I Got Friends in Low Places...
Berger to pay $50,000 for taking classified material'The stench from the bench is making me clench' --Savage
WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge on Thursday ordered Sandy Berger, President Clinton's national security adviser, to pay a $50,000 fine for illegally taking classified documents from the National Archives.
The punishment handed down by U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson exceeded the $10,000 fine recommended by government lawyers. Under the deal, Berger avoids prison time but he must surrender access to classified government materials for three years.
"The court finds the fine is inadequate because it doesn't reflect the seriousness of the offense," Robinson said, as a grim-faced Berger stood silently.
Earlier in the hearing, Berger expressed remorse for his crime, which he described as a lapse of judgment that came while he was preparing to testify before the Sept. 11 commission.
"I let considerations of personal convenience override clear rules of handling classified material," Berger said. "I believe this lapse, serious as it is, does not reflect the character of myself."
"In this case, I failed. I will not again," he said.
Sandy obviously picked up excellent skills from working close to his buddy Slick Willy. This offense is as grievous as the one perpetrated during Watergate yet there seems to be no repercussions because of his party affiliation.
If this isn't proof of the dangerous emergence of an Oligarchy then I'm going insane... which isn't impossible, especially in light of stories such as these.
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Posted by Evan Derkacz at 2:57 PM on September 8, 2005. A harrowing account from a FEMA 'camp' where evacuees will remain for 5 months.
Hey, you have a great blog here! I'm definitely going to bookmark you!
I have a work from home site. It pretty much covers work from home related stuff.
Come and check it out if you get time :-)
Posted by Anonymous | 5:18 PM
Sorry y'all, but guess it's time to put that comment verification thin'a'ma'jiggy on cuz of these spammin schmucks...
You'll deal...
Posted by Peakah | 5:59 PM
The three year dope slap is the item that really lifts the sneeze guard off of the salad bar. This Constitutional traitor should be lucky he's not swinging from a rope, much less eligible to touch national secrets again.
Posted by Insolublog | 6:43 PM
I'm completely puzzled why he's still a free man. You're right that if he wasn't one of Slick Willie's buds, but a Republican, he'd have been lynched by now. You just KNOW the cribs on the sheets he stuffed down his pants would have damned his former(?) boss.
Posted by GunnNutt | 7:51 PM
If he was regular Joe Schmoe he would never work with classified again. DSS should have pushed harder for his clearance to be revoked forever.
Posted by Dr. Phat Tony | 5:55 AM
I agree with Gunnnut..
Nate
Posted by Anonymous | 7:27 AM