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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."
Here's hoping they start divulging names eventually,, which hopefully, will spook others rats and allow for all of them to be harvested in one fell swoop.
And hopefully it's that "wonderful" Senator Rockefeller...to start with, anyway.
Firing ain't enough IMO. Let's have a felony conviction for breaking the law. A military person would get hammered at a Courts Martial for this!
BTW... Joe Wilson just had a bout of acid reflux.
Agreed...I think that's what it's going to take to get the attention of the people that take oaths to our country and think nothing about breaking those oaths.
" ...the media ... can then begin to praise him and fawn all over him."
Vanity Fair cover next !
I wonder in which year the officer had recieved his appointment from Clinton?
WOOO HOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ahh, yes...the prisons that don't exist.
There are leaks intended to undermine and defeat the United States War on Terror, as there are leaks designed to help the U.S. win the war.
There are good armies and bad armies, good bullets and bad bullets.
You have to pick your side.
"Goss went to clean house and I would be there is more than one sting op underway..."
Right ON! GO GOSS! I love it when the good guys beat up on the bad guys within organizations and WIN! I hope that firing was not his only punishment, hopefully a long prison sentence will be given in due time.
Information that a CIA officer is being fired isn't classified.
Re#31 Time will tell.
Not in this lifetime. Dems have betting getting people killed for years, but all that happens is an investigation.
No, but the info that the CIA agent leaked, namely the Dana Priest Washington Post story about secret CIA prisons was just leaked by this reporters "source".
You are so right. He will be lionized and portrayed as a conscientious civil servant who is the victim of a political witch hunt.
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Re#34 I know. Perchance to dream, though...
Well Norn, that's one govt. employee. Now we just need to fire about 2 million more worthless govt. employees.
Get them all contributing to society instead of acting like leaches.
What is this privacy barbrastreisand? He broke the law and his identity should be public as if it were part of any police log.
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