Justice Urged to Open Satellite Leak Probe

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department (news - web sites) has been asked to investigate who disclosed secret details about a mysterious and expensive U.S. spy satellite project, a federal law enforcement official said Tuesday. The request came from an unspecified intelligence agency.



Under Justice guidelines, prosecutors must review such requests and ensure they meet strict requirements — such as whether the information had been properly classified — before they agree to begin a criminal investigation.


The Justice Department has not yet determined whether classified information was leaked and has not decided whether to investigate, said the official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, because the case involves highly classified information.


~snip~

The Justice Department already has a high-profile leak investigation under way. It is probing who in the Bush administration disclosed the name of undercover CIA (news - web sites) officer Valerie Plame.


~snip~

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&ncid=693&e=6&u=/ap/20041215/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/spy_budget_mystery

[goforit]

1. LOL!!!!..............This is hysterical.

McCarthy front and center.

Pretend to have an investigation.
Pretend to have a victim.
Pretend to have a suspect.
Pretend to have justice.

[maddezmom]

2. bet Justice jumps on this one...

in a way to discredit the dems that are against the program

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rockefeller and the other Democrats — Sens. Richard Durbin of Illinois, Carl Levin of Michigan and Ron Wyden of Oregon — all refused last week to sign a compromise bill that was part of Congress' new blueprint for U.S. intelligence spending. Despite their complaints, the Senate voted to send the bill including the disputed program to President Bush (news - web sites) for approval.


Rockefeller and Wyden each have described votes during the preceding two years by the intelligence panel to kill the disputed program. Durbin also went on a Sunday talk show and alluded to the project.


Wyden said in a Senate speech that the project was no longer necessary because of changed capabilities of U.S. enemies, adding that other U.S. intelligence programs can perform the same function for less money and risk. He said senators were concerned about how the government contract was awarded. Auditors believe the program will exceed its proposed budgets "by enormous amounts of money," Wyden said.


The Senate Ethics Committee might be asked to determine whether Rockefeller, Wyden and Durbin disclosed any sensitive information and should face sanctions, a congressional aide said. Levin has made no public criticism of the program. Intelligence Committee rules prohibit members from disclosing intelligence information or discussing what happened in closed, executive sessions.


Aides to Rockefeller, Wyden and Durbin declined to comment Tuesday.