Posted on 04/23/2006 7:55:07 AM PDT by americaprd
The senior intelligence analyst who was fired Thursday by the CIA is a supporter of Democratic congressional candidate Joseph Sestak, which U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon’s campaign charged is further evidence that the former Navy admiral cannot be trusted on national security issues.
Mary McCarthy was dismissed for leaking classified information about the CIA’s secret overseas prisons to The Washington Post, several media organizations reported Saturday.
Sestak, who served as director for defense policy on Bill Clinton’s National Security Council, received two donations from McCarthy last month totaling $350. McCarthy also contributed $2,000 to Sen. John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign.
Weldon’s campaign reiterated that Sestak accepted contributions from former Clinton National Security Adviser Samuel "Sandy" Berger and former CIA Director John Deutch -- both of whom have admitted to mishandling classified information.
"‘Where will this end?" asked Weldon campaign spokesman Michael Puppio. "Sestak and the Clinton people are attempting to infect Delaware County with these scandals."
Berger, who last month hosted a Washington fund-raiser for Sestak and contributed $1,000 to his campaign, pleaded guilty last year to a misdemeanor charge of removing and destroying classified material from the National Archives.
Deutch was pardoned by Clinton in 2001 for storing classified intelligence reports on personal computers linked to the Internet. He gave $500 to Sestak’s campaign.
"The guy is in the campaign 2½ months and he’s got contributors who are national criminals and the scandal is following him," Puppio said of Sestak. "Now," he added, "a fired CIA employee who may face criminal charges as a result of this also gave" to the Democrat’s campaign.
Sestak campaign spokeswoman Allison Price said Weldon’s "silly" attacks and "conspiracy theories" are signs that he is desperate to hold on to his seat.
"Joe is an extremely strong candidate. He was a three-star admiral. Of course Weldon is going to throw anything at the wall and see what sticks," she said.
Price said Sestak stands by his former colleagues in the Clinton administration and is proud of the work they accomplished in the 1990s. "These are people that know Joe and support Joe and know that he is capable," she said.
McCarthy, who was reportedly serving in the CIA’s inspector general’s office at the time of her firing, was appointed by Berger in 1998 as special assistant to the president and senior director for intelligence programs.
Weldon officials also suspect McCarthy leaked information to the media last year in an attempt to debunk the congressman’s book, "Countdown to Terror," which is highly critical of the CIA. Weldon plans to call for a FBI investigation "to see what national security information she leaked and who she leaked it to," Puppio said.
Sestak entered the 7th District race in February and is widely regarded as the strongest Democratic challenger Weldon has ever faced.
In some previous elections, the 10-term Republican hasn’t acknowledged his Democratic opponent. This year, however, his campaign has launched a full assault on Sestak, labeling him as a candidate who was "handpicked" by former Clinton officials to oust Weldon.
Sestak has previously told the Daily Times that no individual or organization asked him to run for Congress and that the decision was solely his own.
that's better...
ping
BUMP what you said.
And .. the drive-by media retorts with a charge that Condi Rice "leaked" some information to people to help Israel.
This is just an attempt by the drive-by media to get the McCarthy story off the front pages.
I don't think it's going to work.
Thanks for telling us about that connection--further evidence on the inter-connectedness of all the people I despise.
Folks....we really have a Cabal of the Highest order going on here....there is a "soft" coup going on by the leftists....trying to bring down Bush's govt any way they can. It is extremely dangerous.
Sestak, Clark, Zinni....traitorous creeps.
Michael
"General Wesley Clark"....Is that as in Perfumed Prince? Or maybe Embassy Bomber?
It would seem to me that the Clintons and their cronies are hellbent on removing Weldon from Congress...to protect them from revelations re: Able Danger? My guess? YES!
OMG...Dana Priests husband's group CPI is supported by Lynne Stewart and Ramsay Clark!! Two of the biggest America haters ever.....well along with all the other leftists aligned with Mary McCarthy and Dana Priest.
Glad you're back!! Are you in touch with gaspar?
Ditto that! Will ANY elected Republican step up and bring this to the public's attention through his/her "office".
Curt Weldon would be a great one!!
Nuff said right here. Sounds like the CIA needs fumigating.
imagine how much could be raked in by dealing with a few things for drug lords or terrorists, or journalists.
[McCarthy has donated a lot of money. Was it hers? Is she a money launderer?]
Laundering money for who? Was it for the DNC or the big C..
WOW!!!!! Now they've really done it. Curt Weldon is gonna be all over this like white on rice. Now we know the whole reason behind all of this - stop the disclosure of Able Danger and change the subject from the Clinton sellouts and ignorance of the Al Qaeda threat to the so-called "illegal" actions of the Bush Administration. Getting rid of Curt Weldon has to be very high on their list. Surely they never thought old Mary was gonna get caught, along with everyone else she served with or gave money to. I'll bet there are some wet diapers in the Sestak camp today.
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