Berger Is Fined For Smuggling Classified Papers

Wahington Post Online ^ | Friday, September 9, 2005; | By Carol D. Leonnig

[guitarnick40]

A federal judge yesterday ordered former national security adviser Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger to pay a $50,000 fine and give up his security clearance for three years as the penalty for smuggling classified terrorism documents out of the National Archives in 2003.

The sentence was much more severe than the $10,000 fine that Justice Department prosecutors and Berger's attorneys had jointly proposed after Berger pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge. But Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson said the punishment, which also included two years of probation and 100 hours of community service, would more "sufficiently reflect the seriousness of the offense."

[guitarnick40]

Sandy Burglar gets wrists slapped

[theDentist]

...would more "sufficiently reflect the seriousness of the offense."

Sure... if you don't think National security is all that serious an offense.

[CommieCutter]

BS!! TO THE CHAIR TRAITOR!!

[Newbomb Turk]

I am tired of playing by the rules. Rules are for suckers. I am going to become a white color criminal.

Steal a car go to jail. Steel from the national archives, slap on the wrist.

[kb2614]

Pathetic

[Fenris6]

Slap on the wrist. His punishment should never allow him near a secret document again.

[rineaux]

steal a NOPD car, go to vegas.

[Prost1]

Great opportunity to highlight my tagline!

[Asfarastheeastisfromthewest...]

I think that I'd be inclined to accept a bit of plea bargaining if he was prepared (and I could believe what he said) of exactly what he was doing, exactly what was destroyed, what his objectives were and who else was involved in this at higher levels. If that didn't come with the package, he should have been tossed in the slammer for 5 years.

[Eagles6]

Has anyone gotten a good answer why this perversion of justice took place? I emailed Santorum but got no answer.

[wildcatf4f3]

This is what lamp posts are for

[Tacis]

$50K?!?! Willie can cover that a thousand times with the Iraqi oil voucher money he "earned." Berger destroyed evidence that would link Willie to criminal activity. Of course, unless Berger has written things down and Willie KNOWS that Berger has written things down, Berger, whose value as a future thief has diminished, could soon become an Arkancide ala Jim McDougal and Vince Foster.

[indthkr]

"...give up his security clearance for three years

How is it possible that someone who steals classified information can ever be cleared in the future for a security clearance?

This is a joke, and almost a slap in the face to the regular-Joes out there who hold clearances, and would probably be thrown in some dark cell for pulling the same stunt.

[FlingWingFlyer]

To the Left, $50,000 is "chump change" when you're trying to protect Bubba's "legacy" and blame everything on President Bush.

[doc]

I understand he is going to run a new revised food for oil program.

[guitarnick40]

"....and would probably be thrown in some dark cell for pulling the same stunt."

Pretty nuts isn't it. The Clintonite's still escape prosecution for the potpourri of transgressions committed during their reign in the 90's that our country and president are still cleaning up 8 years after the fact.

[beethovenfan]

Charles Colson went to prison for years for just HANDLING
(not stealing) one confidential FBI file, and this fat little
prick gets off with a fine!

[taxesareforever]

His community service should be cleaning out the Superdome since he is so good at "cleaning things out".

[Always A Marine]

It looks like Peggy Noonan was right in her recent WSJ editorial about the "icky" friendship between the Bushes and Clintons. Berger's so-called punishment leaves me inclined to believe that Dubya is covering up for his elitist pals while those of us in the ideological trenches concern ourselves with lesser things, like Principle.

Make no mistake -- if I had done what Sandy Berger did, I would be serving twenty years at Fort Leavenworth. These people are above us, and they know it. We have been betrayed, and I am angry.

[Clock King]

Laws and rules and social mores are for little people, not the VIPs. The looters (left and right) have betrayed the dream of the Founders.