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December 21, 2006
Report Says Berger Hid Documents under a construction trailer
Report Says Berger Hid Archive Documents (under a construction trailer)
WASHINGTON (AP) -
President Clinton's national security adviser removed classified documents from the National Archives, hid them under a construction trailer and later tried to find the trash collector to retrieve them, the agency's internal watchdog said Wednesday.
The report was issued more than a year after Sandy Berger pleaded guilty to unlawfully removing and retaining classified documents.
Berger took the documents in the fall of 2003 while working to prepare himself and Clinton administration witnesses for testimony to the Sept. 11 commission. Berger was authorized as the Clinton administration's representative to make sure the commission got the correct classified materials.
Inspector General Paul Brachfeld reported that National Archives employees spotted Berger outside the building, bending down and fiddling with something white around his ankles.
The employees did not feel at the time that there was enough information to confront someone of Berger's stature, the report said.
Later, when Berger was confronted by Archives officials about the missing documents, he lied by saying he did not take them, the report said.
Brachfeld reported that on one visit, Berger took a break to go outside without an escort while it was dark outside.
"He headed toward a construction area. ... Mr. Berger looked up and down the street, up into the windows of the Archives and the DOJ (Department of Justice), and did not see anyone,'' said notes prepared by the inspector general's office.
"He then slid the documents under a construction trailer, according to the inspector general. Berger acknowledged that he later retrieved the documents from the construction area and returned with them to his office."
``He was aware of the risk he was taking,'' the inspector general's notes said. Berger then returned to the Archives building without fearing the documents would slip out of his pockets or that staff would notice that his pockets were bulging.
The notes said Berger had not been aware that Archives staff had been tracking the documents he was provided because of earlier suspicions from previous visits that he was removing materials. Also, the employees had made copies of some documents.
In October 2003, the report said, an Archives official called Berger to discuss missing documents from his visit two days earlier. The investigator's notes said, ``Mr. Berger panicked because he realized he was caught.''
The notes said that Berger had ``destroyed, cut into small pieces, three of the four documents. These were put in the trash.''
After the trash had been picked up, Berger ``tried to find the trash collector but had no luck,'' the notes said.
The significant portions of the inspector general's report were redacted to protect privacy or national security.
Berger's lawyer, Lanny Breuer, said in a statement that the contents of all the documents exist today and were made available to the commission.
For his guilty plea, Berger was fined $50,000, ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and barred from access to classified material for three years.
Wild Thing's comment......
Just 3 years! How the heck could they give him such as light sentence when he admitted that he stashed the documents and retrieved them later. Not only is he NOT going to jail for the rest of his life for taking documents that have the same classification as our nuclear secrets (probably to modify them to protect Clinton's legacy), he'll also be able to access classified documents after 3 years? Berger is a common thief. He did this intentionally. He should never get a security clearance again. I don't care who he is. And what is even more concerning is what Berger put in the files than what he took out of them.
Remember when we used to execute people for this sort of behavior? Not only is he walking free...but he was included in on the ISG.
There have been reports in the past how Berger was a "workaholic" as Clinton's National Security Adviser ----always seen surrounded with top-secret documents---often working late.
(1) He was on-duty when our technology was sold to China.
(2) He was on-duty when we bombed the aspirin factory, advising Clinton it was manufacturing deadly chemicals.
(3) He was on-duty during Somolia, and Kosovo, and Hatti, and all the other wonderful military success stories of the Clinton administration.
(4) And then there's the infamous Clinton pardons, including the biggest tax cheat in US history---Mark Rich---who absconded, then renounced his US citizenship to evade US prosecution.
(5) Clinton also pardoned 16 terrorists---members of the FALN---- so Hillary could get Latino votes for her Senate run in NY's large Puerto Rican population. The Armed Forces of National Liberation (FALN) was involved in more than 100 bombings in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s."
(6) And let's not forget the bombing of the Chinese embassy. Then-Pres Clinton went to Norfolk making a "solemn promise" to the families, friends and shipmates of the USS Cole to avenge their deaths. But when the opportunity presented itslef, he squandered it. Clinton flunky Burger blamed the misstep on the Pentagon. As if anyone in the Pentagon would pass up the chance to avenge the sailors of the USS Cole.
Posted by Wild Thing at December 21, 2006 12:47 AM
Comments
Just a little note. If anyone read this earlier I am so sorry for all the typo's in my comment above. Amazing how I do those things so easily and yikes so often. I fixed all of them......I think.....I hope. hahahha
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 21, 2006 10:29 AM
How to comment on this Berger situation. If he is basically allowed to get by with stealing classified documents, then why classify them in the first place. This is maddening, and why the average American does not trust the Washington DC establishment.
More important to me is, what was in those documents and to whom did he pass that info.
This man needs to be tried, and if found guilty, hanged.
WT, we love yur typos beecuz we never be makin dem us sellvs
Posted by: TomR at December 21, 2006 12:09 PM
If anyone in the military did that with classified documents, they would be Courts Martialed and sent to prison.
So, in three years they're going to give this product of inferior breeding his security clearance back? Unbelievable!!! I had young men who got in trouble as kids (shoplifting) and were denied a security access years later as adults.
Posted by: BobF at December 21, 2006 02:50 PM
Can we bury Berger under a consrtuction trailer when he walks in three years? This is unbeleiveable.
Posted by: raz0r at December 21, 2006 07:27 PM
Razor, he's walking now. His fine was a slap on the wrist.
"Berger was fined $50,000, ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and barred from access to classified material for three years".
I doubt he'll ever pay the money. But, to him, 50G's isn't a whole lot of money. To you and me, it would ruin us but to him, pocket change.
Posted by: BobF at December 21, 2006 10:14 PM
Tom hahaha I am such a horrible typist. And I play the piano so I should be much better at it, but oh well. hahahaha
Thanks Tom. heh heh
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 22, 2006 04:02 AM
OH oand Tom I agree about I am big time curious what is in the documents and what he passed on too. It has to be pretty hot stuff and I don't mean another Lewinski thingie. giggle
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 22, 2006 04:05 AM
Bob pretty amazing isn't it. He can actully be able to be around, touch, read etc. classified documents after 3 years. sheesh
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 22, 2006 04:06 AM
razOr now I like that idea. We could have one of the Soporano's do it they are good with things like that. ( oh well I can dream about it anyway)
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 22, 2006 04:07 AM
Don't worry about the typo's WT. This is unbelievable that this crook would get off with such a light reprimand, like you, I would like to know what he was covering up. The lack of enforcement of the law on public officials highlights the level of corruption within the political community. Some Republicans have a conscience and resign when caught, Democrats have to be dragged clawing and scratching to the door with the entire party protecting them when caught doing crimes like which Berger did.
Posted by: Jack at December 22, 2006 10:11 AM
