NBC: CIA officer fired after admitting leak- Name is Mary McCarthy

msnbc ^ | Updated: 7:23 p.m. ET April 21, 2006 | Robert Windrem and Andrea Mitchell

[dennisw]

WASHINGTON - In a rare occurrence, the CIA fired an officer who acknowledged giving classified information to a reporter, NBC News learned Friday.

The officer flunked a polygraph exam before being fired on Thursday and is now under investigation by the Justice Department, NBC has learned.

Intelligence sources tell NBC News the accused officer, Mary McCarthy, worked in the CIA's inspector general's office and had worked for the National Security Council under the Clinton and and George W. Bush administrations.

The leak pertained to stories on the CIA’s rumored secret prisons in Eastern Europe, sources told NBC. The information was allegedly provided to Dana Priest of the Washington Post, who wrote about CIA prisons in November and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize on Monday for her reporting.

Sources said the CIA believes McCarthy had more than a dozen unauthorized contacts with Priest. Information about subjects other than the prisons may have been leaked as well.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the firing.

[cgbg]

DNC...Ohio

She was probably spending all day at the office over at the DUmp trying to help them prove Karl Rove rigged Ohio voting machines. :-)

[Dr. Free Market]

That's Mary McGrory.

[cgbg]

Yeah, the CIA needs to stop hiring those Ivy League twits who think a CIA job is primarily an opportunity for enjoyable international travel. We need more serious ex-military men like Johnny Spann

The CIA needs to stop hiring twits who think that a man who threw away his medals and lied under oath ("we committed atrocities...I committed atrocities") to protest the Vietnam war deserves campaign contributions when he runs for President.

[cgbg]

book..."social change"

I probably need to add "social change" to my tagline. :-)

Only leftists use that term.

[cgbg]

Colman McCarthy..teaches peace

That brain-dead clown (who I have seen on CSPAN) needs to go tell it to Hamas.

[G.Mason]

"WHY didn't the Bush administration get rid of ALL of the Clinton people?"

Simply put? Restrictions.

Not all employees are appointed. In fact most are career employees and as such have certain protections.

[metesky]

This is delicious.

[Northern Alliance]

Great find. Thank you.

[Edit35]

..an M.A. in library science

what the heck is an "M.A. in library science?

Better ways to return "Tip and Mitten" books to the shelves?

[muawiyah]

Turns out IT'S BOTH. One died in 1989 and one died in 2004. Among other things, our lady's name-sake, Mary McCarthy, was actually married to Edmund Wilson for a short while. He was one of F. Scott Fitzgerald's buddies.

What are the odds of F. Scott Fitzgerald being a close relative of the Fitzgerald prosecuting Scooter Libby, and of Edmund Wilson being some sort of cousin of Ambassador Wilson?

[depressed in 06]

Do I detect a trend here? A cross reference search of CIA employees against donations to Bolshecrats. No, that would be profiling. But, I will bet the next one will be on that list.

[madison10]

What are the odds of F. Scott Fitzgerald being a close relative of the Fitzgerald prosecuting Scooter Libby, and of Edmund Wilson being some sort of cousin of Ambassador Wilson?

Probably astronomical. What an odd set of coincidences! Were they all Commies? It would even the odds somewhat?

Mojo, Master of Arts in Library Science. One cannot be a librarian without it. Wonder what Mary O. McCarthy did with it.

[muawiyah]

Edmund Wilson wrote "To the Finland Station". It focuses on the use of the "cell" technique ~ most of the crowd around Edmund and Mary were part of what we, today, might call "the Progressive Movement" (at least based on what research I could do on the question).

I'm aware of a large, extended family, which is quite wealthy, and they have "cousins" in positions of authority at National Geographic, Vanity Fair, various scientific laboratores, etc., etc.

They all hang with the same semi-leftwing or environmentalist whacko bunch. So, why not the Wilson, McCarthy, Fitzgerald bunch?

[ShandaLear]

"Besides, I fail to understand the logic of your attitude. The MSM does what you listed everyday anyway. Seems to me your dire warnings make no sense in that context. Since they are going to do it either way, we lose nothing in pursuing this and gain for outing this traitor."

Absolutely right on the money! The MSM and the looney left will continue their never ending drumbeat regardless. McCarthy is out for what she did and that is good for the CIA, good for the country and one less person to leak to the MSM.

[SuzyQue]

I hope it sends more than a shiver. All over grand mal seizures would be a good start.

[SuzyQue]

Getting her name out there is one of those unauthorized ooops leaks.

Yes, but there is a BIG difference between leaking classified information and leaking the-fact-that-someone-got-fired information. One may be treasonous and illegal, the other not.

[depressed in 06]

Reading this, I don't see where she adds much to the 9/11 debate. Except for her standing up for Bob Gates, Bush 41's last DCI, whose resignation was accepted by Clinton, her testimony looks like mark timing to keep more important testimony from being given.

Who's witness was she?

Who gave her permission to testify?

[street_lawyer]

As reported in the Washington Post today: The CIA fired a long-serving intelligence officer for sharing classified information with The Washington Post [emphasis added] The report also said that she leaked the info to "other news organizations".

Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie Jr. said people who provide citizens the information they need to hold their government accountable should not "come to harm for that." Perhaps we can find a way to hold the government accountable without disclosing secrets that severely damage the capability of the CIA to carry out its mission.