Posted on 10/05/2005 5:56:16 PM PDT by JeffersonRepublic.com
Oct. 5, 2005 — Both the FBI and CIA are calling it the first case of espionage in the White House in modern history.
Officials tell ABC News the alleged spy worked undetected at the White House for almost three years. Leandro Aragoncillo, 46, was a U.S. Marine most recently assigned to the staff of Vice President Dick Cheney.
Top Stories
* Espionage Case Breaches the White House * Death with Dignity or Criminal Act? * Person of the Week: Complete Coverage
"I don't know of a case where the vetting broke down before and resulted in a spy being in the White House," said Richard Clarke, a former White House advisor who is now an ABC News consultant.
Federal investigators say Aragoncillo, a naturalized citizen from the Philippines, used his top secret clearance to steal classified intelligence documents from White House computers.
In 2000, Aragoncillo worked on the staff of then-Vice President Al Gore. When interviewed by Philippine television, he remarked how valued Philippine employees were at the White House.
"I think what they like most is our integrity and loyalty," Aragoncillo said.
Classified Material Transferred by E-Mail
Officials say the classified material, which Aragoncillo stole from the vice president's office, included damaging dossiers on the president of the Philippines. He then passed those on to opposition politicians planning a coup in the Pacific nation.
"Even though it's not for the Russians or some other government, the fact that it occurred at the White House is a matter of great concern," said John Martin, who was the government's lead espionage prosecutor for 26 years.
Last year, after leaving the Marines, Aragoncillo was caught by the FBI while he worked for the Bureau at an intelligence center at Fort Monmouth, N.J.
According to a criminal complaint, Aragoncillo was arrested last month and accused of downloading more than 100 classified documents from FBI computers.
"The information was transferred mostly by e-mails," said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie at the time of Aragoncillo's arrest.
Since that arrest, officials say Aragoncillo has started to cooperate. He has admitted to spying while working on the staff of Vice President Cheney's office.
Apparently the Mexican border is the least of our worries.
I got all I need out of this with the preceding quote!
Spies were once executed with impunity - no trial, no nothing, and it was all legal.
"Patriot Act". Thank God this creep was caught.
ABC news is all over this but strangely silent on the OU bomber.....hmmm
This seems to be taken verbatim from the story linked by Drudge, except that they have omitted the sentence noting that prior to working for Cheney, he worked for Algore.
I wonder how that happened? (Not)
OOPS, sorry. The Gore statement is still there, well buried.
Saw this on Drudge. This can't be good. There is major terroristic battle occuring in the Phillipines as we speak. This likely has serious implications in our ongoing War on Terror.
And also...
"Aragoncillo claimed he also worked with President Clinton and Condoleezza Rice when she was the national security advisor."
Bad news. Really disgusting how someone can be so duplicitous, betraying the White House, the Marines and the country. Horrible.
I just noticed the Clinton / Rice quote was based on his claims to friends. So that may be false.
I can pass and have.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Jamais reculez á tyrannie un pouce!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! Never give an inch to tyranny!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Apparently the FBI was on to him, so there is a decent chance the information he passed on was planted and bogus, even damaging to our enemies.
"Even though it's not for the Russians or some other government...."
I don't care if he was working for the Canadian Women's Apple-Pie Society, he needs to be put against a wall and shot. The integrity of the classification system is a matter of life and death; lots of lives and lots of deaths if something goes wrong.
How did Mr. Clarke get past the vetting process to be considered a legit journalist.
That is a statement not a question. :sigh:
Wondering as well how Clarke get respectability on this one. . .or that's right; this is an ABC report. . .
That said. . .there should be a 'barf alert' when/wherever this man's named in mentioned/included. . .but most importantly we need to remember, that this treason began in the Clinton/Gore White House. . .
And how did Cheney overlook this Clinton 'hangover' or 'why'? Too bad. . .BIG mistake.
The Clinton White House removed the requirement for "background checks" when some staffers were having a hard time passing for clearance.
The article surely makes it sound as though this puke was woking for VP Chenney when arrested. How many out side of FR will discern he was hired by the Clintonista gang. True patriots; BRUUUUAAAAghghhhhhurpgaggggggspewwwpffst.
Possible Motivations: $500,000 in debts, mostly mortgages on rental properties
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.