Prosecutors: No Dice on Berger Deal

News Max ^ | 7-20-04

[hope]

Reprinted from NewsMax.com

Tuesday, July 20, 2004 9:23 p.m. EDT

Prosecutors: No Dice on Berger Deal

Justice Department prosecutors have reportedly rejected several offers from former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger's lawyer to resolve the department's eight-month long investigation into his illegal removal of top secret documents from the 9/11 Commission's reading room.

Two sources associated with the investigation told CNN that lawyer Lanny Breuer made a detailed statement of Berger's view of the facts at issue several months ago. According to the unnamed sources, Berger has offered to talk to the Justice Department about a resolution to the probe.

In the intervening months, Breuer has renewed Berger's offer to come clean several times.

But in a bad omen for the former top Clinton national security official, the Justice Department has repeatedly rebuffed the offer and refused to enter into any discussions.

Instead, Deputy Attorney General James Comey warned Tuesday that Berger - who resigned hours ago as a top campaign advisor to presidential candidate John Kerry - could face jail time.

"It is against the law for anyone to intentionally mishandle classified information, either by taking it to give to somebody else, or by mishandling in a way that is outside the regulations of government information," Comey told reporters in Washington.

"We take issues of classified information very, very seriously," he added.

"It's our lifeblood to keep secrets. All felonies in the federal system bring with them the promise of jail time," Comey stressed, adding cryptically, "That's all I can say about that."

As U.S. Attorney for New York's Southern District, Comey oversaw the indictment of Martha Stewart for lying to federal investigators. Stewart was sentenced to five months in jail last week.

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  9/11 Commission
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[livius]

This has the makings of a Greek drama.

Hubris all around. Maybe Clinton is finally seeing the Fates cutting the threads....

[Lancey Howard]

(From the ABC News site: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/TheNote/Morning_Show_Wrap.html)

Morning Show Wrap
What Played -- and How it Played -- on Morning TV

By Teddy Davis and Nick Schifrin

N E W Y O R K, July 20, 2004 —
A product of Noted Now and The Note
Evening Newscasts Wrap

News Wrap Archives

Leads

All three morning shows gave prominent attention to the news that former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger is under investigation for allegedly stealing classified information from the national archives.


Gergen Calls Timing of Berger Story "Suspicious"

David Gergen, a former advisor to both Democratic and Republican presidents, vouched for Berger on NBC's "Today," calling him a "hero" in the war on terror, a man of "utter integrity" and saying it is "suspicious that this would leak" just before the release of the 9/11 Commission's report.

"It's not even clear to (Berger) that this investigation is still under way," Gergen said, "& no charges have been brought against him."

When NBC's Katie Couric followed up and asked Gergen if he was suggesting that this story might be coming out now as a "distraction" to the 9/11 Commission's report, Gergen said, "It has those overtones. Let's let more facts come out."

Gergen said that he doesn't think the Berger story "reflects on Sen. Kerry." He did say, however, that "what would hurt the Kerry campaign would be if Sandy would have to withdraw" from his role as an advisor to the Kerry campaign.


The Berger Story

Pierre Thomas handled Berger duties for ABC's "Good Morning America"; Pete Willliams handled Berger duties for NBC's "Today Show"; CBS handled the Berger news as a tell. Bill Plante's piece actually focused on the 9/11 Commission's report in general, not on the Berger news.

[tobyhill]

I'm sure the Feds would cut the sentence in half if he spilled the beans of who he gave the information to, Kerry! I think Kerry was paying Berger under the table to get the info but I'm sure he never thought Berger would get caught.

[tiki]

Maybe he hasn't offered enough yet. Hey, let's start comparing this to Watergate. Let's start asking all the hard questions. What did Skerry know about this and when did he know it? What were the Dims trying to accomplish with this? And be sure and include the Clinton's when you ask questions because they surely had something to do with this.

[livius]

his only chance was to turn it into a media circus in the hope of escaping under the cloud of 'partisan persecution'

Oddly enough - because I am rarely this prescient - that's what I thought, too. A preemptive strike.

Something has happened to trouble the waters.

[potlatch]

Sounds good, hope more and more come out about this!!

[ridesthemiles]

We'll make you a deal, Sandy, when you start singing about your bosses. Otherwise, expect bars in your future.

The Clinton's are planning something other than bars, I'll bet. Wonder how much Sandy knows about Vince Foster????

[Tennessean4Bush]

As U.S. Attorney for New York's Southern District, Comey oversaw the indictment of Martha Stewart for lying to federal investigators. Stewart was sentenced to five months in jail last week.

Berger's butt cheeks just tightened.

[ridesthemiles]

An FBI search of his home in January turned up nothing. And late Tuesday, law enforcement sources say they don't expect charges to be filed.

Probably in the same place as the Rose Law Firm papers????

[GVnana]

See this thread linking Kerry's program to fight terrorism with Berger's heist. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1175055/posts?page=18#18

[ridesthemiles]

Look out Marcy Park...



Time to alert the park police to have a sickout action!!!

[af_vet_1981]

"It is against the law for anyone to intentionally mishandle classified information, either by taking it to give to somebody else, or by mishandling in a way that is outside the regulations of government information," Comey told reporters in Washington.

"We take issues of classified information very, very seriously," he added.

"It's our lifeblood to keep secrets. All felonies in the federal system bring with them the promise of jail time," Comey stressed, adding cryptically, "That's all I can say about that."

Did he give it to Kerry ?

[not2worry]

You do the crime you pay the time!

The Clinton's should also be prosecuted as aiding, abetting and accomplices in any charges brought against Berger!~

[Mo1]

Mo1,Do you mean Mayor Street?What leak came from his camp

No officials came out and claimed that .. It's just my opinion

Street called in the police commissioner to do a sweep for bugs .. out of the blue .. Street normally had a private security firm do those things

Anyhow .. just so happens that the police commissioners son also works for the FBI

Street used that bug and blamed the Bush Administration was out to get him ... polls before that were calling for Katz to win ..

I heard about Greenwood .. something about him being offered to become president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization .. other then that I don't know what's up

[Mygirlsmom]

Kerry? Might it all be a setup by the Toon to force Kerry out, who will be replaced by Shillery at the last second?

That's what I'm thinking. Already, the drumbeat is out there about the "timing of the leak". What a better way to wreck Kerry's train and have Hillary swoop in for the rescue at the last minute? Plus there'll be a big bump from the sympathy factor of her having to pick up the pieces from the nasty mess created by those dirty rotten Republicans.

[Richard Kimball]

Tough choice for Sandy. He can do jail time like Web Hubbell or he can hang out with Ron Brown and Vince Foster.

[InvisibleChurch]

is xxxlinton still laughing with his buds?

[tobyhill]

No matter what the timing was, it doesn't change the facts it went in his pants and socks. One poster called it, "trousergate".

[JulieRNR21]

FYI.....PING

This is getting more interesting.....Burglar Berger tries to make a deal but I'm glad to see that Justice is playing 'hardball'.

[nmh]

It's about time SOMEONE from the old regime goes to jail. This guy BELONGS there. He as hiding something.