Sandy Berger: Not Off The Hot Seat Just Yet
GOP urges Berger lie test
Eighteen House Republicans have urged the Justice Department to proceed with a polygraph test for Samuel R. Berger, the former national security adviser who agreed to take the test as part of a plea of guilty of stealing documents from the National Archives.
"This may be the only way for anyone to know whether Mr. Berger denied the 9/11 commission and the public the complete account of the Clinton administration's actions or inactions during the lead-up to the terrorist attacks on the United States," the congressmen said in their letter to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales.
The congressmen -- led by Rep. Thomas M. Davis III of Virginia -- said a prompt lie-detector test is needed to determine the extent of Mr. Berger's thievery, especially because the former Clinton administration adviser reviewed original documents for which there were no copies or inventory.
Other signers of the letter are Reps. Duncan Hunter, Darrell Issa and Brian Bilbray of California, John L. Mica of Florida, F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. of Wisconsin, Dan Burton and Mark Souder of Indiana, Christopher Shays of Connecticut, John M. McHugh of New York, Chris Cannon of Utah, John J. "Jimmy" Duncan Jr. of Tennessee, Michael R. Turner of Ohio, Kenny Marchant of Texas, Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia, Patrick T. McHenry and Virginia Foxx of North Carolina and Bill Sali of Idaho.
Mr. Davis, former chairman and now ranking Republican on the House Government Reform Committee, released a report by his staff on Jan. 9, saying a Justice Department investigation of Mr. Berger's admitted document theft was "remarkably incurious."
The report said the theft compromised national security "much more than originally disclosed" and resulted in "incomplete and misleading" information to the September 11 commission. It said Mr. Berger was willing to go to "extraordinary lengths to compromise national security, apparently for his own convenience."
In October, Mr. Davis led an effort to hold hearings to determine whether any documents were "destroyed, removed or were missing" after visits by Mr. Berger to the Archives. He said the full extent of Mr. Berger's document removal "can never be known" and the Justice Department could not assure the September 11 commission that it received all the documents to which Mr. Berger had access.
Mr. Davis said that during sentencing, Mr. Berger agreed to a polygraph examination as part of a plea deal, but Justice never administered the test, according to two Justice officials closely connected to the case -- John Dion, chief of the counterespionage section, and Bruce Swartz, deputy assistant attorney general for the Criminal Division.
He said Mr. Berger assured the commission that it received all the documents it sought but that some of the papers Mr. Berger examined were originals for which there were no copies or inventory. He said there is no way to know whether Mr. Berger returned all of those documents.
Lanny Breuer, Mr. Berger's attorney, has said the matter was thoroughly investigated by the Justice Department for more than two years and effectively closed for more than a year. He said the report's conclusions were based on "pure conjecture."
"Sandy Berger made a mistake. But he has admitted that mistake, fully cooperated with the government's investigation, paid his debt to society, and moved on. It's time for the new congressional minority to do the same."
Justice Department spokes-man Bryan Sierra has said the department "has no evidence that Sandy Berger's actions deprived the 9/11 commission of documents, and we stand by our investigation of this matter."
Mr. Berger pleaded guilty in April 2005 to a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material, including documents outlining the government's knowledge of terrorist threats to the United States. Fined $50,000 and barred from access to classified material for three years, he faced a year in prison and a $100,000 fine, but his plea deal reduced the fine and kept him out of prison.
Story Here
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A mistake? Since when was the theft of National Security Documents "A Mistake"? I am never going to let this story go. If Sandy "The Burglar" Berger FAILS this lie detector test, I imagine there could be a whole host of NEW charges brought against him. (I Hope) Anything will be better than the slap on the wrist that he got to begin with. If this was Condi Rice, the Left would be throwing one hell of a hissy fit! Some may think I am beating a dead horse here, but if "Burglar" never returned all the document's (Which he didnt) then the 9-11 panel NEVER had all the correct information for thier investigation to begin with. And what now? A new 9-11 commission? Or at least seperate hearings with Sandy Berger and the members of the 9-11 commission? An add on to the origional findings? Sandy Berger really messed this whole damn thing up a good one. He deserves alot more than a slap on the wrist and I am going to whine and moan and cry until he gets more!!!
Eighteen House Republicans have urged the Justice Department to proceed with a polygraph test for Samuel R. Berger, the former national security adviser who agreed to take the test as part of a plea of guilty of stealing documents from the National Archives.
