Posted on 11/28/2015 7:36:26 PM PST by Kaslin
Sharyl Attkisson, the former CBS reporter and independent journalist, has a long history of getting under the government’s skin. In her book Stonewalled, she detailed many of the battles she encountered when attempting to expose the truth in the tradition of the Fourth Estate and how unpopular stories tended to wind up being discounted or silenced. Later, her Nosy Nellie ways attracted the interest of the Department of Justice, though they have thus far failed to file any actual charges against her.
This week, Attkisson tells the story of how she finally sought to obtain her own FBI file and the mysterious answers she received. The bottom line for the FBI seems to be… Attkisson? Attkisson? Who is this Sharyl Attkisson person of which you speak?
Years later, in 2013, I learned of the intrusion of my work and home computers. The intruders utilized software proprietary to a U.S. government agency. I knew that the FBI had contacted CBS News and confirmed the computer intrusion. I knew that FBI case workers listed me as a "victim" in the computer intrusion, even though they never contacted me to investigate or help.
As part of my investigation to learn more about the identities of the computer intruders, I filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act request to review my FBI file (as every citizen has the right to do). I knew that at the very least my file would include information relevant to my White House HARD PASS background checks and the computer intrusion.
But I got stonewalled.
The FBI could conceivably get away with claiming to not have any records of somebody if they were a private person who never did anything in the public eye to attract their attention. (That you know of.) But in Sharyl’s case, she had been through the full background check in the 90s to obtain approval for White House access as a reporter. Did those records simply disappear? Did the dog eat their homework?
These aren’t the sorts of records we normally see being requested by Judicial Watch or anyone else. There’s obviously a case to be made for the government if someone requests records of an ongoing investigation where the public release of such could jeopardize their case or allow the bad guys to get away. But what about older records of presumably closed cases? I suppose there’s still a possibility in some cases that they might not want the information to go public if they believe that the details could tie into other cases which followed from it, but that hardly seems to be the situation here. And a security background check? Perhaps you don’t turn over everything you find if it seems like it would be a privacy violation, but you could at least acknowledge that you conducted the check and whether it was a go or a no go.
But even if you don’t want the details revealed, can the FBI simply claim they don’t have a file when one exists? It seems as if they would instead come back with an answer of saying that the information is sensitive and can’t be released. Or perhaps just turn over a page with everything redacted except the date and the title? Something doesn’t sound right about that.
If you’d like to see more of Sharyl Attkisson’s recent work she has a new Sunday morning news series. You can find the details here.
How did the FBI lose the 3’X7’ steel clad bullet-ridden front door from the Branch Davidian compound? I’m pretty sure it didn’t fall out of a file folder into a paper shredder.
Why don’t you ask the FBI how in the world did they loose sight of the Terrorist bombers of the world Trade center when they had them on tape building the bomb!!!
There was a fellow named Swanton who with a local (Waco) detachment was commended for their assistance to the Feds at Mt. Carmel. I wonder how much video he has learned to lose in the meantime.
“How did the FBI manage to “lose” Sharyl Attkisson’s file?”
Probably by putting it in a box labeled “Don’t give this to Shary Attkisson.”
Are you certain?
It's not because they're a bunch of unprosecuted felons who are obstructing justice.
Nossir.
It rolled under the desk...
Oh, wait...
That was a question about the door. One party said the bullets had all passed through from inside the other party claims they all came from the outside.
The cleaning lady must have swept it up and tossed it.
Yeah, yeah that’s the ticket!
Well, seeing as she just exposed the Wuss-in-Chief for NOT reading or wanting to see certain intelligence, I suspect her file is sitting on his desk.
For a visit to the White House you need a Secret Service background check, which would call upon both local police and FBI files for basic information.
As a journalist and as a member of a group of students/researchers briefing Pres. Nixon on Vietnam and Cambodia, I know we all had Secret Service checks before we were given access to the White House.
I was also cleared for the National Security Council, the Pentagon, etc.
Have no idea what’s in my FBI file, but maybe they will find my lunch briefing of the late Asst Director of the FBI for Counter-Intelligence, William Sullivan, in it. Or maybe my lunches with another former Asst Dir. of Foreign Counter-Intelligence, Ray Wannell, a friend. Or maybe my work with several agents during my undercover period. Or my congressional hearings on terrorism, Vietnam, etc.
Damned, I hope someone looked at those hearings because there was a lot of good stuff in them.
Who knows?
The Bureau today is nothing like it was under Hoover, good or bad. At least his agents were thorough and professional with one major exception, the Media, PA burglary. That was a royal screwup that should never have happened though I think it occurred after Hoover’s death.
Hoover had his faults but he knew who our enemies were, and took action against them. Interestingly, he opposed the roundup of the West Coast Japanese/Americans on the grounds that his men had the situation under control re sabotage and pro-Japan organizations.
POWER CORRUPTS AND ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTLELY.
Not the “Fourth Estate,” but rather the “Fifth Column.”
Ask the FBI where the “lost” the steel door from the front of Mt. Carmel from the Waco massacre. The door with the bullet holes going one way or the other. It was “lost” somewhere between TX and DC.
I wouldn’t mind if the FBI lost my file.
5.56mm
sherril was Lynched
They should check to see if it’s on a coffee table next to the Travelgate files.
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