Posted on 07/20/2004 10:47:03 AM PDT by cyncooper
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Samuel Berger, former President Clinton's national security adviser, is under federal criminal investigation for allegedly removing classified documents and handwritten notes from a National Archives screening room during preparations for his testimony before the 9/11 commission.
Sources familiar with the investigation confirmed it to CNN on Monday.
The sources told CNN the investigation began last October, after Berger spent roughly 30 hours over three or four days reviewing what one said was "tens of thousands of pages" of Clinton administration documents to comply with a request from the 9/11 commission.
Berger was designated as the official from the Clinton administration who would review documents relevant to commission inquiries. He was also a witness at the 9/11 commission hearings and reviewed records to prepare for his personal testimony.
~snip~
A Berger associate, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the FBI served warrants and searched both Berger's home and office earlier this year as part of the investigation.
A government official familiar with the investigation said that some documents are still missing.
Among the documents Berger says he inadvertently took, the sources confirmed, were drafts of a Clinton administration "after action" report on efforts to thwart al Qaeda around the time of the millennium.
Archives officials told investigators that at least one draft of that report is still missing.
Officials close to Berger said it was ludicrous to suggest that he was trying to hide damaging information from the 9/11 commission.
They said the drafts were written by Clinton counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke and had been changed somewhat, as is customary, as the drafts were circulated among relevant agencies and officials.
But the sources close to Berger said there were other copies of the drafts, that the commission had the final version of the report and that Clarke had said there were not significant changes during the drafting process.
The sources said the FBI had contacted Berger several months ago and that he hired Lanny Breuer, who has since been in contact with prosecutors.
~snip~
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.law.printthis.clickability.com ...
With paper.
Ping to the Richard Clarke connection.
ABC radio news just played a clip of Tom Daschle saying he is suspicious of the timing of the leak (talking point of the day), and then adding Berger deserves the benefit of the doubt while the investigation continues.
I bet that Michael Moore can explain the Sandy Berger issue.......
All we got here is Berger's anonymous friends interpreting what Clarke said months ago. I want to see what Clarke said, and I bet the "drafts" issue wasn't a big deal at the 9/11 commission hearings. Why would they have been among all the other things discussed?
UFO LOL
"That ever happen to you? You accidentally stuff documents in your pants that you meant to put back where they belong?"
And did you also put documents in your briefcase and walk out when you intended to leave them where they belong?
Thank you for the ping.
This just gets weirder and weirder.
I bet Ben Vanista was his NARA observer while Sandy reviewed the documents for stuffing down his pants and socks.
I find it funny the at least 2 klitoon cabnit personnel have tried to steal classified material. It is a crime to be in the possion of classified material when not in the chain of coustdy, need to know, out of the control of the material manager. This is a federal crime, but he will skate out of it, just like Paul O'Niell.
And, I can't help but comment that given how the papers were smuggled out, I'm glad I wasn't the one who had to deal with them. Pee-yoooo.
Look at it from another direction. How suspicious would it seem if the info came out AFTER the Commission made their "final" report???
That would be worse, and the 9/11 commission would go beserk. (BTW, I don't know if any knew about the investigation)
(Go Brits)
The plot thickens...
Thanks for the info Cyn.
Has anybody heard of any Hillary sightings....Just wondering if she has made here usual daily press op or if she decided to sit today out for obvious reasons...
Oh, another "blockbuster" in the making? /s
Its not you...my connection is slow also.
He says someone with B/C '04 is interested in this story and how it relates to the Kerry campaign. Wright said they cited a February 2004 press event Kerry held where he spoke about terrorism and the B/C folks wonder if some of the information was passed on to him.
Nuff, good point, I want to qualify my prior remarks. Those remarks assumed Clarke spoke to this "draft" issue at the 9/11 hearings. Closer reading (by me) indicates Clarke's "not substantial changes" may be recent, verbatim or filtered through Berger's friends. In that case, Clarke could be helping the cover-up.
Cameron reporting that one of the missing documents refers to infrastructural security, a topic that Bergler briefed Kerry on in the spring.
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