"This may be the only way for anyone to know whether Mr. Berger denied the 9/11 commission and the public the complete account of the Clinton administration's actions or inactions during the lead-up to the terrorist attacks on the United States," the congressmen said in their letter to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales.
The congressmen -- led by Rep. Thomas M. Davis III of Virginia -- said a prompt lie-detector test is needed to determine the extent of Mr. Berger's thievery, especially because the former Clinton administration adviser reviewed original documents for which there were no copies or inventory.
Other signers of the letter are Reps. Duncan Hunter, Darrell Issa and Brian Bilbray of California, John L. Mica of Florida, F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. of Wisconsin, Dan Burton and Mark Souder of Indiana, Christopher Shays of Connecticut, John M. McHugh of New York, Chris Cannon of Utah, John J. "Jimmy" Duncan Jr. of Tennessee, Michael R. Turner of Ohio, Kenny Marchant of Texas, Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia, Patrick T. McHenry and Virginia Foxx of North Carolina and Bill Sali of Idaho.
Mr. Davis, former chairman and now ranking Republican on the House Government Reform Committee, released a report by his staff on Jan. 9, saying a Justice Department investigation of Mr. Berger's admitted document theft was "remarkably incurious."
The report said the theft compromised national security "much more than originally disclosed" and resulted in "incomplete and misleading" information to the September 11 commission. It said Mr. Berger was willing to go to "extraordinary lengths to compromise national security, apparently for his own convenience."
In October, Mr. Davis led an effort to hold hearings to determine whether any documents were "destroyed, removed or were missing" after visits by Mr. Berger to the Archives. He said the full extent of Mr. Berger's document removal "can never be known" and the Justice Department could not assure the September 11 commission that it received all the documents to which Mr. Berger had access.
Mr. Davis said that during sentencing, Mr. Berger agreed to a polygraph examination as part of a plea deal, but Justice never administered the test, according to two Justice officials closely connected to the case -- John Dion, chief of the counterespionage section, and Bruce Swartz, deputy assistant attorney general for the Criminal Division.
He said Mr. Berger assured the commission that it received all the documents it sought but that some of the papers Mr. Berger examined were originals for which there were no copies or inventory. He said there is no way to know whether Mr. Berger returned all of those documents.
Lanny Breuer, Mr. Berger's attorney, has said the matter was thoroughly investigated by the Justice Department for more than two years and effectively closed for more than a year. He said the report's conclusions were based on "pure conjecture."
"Sandy Berger made a mistake. But he has admitted that mistake, fully cooperated with the government's investigation, paid his debt to society, and moved on. It's time for the new congressional minority to do the same."
Justice Department spokes-man Bryan Sierra has said the department "has no evidence that Sandy Berger's actions deprived the 9/11 commission of documents, and we stand by our investigation of this matter."
Mr. Berger pleaded guilty in April 2005 to a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material, including documents outlining the government's knowledge of terrorist threats to the United States. Fined $50,000 and barred from access to classified material for three years, he faced a year in prison and a $100,000 fine, but his plea deal reduced the fine and kept him out of prison.
Story Here
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A mistake? Since when was the theft of National Security Documents "A Mistake"? I am never going to let this story go. If Sandy "The Burglar" Berger FAILS this lie detector test, I imagine there could be a whole host of NEW charges brought against him. (I Hope) Anything will be better than the slap on the wrist that he got to begin with. If this was Condi Rice, the Left would be throwing one hell of a hissy fit! Some may think I am beating a dead horse here, but if "Burglar" never returned all the document's (Which he didnt) then the 9-11 panel NEVER had all the correct information for thier investigation to begin with. And what now? A new 9-11 commission? Or at least seperate hearings with Sandy Berger and the members of the 9-11 commission? An add on to the origional findings? Sandy Berger really messed this whole damn thing up a good one. He deserves alot more than a slap on the wrist and I am going to whine and moan and cry until he gets more!!!
posted by Marie's Two Cents | 4:46 PM
13 Comments:
Hi Marie,
Wow just when you thought that the leftist couldn't sink any lower. They break a new low.
Night,
This has been going on since before the 2004 Presidential Election.
Sandy "The Burglar" only got a slap on the wrist for his crimes.
I want to see him take the lie detector test, I'm sure he will fail, but then what? How will we ever believe the 9-11 commission ever made an accurate report? And issued to the American people thier "True" findings, when thier findings couldnt have been true without the documents on hand that Sandy Berger stole?
