Hastert Statement on Berger Allegations

U.S. Newswire ^ | July 20, 2004

[we_will_prevail]

7/20/2004 12:54:00 PM

To: National Desk

Contact: John Feehery or Pete Jeffries, 202-225-2800, both of the Office of House Speaker Dennis Hastert

WASHINGTON, July 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Today, House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) released the following statement regarding allegations that former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger removed highly classified terrorism documents and handwritten notes from a secure reading room during preparations for the 9/11 Commission hearings:

"I am profoundly troubled by allegations that former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger removed highly classified documents from the National Archives regarding the Clinton Administration's handling of terrorist attacks prior to the September 11th attacks.

"What could those documents have said that drove Mr. Berger to remove them without authorization from a secure reading room for classified documents?

"What information could be so embarrassing that a man with decades of experience in handling classified documents would risk being caught pilfering our nation's most sensitive secrets?

"Did these documents detail simple negligence or did they contain something more sinister? Was this a bungled attempt to rewrite history and keep critical information from the 9/11 Commission and potentially put their report under a cloud?

"It is my understanding that Mr. Berger shoved this classified information into his clothing to smuggle them out of the National Archives. Press reports indicate that Archival staff became concerned when documents began to disappear and specifically marked additional documents to track them. A number of those documents also turned up missing.

"Mr. Berger has a lot of explaining to do. He was given access to these documents to assist the 9/11 Commission, not hide information from them. The American people and the 9/11 families don't want cover-ups when it comes to the War on Terror. They want the truth. And so does the U.S. House of Representatives."

[Clintons Are White Trash]

Ladies & Gentlemen - I present you "TrouserGate"....

Berger is in trouble :)

[Dog Gone]

From the Fox article:

The Archives is believed to have copies of some of the missing documents.

[Wolfstar]

Excellent statement from Hastert. A couple of thoughts about what he had to say:

Hastert: It is my understanding that Mr. Berger shoved this classified information into his clothing to smuggle them out of the National Archives. Press reports indicate that Archival staff became concerned when documents began to disappear and specifically marked additional documents to track them. A number of those documents also turned up missing.

So Berger "inadvertently" went back and took documents more than once. Sarcasm aside, this makes me belive there was no leak from a third party. Rather, the investigation may be at a point where Berger and his lawyers decided it was time to get out in front of the story they knew would break soon. Common tactic. (1) Get's the defendant's story out there while it's the only side being covered by the media. (2) When the prosecutor's side comes out, it's already "old" news. (3) In a politically charged case like this, it let the defendant's associates begin to spin it and muddy the waters as far as the public is concerned. So we have Gergen on national TV this morning slyly hinting that the Bush team "leaked" it for political purposes.

Hastert: The American people and the 9/11 families don't want cover-ups when it comes to the War on Terror. They want the truth."

Yeah, that's why New York and probably New Jersey will be in Kerry's column this November.

[SaveTheChief]

The funny thing is that we ARE being heard. I kind of think that the reason for all the disruptions, the radical groups like moveon.org, the Hollywood weirdos going haywire is because the nation is starting to turn back to Conservatism.

There are some nuts out there, and they are getting bold in a desperate attempt to gain attention. They might have their moments of glory, but I don't think the radicals will have any damaging effect on our country -- at least nothing that can't be fixed.

I think the best thing that can happen to this country is the complete destruction of the tax code and the institution of the national sales tax. This would put the people in control again, and break the umbilical cord to the federal government. Special interest groups would diminish in numbers, and to a degree, people would have the means to control where their money goes.

[TruBluKentuckian]

I think we're on the same page, just reading from different angles.

The "nefarious deed" we are talking about is the effect this has on the 9/11 Commission. The "nefarious deed" you are alluding to is the crime itself of taking the documents. Both are, indeed, nefarious deeds.

[Texans]

"He was given access to these documents to assist the 9/11 Commission"

Obvious question is....WHY BERGER???... I'm beyond words !

[OESY]

"The residents of Millerton, NY, picked on me when I was growing up." -- Sandy Berger

Even then they knew.

[LTCJ]

If they were copies, and the original remained in the archive, then I can see where this story might fall apart.

Wrong slant. Any classified document requires special handling. And every classified document is numbered and logged. Futhermore, the information contained in "highly classified" material by definition is information which would cause "exceptionally grave damage" to national security if disclosed.

Now, loss of the only original would effectively remove that information as evidence of something else but it in NO way diminshes the CRIMINAL act of deliberately mishandling classified documents no mater how many or how few there were. He could and should be sent away for those acts alone if it can be shown he did it.

As to the number of copies, it would depend on the nature of the document. Generally, 'workbooks', original research, or first drafts of reports tend to be single documents. Drafts for comment, or reports would have multiple copies. Due to the requirement to maintain and periodically inventory classified files, the number is almost always kept to a minimum. Given that these were archived files, they may well have been properly purged of duplicate copies before they went into the archives.

[Not A Snowbird]

Could we call this Dockersgate?

Fruit-of-the-Loomgate

[Gritty]

(Sandy Burglar) was cooperating with authorities already. Singing like a canary, wearing a wire, the whole bit. Spewing "Bush lied" was what he was expected to do. Otherwise, the bigger fish the Justice Department wants to nail would have gotten suspicious, and just had him whacked.

Methinks you have it nailed!

He had better get in the Witness Protection Program, and fast!

[woofer]

Any minute now I expect Senator Orin Hatch (R) Utah to jump in and tell us Sandy Berger is really a great American and we should all just "move on".

Boy, I wonder if his FBI file was a big ol' fat one, y'know, one of those accodion side types.

[defenderSD]

Bump for a tough statement from the Speakah!

[bootless]

Nice pants! :-)

[Tamzee]

Thank you for this glorious ping... his statement is wonderful and zaps right to the heart of the issues involved :-)

[Judith Anne]

Yes, agreed. ;-D

[bondjamesbond]

well thank goodness someone stepped up to issue a statement like this before Pat Roberts or Hagel can get to a microphone to exonerate Berger.

Gawd! Nobody let Orrin Hatch or John McCain anywhere near a microphone, OK?

[onyx]

Another brilliant analysis from you, Wolfstar.

You changed my mind to your thinking.

Berger's team leaked it, and the sycophant
Gergen memorized his scripted lines.

I am getting a headache because I know this
will be swept aside by our damn media.

[Chode]

All your Burger are belong to us...

[webheart]

Fruit-of-the-Loomgate

That one has been suggested, but it has too many syllables. I like dockersgate, if he was indeed wearing dockers, otherwise trousersgate.

[TruBluKentuckian]

I generally agree with you, but let me see if I can articulate my position on this.

I agree that the simple taking of the documents is both a crime and a news story, maybe even a minor scandal. BUT, if the 9/11 Commission was not denied the chance to see these documents by Berger taking them, then it turns into a national security problem with Berger taking the heat and it leaves the news pages in a week or so, end of story.

On the other hand, if the taking of these documents deprived the Commission of important information and possible incriminating evidence on Clinton, or the information in the documents was given to Kerry for use in the campaign, THEN this story becomes a scandal capable of changing the course of this country. It would be news for months, maybe even years, to come.

That's where the legs of this story lie, did the Commission see these documents? This is what I have yet to see for sure in the media.