Justice Department Priorities?
Published Sun, Jan 21 2007 9:21 PM
Technorati Tags: News and Politics
Leaks of classified information would seem to be pretty serious crimes worthy of prosecution. Apparently the seriousness of the investigation into leaks varies in inverse proportion to the sensitivity of the information leaked. From the New York Sun:
The ranking member of a House committee is demanding answers from the Justice Department about recent reports in The New York Sun that intelligence agencies failed to cooperate with FBI investigations into leaks of classified material and that the FBI's files on some leak probes have disappeared.
The top Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Thomas Davis of Virginia, said he was troubled by the Sun's report last week that FBI documents showed at least three leak investigations appeared to have been closed after case agents repeatedly complained about a lack of cooperation from the "victim agency."
That does seem troubling.
At a press conference last month, President Bush again decried leaks of classified information. "It's an ongoing problem," the president said. "At some point in time, it would be helpful if we can find somebody inside our government who is leaking materials, clearly against the law, that they be held to account."
Mr. Davis wrote, "How can we ensure, as the President requested, those who leak classified information ‘be held to account,' if the Department of Justice ( DOJ) does not insist on pursuing investigative leads?"
Don't you think that's a good question? I sure do. You'd think the media would be all over this too, after all, look how up in arms they were about the leak of Valerie Plame's name to Robert Novak... Oh wait... that's right, these leaks fit the media's agenda, while that one was an opportunity to open up a witch-hunt against the administration...
The Sun reported last month that a declaration filed by the FBI in connection with the Freedom of Information Act lawsuit indicated that 22 of 94 files believed to relate to recent leak investigations were missing from the bureau's file room with no indication of who had removed them.
Has anybody asked Sandy Berger? (just kidding).
Then there's this...
Mr. Davis's letter Friday questioning the Justice Department's actions on classified leaks came one day after the congressman joined with the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, to complain that prosecutors were being too aggressive in pursuing leaks of secret grand jury testimony in an investigation into steroid use in professional sports. Two San Francisco Chronicle reporters are facing possible jail time for refusing to name their sources in that case.
Let's compare shall we? Leaked national security data -- investigation dropped. Leaked grand jury testimony about sports "starts" -- aggressive investigation.
Yep, sounds to me like the Justice Department has its priorities straight -- NOT!
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