Ex-NSA worker charged in classified leak case

[I can't think of a name]

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9F3JAR80&show_article=1


(http://topics.breitbart.com/WASHINGTON/)WASHINGTON (http://topics.breitbart.com/WASHINGTON/) (AP) - A former senior executive at the National Security Agency (http://topics.breitbart.com/National+Security+Agency/) was charged Thursday with lying and obstruction of justice in an investigation of leaks of classified information to a newspaper. Federal prosecutors said Thomas Drake, (http://topics.breitbart.com/Thomas+Drake/) 52, served as a source for many articles about the NSA (http://topics.breitbart.com/nsa/) in an unidentified newspaper, including articles that contained classified information.
A federal indictment filed in Maryland charges that Drake (http://topics.breitbart.com/Drake/) used a non-government e-mail account to transmit classified and unclassified information. Authorities also charge that Drake (http://topics.breitbart.com/Drake/) lied to federal agents about what he'd done.
The indictment does not identify the reporter, the newspaper, or the subject matter of the stories. It says the stories were published between February 2006 and November 2007.
"Our national security demands that the sort of conduct alleged here—violating the government's trust by illegally retaining and disclosing classified information—be prosecuted and prosecuted vigorously," said the Justice Department's (http://topics.breitbart.com/Justice+Department/) assistant attorney general Lanny Breuer. (http://topics.breitbart.com/Lanny+Breuer/)
Drake (http://topics.breitbart.com/Drake/) faces five counts of willfully retaining documents related to national defense. He is also charged with obstruction of justice and four counts of making false statements to the FBI. (http://topics.breitbart.com/fbi/)
The most serious charge in the 10-count indictment carries a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors say Drake (http://topics.breitbart.com/Drake/) exchanged hundreds of e-mails with the reporter, researched stories for the reporter by asking other NSA employees questions and accessing classified documents, and sent the reporter copies of classified and unclassified documents.


Doesn't say who he was leaking to. It is likely it was the New York Times during all the FISA and Terrorist surveillance during the Bush Admin. I am glad they pursued the source of the leaks.

[Albatross]

Well, I think its safe to say that is political.

[Valkyries]

the government needs to start throwing bigger books at people that leak any type of classified documents,

[wicked_hind]

the government needs to start throwing bigger books at people that leak any type of classified documents,

Agreed.....Throw him in Federal-pound me in the a$$- prison!

[STILLHUNTER]

the government needs to start throwing bigger books at people that leak any type of classified documents,

Loose Lips Sink Ships.
A Senior Executive of the NSA releasing classified information, revealing inside information, lying to the FBI investigators... When we have active battles with troops and comrades lives at risk overseas.

May I suggest National Security was threatened at a time of war and push for:
18 U.S. Code, Sec. 2381 Treason
Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

I'm probably legally off but that's how I feel about this kind of BS!

[Irbis]

Yeah, we wouldn't want any of these pesky whistle-blowers here! p-)

Supplying Iran with arms to illegally fund wars, cooking the info about Iraq's WMD, or spying on Nixon's opponents shouldn't concern any of these sheepy subjects the people in charge need to steer around! :lol:

Wait, what? :cantbeli:

It is one matter to spy for another country, but leaking illegal deeds to local press to stop them is the best check democracy has against reverting to tyranny, unlike what the gun-nuts and their "gunz fur evryun!" arguments say.

And using "loose lips sink ships!" argument here is so ridiculous I don't even know where to start - you know when it was coined? Geee, was it during that one war that simply wouldn't have started if someone leaked the more repulsive Nazi plans beforehand, stopping the war or even their victory in elections, instead of doing the criminal stupidity of keeping them secret just like you propose? :roll:

[I can't think of a name]

Get stuffed Irbis,

This was a guy trying to play politics with information that was not his to share. He was basically on a power trip trying to influence purely political events to hamper the Bush Administration. The Terror Surveillance programs were not illegal or unethical and Obama is continuing many of them. The Dem Congress voted to continue FISA.