As I told you about in this post yesterday as a source confirmed to me that the Justice Department has launched a probe into the NSA leak. Mr. Risen, you are in trouble - prepare your defense. I told you so.
The White House will be announcing the probe at about 12:30pm. My source tells me that this probe will most likely result in another prosecutor being assigned as of course Fitzgerald is still busy/dizzy on the Plame/Game No-Leak. Additionally, other probes into other recent leaks such as the CIA 'prisons'leak is in the works as well. As I said, this is the NEW Bush - on the attack - it's no more Mr. Nice Guy!
About time! Also covering Michelle Malkin
*****End Update*********
UPDATE II: Looks like I owe my source big time as yet another tip comes true as the Washington Post is on the target list as well for the CIA Prison leak.
****End Update II*************************************
Update III: Via Fox: "The government has no legal right to pursue the whistleblower [or] whistleblowers who disclosed what's been publicly aired to date," Tom Devine, the legal director for the Government Accountability Project and a lawyer who represents whistleblowers, told FOXNews.com.
Devine said at least two laws protect a potential leak source. One is a so-called anti-gag statute that prevents the government from spending money on a leak investigation unless it specifically warned the employee that its gag rules cannot trump good-government laws.
The leak also could be legal if the Whistleblower Protection Act covers it, Devine said, as long as the leaker was not in the FBI, CIA or NSA, which aren't covered by the act. For instance, a civilian Pentagon employee who wanted to expose government wrongdoing would have free speech protections to expose abuses of power or illegal actions."
Mr. Devine needs to stop the bloviating and read up on TITLE 18: PART I: CHAPTER 37 : § 798 Disclosure of classified information, to wit:
(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully communicates, furnishes, transmits, or otherwise makes available to an unauthorized person, or publishes, or uses in any manner prejudicial to the safety or interest of the United States or for the benefit of any foreign government to the detriment of the United States any classified information—
(1) concerning the nature, preparation, or use of any code, cipher, or cryptographic system of the United States or any foreign government; or
(2) concerning the design, construction, use, maintenance, or repair of any device, apparatus, or appliance used or prepared or planned for use by the United States or any foreign government for cryptographic or communication intelligence purposes; or
(3) concerning the communication intelligence activities of the United States or any foreign government; or
(4) obtained by the processes of communication intelligence from the communications of any foreign government, knowing the same to have been obtained by such processes—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
In short, NO Whistleblower is protected from disclosing classifed information.
*****************end update III*************************************
UPDATE IV: Alas the news that leakers are to be sought out and prosecuted brings a meltdown on the left as evidenced here. So that it's not the leakers that matter to the left, but who the leaking is on - who it harms. If a leak exposes a political operative fraud and their shuckster-opportunistic husband, then it's worthy of seventy-million bucks a two-year trip to no where. Yet when the leaks are to an arrogant press and bring untold damage to our national security and place our agents (who are enemies in the eyes of the left) in harms way, and in turn endanger our lives, then it's "acceptable" and "right".
Relax "Armando", this isn't like the Constitutional Abusive Clinton Years.
We have met the real enemy, Armando and his kind are the reason we fight, and in the end we will win.
****************end update IV***************************************
UPDATE V: Just one more left "reaction" here. Again, the Plame "No leak" and the current leak of known classified information draw no parallel. For the umpteenth time Plame was not uncover/covert as Fitzgerald found (and most of us knew) and thus couldn't charge for outing an "office worker". Therefore, there is no "hypocrisy" of the right (and 29 percent of the left) that now think this current leaks are REAL leaks which REALLY damaged National Security and which REALLY ought to be looked into.
You can see though that this is where the left is going. "Bush didn't care about leaks when super-secret/undercover-covert Valerie DNC operative cover got blown, now he's mad about leaks to the Paper of Record!".
These people are derangedand unhinged, which is bad for them and their families, but great for the Right.
So I say, have at it! The more you side with the terrorist the better it is for us in 2006 and beyond. Keep it going PLEASE!
*************end update V******************************************
UPDATE: VI Per a commenter, "CNN beginning the 4 pm "Day Room" is reporting "whistleblowers"!
Got it? They are not "leakers".". As of 5pm, only "premium content" has a link to story. No "front page here!". Snow blowing over Europe leads on MSNBC (I wonder if Hardball will cover the "flakes" as usual?).
On another thought, I wonder if Senator Chuck Schumer will ask Risen and Priest to sign confidentiality waivers for their sources to testify if needed?
hmmmm
***********end update VI********************************************
UPDATE VII: I've been getting a lot of emails reference The Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act of 1998 - which in this case does not apply as the leak was evidently to the Media - NOT the Inspector General's office as the law intends. Again, see Title 18, as well as the intent of the Classified and Related Information Disclosure Act, to wit:
"This legislation directs the President to inform employees of the intelligence community that they may disclose information, including classified information, to an appropriate oversight committee of Congress when that information is evidence of misconduct, fraud, or gross mismanagement.
The committee is hopeful that this legislation will also encourage employees within the intelligence community to bring such information to an appropriate committee of Congress rather than unlawfully disclosing such information to the media, as happens from time to time."
The "right" of intelligence employees of the Government to report TO PROPER AUTHORITY evidence of fraud, misconduct, etc.
As in anything, there is a "chain of command" in all of Government, and the last time I looked, the NY Times (James Risen) or Washington Post (Dana Priest) did not appear in any of the IC charts.
Sorry folks, whoever leaked this information is in a major hurt along with those who received it.
*****************end update VII*************************************
UPDATE VIII: Townhall's Linda Chavez in her column yesterday noted the difference in the democrats "outrage" between the Plame Game no leak, and the very serious NSA/CIA prisons leaks, especially with her "ditto" on Chuck Schumer.
As I noted here, the media set themselves up for this "trouble", by their 'froggy' behavior surrounding the Plame Game. Now with the Libby defense team gearing up to no doubt call up journalists as witnesses (better get your story together Andrea), as well as this investigation firing up - 2006 just may just be The Year of the Dog - for the MSM.
*************end update VIII****************************************
When the President of the United States presumes something is taking place, that's "Washington Speak" for it had better be damn well underway.
According to a source of mine- it is.
Since we already have a "eternal investigation" via Patrick Fitzgerald, it would seem as this new and from what I understand very "broad" investigation into recent classified leaks to the media, he may be quite busy into the New Year and beyond.
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