The criminal investigation of Berger began last October but only came to light this week.
Kerry Camp Accuses White House of Berger Leak
The way I read it, for the 9 months before the news of the investigation broke, Sandy the Burglar kept up business as usual.
So, although most of official Washington knew Berger was under investigation for a serious crime, he was still advising a candidate for the presidency, and, as Liz pointed out, profiting from US government business in Iraq.
There is something extremely wrong with this picture.
Yes, he was caught in October but the FBI was brought in in January.
I am not sure most of Washington knew about the investigation. Berger knew he was being investigated, so he of course told clinton. Lindsey knew because he's the one the Archives called to say documents were missing. The reason they called him is Lindsey served as liaison between clinton and the Archives for any official (ahem) at the Archives on clinton's behalf.
Kamp Kerry most likely knew because Berger was working with them.
But I don't think most of DC knew. As to the leak, the Bush administration, contrary to the dem/media spin, most certainly did not leak it. There was no purpose to do so. It is a tried and true clintonian tactic to leak the existance of the investigation. Making it public threw a monkey wrench in quietly collecting evidence and gave them the spin of "the Bush administration is leaking" thereby diverting attention from the actual crime. Also it would help serve down the road with an attempt to say it was all "old news". I don't think it worked this time.
I agree, it is outrageous he has been able to galavant about with an aura of respectability he lost long long ago, as did the rest of that crew.