Posted on 04/21/2006 1:37:11 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - The CIA has fired an employee for leaking classified information to the news media, an agency official said Friday. A federal criminal investigation has also been opened.
CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano said an officer had been fired for having unauthorized contacts with the media and disclosing classified information to reporters, including details about intelligence operations.
"The officer has acknowledged unauthorized discussions with the media and the unauthorized sharing of classified information," Gimigliano said. "That is a violation of the secrecy agreement that everyone signs as a condition of employment with the CIA."
Citing the Privacy Act, the CIA would not provide any details about the officer's identity or assignments. It was not immediately clear if the person would face prosecution.
Justice Department officials declined to comment on the firing and whether the matter had been referred to federal prosecutors for possible criminal charges. One law enforcement official said there were dozens of leak investigations under way.
A second law enforcement official confirmed there was a criminal investigation under way and said the CIA officer had provided information that contributed to a Washington Post story last year saying there were secret U.S. prisons in Eastern Europe.
Both of those officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
The Washington Post report caused an international uproar, and government officials have said it did significant damage to relationships between the U.S. and allied intelligence agencies.
CIA Director Porter Goss has pressed for aggressive investigations. In his latest appearance before Congress, Goss condemned the unauthorized disclosure of information.
"The damage has been very severe to our capabilities to carry out our mission," Goss said in February, adding that a federal grand jury should be impaneled to determine "who is leaking this information."
Methinks there is going to be much more to come. Maybe some politicos too. Goss went to clean house and I would be there is more than one sting op underway...
Hooray!
I bet there is a nest of these guys. Keep looking Porter!!!
GOOD!
I am hoping this is part of an effort to clean out the clintonista, carter era holdovers who only work against republican administrations.
They left out the "who" in the headline, huh?
Its about time somebody was axed over this. Hopefully this is just the beginning. I hope the next step is prosecution.
Its about time somebody was axed over this. Hopefully this is just the beginning. I hope the next step is prosecution.
And you just know the media is working feverishly to uncover this employee's identity so that they can then begin to praise him and fawn all over him.
God bless Porter Goss. Finally a treasonous Democrat might be held accountable to the law.
There had better be. The Arabists thug-lovers at the CIA from Michael Scheurer on down have been trying to undermine efforts to change that part of the world. Their love of "stability" is what got us Ground Zero, and their illegal leaks of classified information border on treason.
Yet Scooter Libby is on trial. Go figure.
Re#12 Yep. Rockefeller comes to mind. We'll see (but I'll not hold my breath)...
Hopefully, he'll be prosecuted and made an example of. Hopefully!
Well said at #13. Group hugs and diversity quilts are not the way I think national security should be pursued. ;^)
One law enforcement official said there were dozens of leak investigations under way.
A second law enforcement official confirmed said the CIA officer had provided information that contributed to a Washington Post story last year saying there were secret U.S. prisons in Eastern Europe.
Sometimes it seems like this Administration does things that DUhers could not improve on to make Bush look bad.
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