all your conservative friends to get out and vote to make sure these people do not win the Congress. We must finish this party of demo-dumps off once and for all. We must send a message to these people that you will not jeopardize the security of our nation for some self serving political goal.
Conservatives have to forget about all this stupid scandal crap and get on with fighting a war of survival with an enemy determined to destroy us. These moron demo-dumps don't even consider us to be at war for goodness sakes.
I'm not directing this at you Marie but for the benfit of those conservatives thinking they aren't going to vote.
NOT VOTING IN THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS IS A REALLY BAD IDEA! WE MUST CONTINUE THE FIGHT AND TO CHANGE WHAT'S WRONG WITH OUR OWN PARTY FROM WITHIN. LETTING THE DEMO-DUMPS WIN WILL ONLY CAUSE GRIEF AND DESPAIR FOR OUR NATION. IT'S UP TO ALL YOU CONSERVATIVES THAT READ MARIE'S BLOG, GO OUT AND VOTE, DO NOT STAY HOME, THE FUTURE OF OUR NATION IS DEPENDENT UPON YOU
JG,
I'm way ahead of ya darlin! I have been recruiting, but it's much easier in a Red State!
All my other Republican friends on and off the internet ARE going to vote.
I'm trying as hard as I can from Oklahoma City to get to other voters across the Country.
I dont know what else I can do. However, I know alot of bloggers are going to blog on election eve the outlay of a Democrat Congress.
(That ought to scare the crap out of people)
And if this doesnt scare the crap out of EVERYONE, I dont know what would: Picture this!
Nancy Pelosi if a Democrat takover of the House actually happens (Doubt it but still) will be THIRD IN LINE FOR THE PRESIDENCY!!
Of course the Dems will be against every bit of scrutiny on them since everybody know's they are the one's that have been behind the leak's the whole time.
They have done irreputable damage to our troop's and now thank's to the New York Times Al Qeada has our handbook on how to combat the terrorist's. They now know what and what not to say over cell phones and the internet as to not draw attention to themselves. So now we have to adapt for that too.
Treason is what this staffer should be charged with and jail may sound good but a public hanging would be better.
The damage the Democrat's have caused our national security is irreversible. Between them, the MSM, the New York Times and other papers they have cost our dear soldiers thier lives. Treason is a charge that can carry the death penalty, the NYT, the other papers, and those that leaked information to whom we should now consider the enemy should meet the firing squad like the good old day's.
Dawn said...Treason is what this staffer should be charged with and jail may sound good but a public hanging would be better.
The traditional punishment for spies and traitors have always been the firing squad. If a demo-dump controlled congress has it's way there won't be any guns to shoot traitors with. Hey wait, the old lightbulb just lit up, that's why they hate guns so much and don't want anyone to own any eh?
Marie said...All my other Republican friends on and off the internet ARE going to vote.
It's an uphill battle where I work Marie. It's a Union Shop but I'd say about a third or a little more of the people there vote Republican because I hear all the complaining about the Union using their Union dues to get demo-dumps elected.
Where I live though is another story. I live in the most conservative district in the state. There hasn't been a dem elected here since before the Civil War. It'll be packed at the school where I vote. I'm just hoping the turnout is as good as it was for GWB in 2004. We had to wait in line for three hours to vote for the Prez.
Dawn,
It's almost as if all Dem staffers and any leftovers from the Clinton administration should be thoroughly looked at with a microcope, that's pretty bad!
JG,
It's an uphill battle where I work Marie. It's a Union Shop but I'd say about a third or a little more of the people there vote Republican because I hear all the complaining about the Union using their Union dues to get demo-dumps elected.
Where I live though is another story. I live in the most conservative district in the state. There hasn't been a dem elected here since before the Civil War. It'll be packed at the school where I vote. I'm just hoping the turnout is as good as it was for GWB in 2004. We had to wait in line for three hours to vote for the Prez.
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Well in the final day's of an election like this, all the mudslinging and goofy stuff will come pouring out.
Thank heavens there IS a Republican district in your state I was beginning to wonder with Purple Jesus and all lol.
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