A rare peek into a Justice Department leak probe(Fox reporter investigated too)

Washington Post ^ | 5/19/2013 | Ann Marimow

[autumnraine]

When the Justice Department began investigating possible leaks of classified information about North Korea in 2009, investigators did more than obtain telephone records of a working journalist suspected of receiving the secret material.

They used security badge access records to track the reporter’s comings and goings from the State Department, according to a newly obtained court affidavit. They traced the timing of his calls with a State Department security adviser suspected of sharing the classified report. They obtained a search warrant for the reporter’s personal e-mails.

The case of Stephen Jin-Woo Kim, the government adviser, and James Rosen, the chief Washington correspondent for Fox News, bears striking similarities to a sweeping leaks investigation disclosed last week in which federal investigators obtained records over two months of more than 20 telephone lines assigned to the Associated Press.

At a time when President Obama’s administration is under renewed scrutiny for an unprecedented number of leak investigations, the Kim case provides a rare glimpse into the inner workings of one such probe.

[M Kehoe]

May the drip, drip, drip turn into a tsunami, and sweep this evil regime from power. Amen.

5.56mm

[muir_redwoods]

So, admitting up front that I’m naive about these things, couldn’t a bunch of reporters buy a bunch of trac phones, scramble them among themselves and use them when they’re making particularly sensitive phone calls? I know the f’ing Feds could figure out who contracted for each phone but they would have no idea who was using it unless they actually listened in.

Welcome to the new normal.

[jiggyboy]

I don’t see the “striking similarities” — AP was a fishing net, this looks like a by-the-book investigation of one specific guy.

[Principled]

I’m sure something like that is already taking place. Burner phones are cheap and untraceable. Use ‘em and chunk ‘em.

But your idea of swapping phones is good too ;)

[crosslink]

Holly smokes this article is a threat to Rosen, read it it says he most likely broke the law. First class intimidation . I will summarize , stop digging James or we will reopen this case.

Why is this in the WaPo now?

[originalbuckeye]

Read the comments below the article. They are mostly supportive of Obama et al. We are not witnessing an epiphany in the Media, we are witnessing the collapse of the First Amendment.

[j_tull]

Gotta be honest. Having once had a TS/SCI clearance, this is what leakers should expect. Just because the guy at the top of the food chain of this one is a worthless POS and a traitor himself, doesn’t make the process wrong.

[randita]

James Rosen has been a bull dog. Hope he keeps it up.

When are the rest of the so called reporters going to get ticked off enough to refuse to swallow what they’re being fed and start looking for some real red meat. Heaven knows they wouldn’t have to dig very deeply to get it.

[penelopesire]

This is how Obama has been silencing some of the press(others are lapdogs anyway)...blackmail,intimidation and payoffs. They love this story being out there too because it sends a clear message to others in the media that dare to investigate this administration. Same thing with the IRS abuse of power. I think they really don’t care that the info is getting attention because it scares people from going against the jackboot thugs in the WH.

Scary times...sends a chill down my spine. And the arrogance yesterday of the administration’s frontman on the Sunday Shows....breathtaking.

[SargeK]

The Obeyme administration and their yappy little lapdog supporters at the NYT use leaks like this to hinder, damage, tie-up, impugn and smear the Bush administration from the get-go. Had Bush responded like this, we’d have ‘journalists’ immolating themselves on the White House lawn like Buddhist monks.

Obama saw (and loved and used) this sort of thing take down Bush. Now that he’s in power, he’s going to make damn sure that nobody tries it with him.

[X-spurt]

Sometimes FNC is not as pure conservative as we would prefer, but Roger Ayles is definitely not someone who can be successfully bullied.

Look for this Rosen thing to either quietly or loudly vanish from DOnJ (Dept. of non-Justice).

[jiggyboy]

I read the article; I don’t think it’s going to “vanish” either loudly or softly. They’ve arrested the (alleged) leaker and are talking about a trial in 2014.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Only two possible explanations here:

1) the Obama Administration is stupid
or,
2) they see themselves as invincible, and are confident that at the end of the day the MSM will continue to cover for them no matter how much abuse is shelled out in their direction.

Given Holder’s stonewalling, one would think the MSM would be forced to conclude that the government has tapped ALL their phones and read ALL their email. And given how this is likely to impact their ability to do their jobs beyond the 3 years Obama has remaining, one would think they’d be screaming bloody murder.

But it’s just as likely they’ll just bend over and swallow it, so long as he is on their side in the Culture Wars.

[Nachum]

The list, Ping

Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list

[GOPJ]

My gut tells me it’s a lot more than the AP and Fox News... that it’s hundreds of reporters and editors over a period of years. This is a bad bunch of people.

[RoosterRedux]

It’s the Chicago way. Obama and Holder are invincible because they are insulated and will sell out their underlings if such is needed.

[crosslink]

Glenn Beck had a whole segment on this to open his show, I am real busy this am but will have comment later.

[Roccus]

This has Strategic Communications and Denis McDonough written all over it.

Per wiki; "Strategic communication management could be defined as the systematic planning and realization of information flow, communication, media development and image care in a long-term horizon. It conveys deliberate message(s) through the most suitable media to the designated audience(s) at the appropriate time to contribute to and achieve the desired long-term effect. Communication management is process creation. It has to bring three factors into balance: the message(s), the media channel(s) and the audience(s).

[GOPJ]

Yes. High leverl manipulation - a not so charming form of lying... You might be right on this Roccus...

Oh, and have you seen this? Pass it around:

The Battling Boys of Benghazi
(Author unknown)

We’re the Battling Boys of Benghazi,
no fame, no glory, no paparazzi,
Just a fiery death in a blazing hell,
defending the country we loved so well.

It wasn’t our job, but we answered the call,
fought to the consulate, and scaled the wall.
We pulled twenty countrymen from the jaws of fate,
led them to safety, and stood at the gate.

Just the two of us, and foes by the score,
but we stood fast, to bar the door,
Three calls for reinforcement, but all were denied,
so we fought and we fought, and we fought till we died.

We gave our all for our Uncle Sam,
but Barack Obama didn’t give a damn.
Just two dead SEAL’s, who carried the load,
no thanks to us — we were just “bumps in the road.”