We have to get to the bottom of this and I want to see Sandy Berger pay for stealing these documents!
Hi Marie,
Your correct, you know I had forgot about it, it had totally slipped my mind, I guess that there had been so much other stuff that has transpired between then and now.
I want to know what the documents contained that someone of his high profile would risk his own freedom to go and steal from a secure depository. They have got to be something that will show his and his boss's incompetence in finding and killing Osama Bin Laden.
It actually turned into another "Get Smart" moment for the "Clinton Gang that Couldn't Shoot Straight". They were lead by the three blind mice after all, Perry, Berger and Albright. Writers can't write scripts like that. Who would think that they could get away with being so incompetent? The duplicitousness of the liberal press let them get away with a false legacy but it will come crashing down when the weight of holding up those lies become too great to bear even for liberals.
I am so reminded of Maxwell Smart though when the Sandy Berger affair is mentioned. It would probably go something like this; Would you believe they are Chineese menus stuffed down my socks Chief? "No Max" Would you believe they are flyers for Alice's restaurant Chief? "No Max" sounding a bit impatient. 99 rolls her eyes and responds with "just give the Chief the documents Max". With that Max says "aw 99" while he shuffles his foot on the floor. Chief's eyes widen as his patience has ended and says "Max" loudly. With that Max says "alright" and pulls the stolen documents out of socks as Laraby peers from the cracked open lid of the wastecan a few feet away.
Hi Marie,
I like J_G, she has got a great sense of humor, I like how she put that in that Maxwell Smart analogy. She even remembers the actors and everything, I have a problem with remembering some of that stuff that far back.
It actually turned into another "Get Smart" moment for the "Clinton Gang that Couldn't Shoot Straight".
That line that J_G posted I literally fell out of my chair laughing so hard at.
I watched way too much TV as kid Night Rider, pretty obvious eh?
I have an easy time comparing Clinton and gang to old TV sitcoms. They were such a joke and quite comical to watch at times. The bumbling incomptence was unbelievable. Bill Clinton stumbled and bumbled his way into good fortune like a 60's TV sitcom.
Then there was the evil wicked witch that brought evil and meaness to the scene. Now she wants to recognized as the real boss and the real brains behind those bumbled sucesses. Boy, you couldn't ask for better material.
Hi J_G,
I could see how that would fit, another old TV program that you could have used for Perry, Berger and Albright would have been "The Three Stooges" LOL
It amazes me that Burglar gets a slap on the wrist for stealing and destroying national security and archived Presidential documents and poor ,"Scooter," Libby is being tried for forgetting dates and times in a case that should have never been investigated in the first place since Plame was no longer qualified as a protected agent.
,"Scooter," Libby is being tried for forgetting dates and times in a case that should have never been investigated in the first place since Plame was no longer qualified as a protected agent.
Um, no. Scooter Libby is being tried for lying. Same thing that got Clinton impeached.
I know Bill Clinton and Scooter Libby is no Bill Clinton. Scooter Libby was not the President either.
If a crime was committed by releasing the name of Valery Plame shouldn't Tim Russert and the media be on trial too.
The Independent Council has completely missed the boat, wasn't it the Armitage guy from the State department the one that relased the name of Valery Plame and all the people testifing are the ones that perpetuated the story? Wasn't Vallery Plame's husband the one that made the whole story up in the first place?
Something is missing here and maybe someday those documents stuffed down Sandy Berger's pants enlighten us to the truth, kind of like finding missing pages of the Dead Sea scrolls.
I would like to know myself what all was contained in those documents, why he stole them, who benefitted from this theft, and why it was necessary to stuff them down his pants, socks, and under a trailer!! And burned some of them.
We have some of the answers already. We know Clinton benefitted from the theft, and the American people lost, by the 9-11 commission not having all the information
available to come to an accurate conclusion in thier findings.
Now what?
JG,
I want to know what the documents contained that someone of his high profile would risk his own freedom to go and steal from a secure depository. They have got to be something that will show his and his boss's incompetence in finding and killing Osama Bin Laden.
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I think you got it JG!
LMAO @ "Get Smart"
Night,
I like J_G, she has got a great sense of humor, I like how she put that in that Maxwell Smart analogy. She even remembers the actors and everything, I have a problem with remembering some of that stuff that far back.
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She's a pretty clever gal isnt she? lol
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