Berger fined $50,000 for taking classified documents

Dallas Morning News ^ | Thursday, September 8, 2005 | Associated Press

[Young Werther]

Judge stiffens suggested penalty for Clinton's national security chief

WASHINGTON – Sandy Berger, President Clinton's national security adviser who was once entrusted with the nation's most sensitive secrets, was fined $50,000 Thursday for taking classified documents from the National Archives.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson handed down the punishment in federal court, stiffening the $10,000 fine recommended by government lawyers. Under the deal, Mr. Berger avoids prison time but must surrender access to classified government materials for three years

[Young Werther]

"Three Years!"

The Ham Buglar should fry

[RexBeach]

Did the court say anything about Dr. Berger having to lose some weight as well? That would leave more room in his trousers for his next foray into the stacks at the archives.

[Sister_T]

Fined? The man should be in jail!

[EagleUSA]

This is disgusting. The political class protecting itself. Just think what the sentence would have been if you or I had done this....oh, do I smell political fish...

[atomicpossum]

Boy, I bet that wrist will smart for ten or fifteen minutes.

[FreedomNeocon]

So stealing classifed documents from the national archvies and destroying them is a $50k fine and 3yrs probation.

Meanwhile get caught growing a plant (marijuana) and you're sent to jail for years.

Priorities?

[weegee]

Why the F*** would he EVER be granted access to classified documents again?

Excuse me but this is grounds for permanently losing your security clearance.

What administration does he currently serve in anyway?

[weegee]

Who's paying his bill?

[greyfoxx39]

I noticed a small blurb on page A12 of the Albuquerque (propaganda for the left) Journal of this story...made me wonder if Condi Rice would receive the same low-key treatment by the press were she stupid enough to do something similar....Oh, Sure, she would!!

[Polybius]

Boy, I bet that wrist will smart for ten or fifteen minutes.

In April, he will be deducting that $50,000 on his income tax return as a "business expense". < /sarcasm>

[Mike Bates]

[Dahoser]

This is a disgrace. A disgusting disgrace. There are good people who cannot get security clearances because of things in their past that they no longer do but the security folks hold against them, while this traitor, T-R-A-I-T-O-R, bullies security guards, lies, steals and destroys classified documents, and he gets a mere pittance of a fine, no jail time, and the ability to get his clearance back in 3 years.

The administration should be ashamed of itself for allowing its Justice Department to make this plea bargain. There is no justification for letting this criminal, this traitor, get off.

And once again I ask, how does he have a clearance at all when his last government service was over 5 years ago?

[RckyRaCoCo]

While the concentration of the nation is on Katrina sandy van der sloot berger skips.

As the church lady would say... "how convenient".

[shiva]

What else did we expect?

Clinton's national security chief

[manwiththehands]

And Docs-in-socks won't pay a dime of it. This will be covered by the Clintons/Dems.

[Matchett-PI]

Sandy Burgler - the biggest looter of them all.

[penowa]

"The political class protecting itself."

More info that no matter who controls the levers of gov't unless the elites want to punish somebody, they are free to break the law as they see fit. Laws apply to only the peons.

[bvw]

Bergers crimes as determined by the Court are greater than those of Martha Stewart -- yet Berger serves no time, not even a anklet? This is injustice.

[I still care]

Condi - my thought exactly.

If Condi Rice has been hidden documents in her clothes, taken them home and shredded them, the NY Times would be having major conniptions.

There would be charts and graphs all over its pages, the Senate Democrats would be screaming, and Micheal Moore would be camped out her front door demanding a meeting.

Now its just "removing" documents in the front paragraph. You have to go deep into it to read that he took them home and shredded them. Handwritten notes. This is so blatent it infuriates me, and the MSM is a bunch of self serving, Democratic hack pigs for not covering it.

I kept wondering all this week what the hurricane coverage would have been like if Hillary had been president. Probably pictures of her biting her lip, feeling their pain, and mentions of her "heroic" visits to victims.

[Matchett-PI]

"As the church lady would say... "how convenient".

"Isn't that special?"

[MinuteGal]

Martha grates
Does the time
Fuzzball skates
How divine

BURGLAR SHAVE

Leni

[El Gato]

I'm sure George Soros will never notice the $50K.

The man should be a guest in Leavenworth.

[COBOL2Java]

I think the punishment should fit the crime. The judge should order Berger to wear nothing but kilts from now on!

[Matchett-PI]

Love it! LOL

bttt

[Little Pig]

The missing part of this is that apparently, in order to get this light sentence, the Berglar is cooperating with the investigation. I would love to have been a fly on the wall to hear what he gave the prosecutors (who are standing by this decision) that made them agree to this.

[Adiemus]

"I'm sure George Soros will never notice the $50K. The man should be a guest in Leavenworth."

Before being granted a security clearance, you are warned in writing that "severe" penalties apply to disclosing/mishandling classified information, especially compartmented information.

Had it been your run of the mill spy selling information to the north koreans or chinese, the dude would rot in prison.

Talk about judicial double standards. It makes me sick. This is blatant judicial favoritism for the political elite, those who we "trust" to represent us.

[Libloather]

The perp walk - back home...

Former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger gets into his car as he leaves federal court Thursday, Sept. 8, 2005 in Washington. A judge on Thursday ordered Berger, President Clinton's national security adviser, to pay a $50,000 fine for illegally taking classified documents from the National Archives. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

[wildbill]

What a whitewash!

Like this guy was going to get access to classified material during the next three years of the Bush administration anyway.

Except for the dollars--which I'm sure his Dem masters will be happy to find in their donor base--there is NO PENALTY here.