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Prosecutors: No Dice on Berger Deal
News Max ^ | 7-20-04

Posted on 07/20/2004 6:35:36 PM PDT by 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.

Editor's note:

108-108


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: crime; doj; government; oopsifilledmypants; sandyberger; sloppy; trousergate
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To: hope

Just the first of the Clinton admin bigwigs to get their comeuppance. Can't wait for the rest.


61 posted on 07/20/2004 7:03:37 PM PDT by thoughtomator (End the imperialist moo slime colonization of the West!)
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To: SlickWillard

LOL! ...we better seek protection for that endangered species!


62 posted on 07/20/2004 7:03:50 PM PDT by hope ( Let no man deceive you!)
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To: hope

Does anyone else see Arkancide in SB's future?


63 posted on 07/20/2004 7:04:10 PM PDT by lewislynn (Why do the same people who think "free trade" is the answer also want less foreign oil dependence?)
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To: hope

HELL YEAH!


64 posted on 07/20/2004 7:04:32 PM PDT by dandelion
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To: Shermy
I got to believe Kerry didn't know because whatever else I think of him I can't believe he'd let a guy facing this remain his advisor.

Clinton's interview with the 9/11 Commission was the raison d'etre for Berger's research in the National Archives. Along with Bruce Lindsey, Berger attended the session as Clinton's advisor.

It doesn't seem likely that, in this role, Berger would've been filching documents for Kerry's campaign -- which, at the time (October, '03), was damn near under water.

So, here are a couple of questions:

1. Was Berger acting at Clinton's urging when he filled his jacket, pants and socks with Top Secret paper?

2. Did Clinton broker Berger's services to the Kerry campaign?

If the answer to the latter question is "Yes", then Kerry knows he's been had. And that his campaign is well and truly sabotaged -- and he'll be fighting a two-front war until November.

65 posted on 07/20/2004 7:04:50 PM PDT by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: Ignorance On Parade)
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To: hope

I think he'll have an accident before he can open his mouth in a courtroom. This isn't going to fly. Hillary won't let it.


66 posted on 07/20/2004 7:06:18 PM PDT by TheSpottedOwl ("In the Kingdom of the Deluded, the Most Outrageous Liar is King".)
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To: AGreatPer

I thought I wanted to be president but I've changed my mind and just want to live quietly off my wife's money. It's for the children!!


67 posted on 07/20/2004 7:06:21 PM PDT by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
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To: ambrose
My advice to Berger: "Just don't go anywhere near Fort Marcy Park".
68 posted on 07/20/2004 7:07:06 PM PDT by auzerais (C*ANSWER: a fatally wasting brain disease afflicting the pro-jihadist Left!)
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To: Just mythoughts

Come on, everyone realizes politics are more important than national security. Berger did it for the Clinton Administration, the most ethical ever by self-acclamation, so it couldn't possibly have have posed any threat to the country or its interests. It's not like he conspired with anyone to remove the documents, or that he did so for financial gain (at least I don't think the prosecutors cam prove it) so what's the harm?

Seriously, what could possibly justify his actions? His reputation, as well as other Clinton Administration officials' reputations, might be tarnished if the material was made public. It was highly classified. If the Democrats hadn't pressed for the 9/11 Commission hearings in an attempt to embarrass the Bush Administration the contents of the documents would have been forgotten for as long as they remained classified. Putting political interests ahead of national interests in time of war is no laughing matter. Hopefully, the Justice Department will pursue the matter with all the vigor available.


69 posted on 07/20/2004 7:08:26 PM PDT by Poodlebrain
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To: Dont Mention the War

I wonder how soon Henry Waxman will demand an investigation into this? (sarcasm off)


70 posted on 07/20/2004 7:08:50 PM PDT by steve7
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To: Dog
They suspect he gave it to someone else. Can we say HUNTING BIG GAME.

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

71 posted on 07/20/2004 7:09:50 PM PDT by ambrose (Kerry is endorsed by the Communist Party USA)
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To: hope
I hope they're series, but I'm pessimistic - the urge to deal and plea bargain is just too strong. Typically, the press talks about 10 to 20 years, to satisfy the mob's (i.e. our) initial thirst for blood when the news is hot, but when it comes to sentencing those fantasy Lotto numbers will be long forgotten. And later on? Well, in other news today, typically buried on page 13, Soliah, the SLA pig turned soccer mom baking cookies for the homeless, is appealing her "harsh" sentence, which itself was a result of a "deal". Oh, and she's serving a couple of sentences simultaneously, which is another mystery of the best justice system in the world. How the hell is that done? Does she forego sleep to have 8 hours a day counted toward the other sentence?

Finally, as we shall see demonstrated again, our public/political reality is defined by the media and no one else. Why is "Watergate" commonly considered the crime of the century, how has it become such a well understood term, while Travelgate and all the Krintong gates have faded into obscurity? We like to think we are the ones who are completely in charge of assigning proper values to such things. We like to think...

(And I'm not talking about our little corner of the world right here, I'm talking about out there.)

Sandy walks, the story will be buried and forgotten, while "Enron" enters the everyday vocabulary just like "Watergate" did.

72 posted on 07/20/2004 7:10:08 PM PDT by Revolting cat! ("In the end, nothing explains anything!")
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To: okie01

Kerry knows about his own liberal record and he ignores that. I'm sure Kerry knew. He just didn't know that it would get farther than it has.


73 posted on 07/20/2004 7:10:10 PM PDT by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
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To: randog
FREE BERGER!

Dood! I'm there!

74 posted on 07/20/2004 7:10:32 PM PDT by Libloather (The United States is, by far, the COOLEST country to live in - EVER!)
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To: Shermy
I got to believe Kerry didn't know because whatever else I think of him I can't believe he'd let a guy facing this remain his advisor.

It seems logical to conclude this but we are dealing with a man who took and destroyed classified documents, even as he knew he was being monitored. And aren't we also dealing with a man who required a warrant in order to search his office and home for the missing documents? Now his lawyer says he's willing to cooperate? Could it be Berger thought the story ended after the searches, I keep hearing that the FBI has not talked to him.

75 posted on 07/20/2004 7:10:54 PM PDT by Dolphy
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To: Shermy

Kerry doesn't care. In any case he's short advisors with knowledge of anyplace other than North Vietnam.


76 posted on 07/20/2004 7:11:14 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: hope

The ONLY trading cards Berger has to avoid jail time would be dirt on Hillary.


77 posted on 07/20/2004 7:11:23 PM PDT by taxcontrol (People are entitled to their opinion - no matter how wrong it is.)
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To: Dont Mention the War
CBS Chief White House Correspondent John Roberts reports Berger returned to the archives all but two of the documents - which he believes he accidentally threw away. 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.

I don't care if he returned ALL the documents! THE MAN COMMITTED A CRIME! I certainly hope Ashcroft doesn't deal on this one.

78 posted on 07/20/2004 7:12:06 PM PDT by teletech (Friends don't let friends vote DemocRAT!)
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To: hope

Wouldn't that be great?


79 posted on 07/20/2004 7:12:38 PM PDT by freekitty
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To: Enterprise

Good point.


80 posted on 07/20/2004 7:14:12 PM PDT by doug from upland
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