The Hill reports on the other leak investigation in Washington:
The Senate Select Committee on Ethics is expected to end its investigation of alleged classified leaks by Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) in the next eight to 10 weeks, according to a source familiar with the probe.
The pace has been slowed by difficulties obtaining information, difficulties created partly by Sen. Pat Roberts’s (R-Kan.) decision not to recuse himself from the case, the source said. The investigation has been conducted “off and on” for six months.
Two potential witnesses told The Hill earlier this year that they would be reluctant to cooperate with the Ethics Committee unless Roberts recused himself because he is chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and inherited senior aides from Shelby, the previous chairman.
The conclusion of the probe could have political consequences for Shelby, who won reelection last year; possible penalties include censure and expulsion from the Senate.
For those of you who forget what Shelby is accused of leakingh, here is a summary:
The investigations stem from secret testimony given by National Security Agency Director Michael Hayden to a joint House-Senate Intelligence Committee hearing in 2002. Shelby was then the ranking Republican on the Senate committee.
Soon after Hayden’s appearance, CNN reported information from his testimony about National Security Agency intercepts of terrorist communications shortly before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Intelligence collected from communications intercepts is considered highly sensitive because enemies might be able to use it to work out U.S. intelligence community sources and methods.
The leak prompted Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) and Rep. Porter Goss (R-Fla.), who were then chairmen of the Senate and House intelligence panels, to write Attorney General John Aschcroft requesting a probe.
The Washington Post reported in August that federal investigators concluded that Shelby “divulged classified intercepted messages.”
I guess that makes it 4 Senators who are now currently under investigation for leaks. Again, why can’t these guys just keep their mouths shut?
My bad- one Senator under investigation, three involved in a probe. Which is still four too many, anyway you slice it.
demimondian
Hmm. No, John, that makes it one Senator who is under investigation for leaking classified material. The other three are related to a probe in which “current and former [Bush] Administration officials” released classified details expanding on unclassified statements Senators made in the well of the Senate.
Stormy70
The Senate is full of media whores, and Shelby deserves everything he gets from this investigation. Stoopid, stoopid Senators won’t shut their effing mouths. After this happened, Bush refused to share info with the Senate until they clamped down on the security leaks. If you want to keep a secret, don’t tell the effin’ Senate. Just thinking about Senators is pissing me off, and I wish they would stay off my TV.
Sorry for the rant, my alarm didn’t go off at 4:30 and I woke up late and had to scramble to make my 7:30 presentation. Setting for PM instead of AM is no help, who knew?
Steve
That’s odd, Stormy, since Bush cut off the Senate’s security clearances in October 2001, and this incident didn’t happen until 2002.
Stormy70
My bad, it was Hatch. My rant against Senators, in general, still stands, though.