President Obama's Surprise Revelation of Sealed Benghazi Indictment

ABC ^ | August 9 | MIKE LEVINE

[don-o]

President Obama surprised aides when he revealed today the existence of a sealed indictment in the Benghazi, Libya, attack, leaving some wondering if he crossed a legal line.

At a press conference at the White House, President Obama was asked whether justice would come to those responsible for the terrorist attack nearly a year ago in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador.

"[W]e have informed, I think, the public that there's a sealed indictment," the president responded. "It's sealed for a reason. But we are intent on capturing those who carried out this attack, and we're going to stay on it until we get them."

That marked the only official confirmation so far of a sealed indictment in the Benghazi case. For days, officials across the law enforcement and intelligence communities have refused to publicly confirm reports of a sealed indictment.

After all, according to federal law, "no person may disclose [a sealed] indictment's existence," and a "knowing violation … may be punished as a contempt of court." Contempt of court carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail.

A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, called the president's disclosure "crazy."

"Doesn't the law apply to the president too?" the official asked, and then jokingly added, "I guess he could pardon himself."

In fact, though, the president is effectively immune from breaking the law when it comes to a sealed indictment, according to a former prosecutor in the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section

"The [president], by virtue of his position, can't violate any non-disclosure/confidentiality rule," said Peter Zeidenberg, now in private practice in Washington. "One of the perks of being the head of the executive branch: Nothing he says is technically a leak. If he does it, it is authorized."

[originalbuckeye]

He is OBAMA! Laws don’t apply to him........or didn’t you get the memo?

[blackdog]

It’s a sealed phony indictment.

[FreeAtlanta]

I was looking for the sarcasm tag or the lookingspoon link. :-( We truly have a fool at the wheel.

[Sivad]

Indicting terrorists is nice. But if we get that far you just know
we will get no farther. The libtard media and the rest of the
libtards will still have no desire to uncover the Clinbama
Syndicate’s part in this cluster*@#k. Find and drill some Muzzies
and everything else goes away.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks don-o.

...according to federal law, "no person may disclose [a sealed] indictment's existence," and a "knowing violation … may be punished as a contempt of court." ... A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, called the president's disclosure "crazy." ..."The [president], by virtue of his position, can't violate any non-disclosure/confidentiality rule," said Peter Zeidenberg, now in private practice in Washington. "One of the perks of being the head of the executive branch: Nothing he says is technically a leak. If he does it, it is authorized."

Oh, and according to Zero and his entire cadre, everything he does is both THE LAW and authorized, up yours, he won three elections fair and square.