In comparing the versions of the report at his office later that day, he realized that several were essentially the same, and he cut three copies into small pieces with a scissors, the associate said.
A few comments are in order.
1) why not just sneak them back in and return them?
2) what with all the sensitive correspondence someone like Berger would handle on a daily basis, are we to believe that Sandy Berger doesn't have a personal-sized paper shredder at home? Of all people, Berger would know that cutting a document up with scissors is an invitation for a jigsaw puzzle champion to piece it back together. He knows it is not a viable means of disposing of a document. Hell, burning it would have been better. Why scissors?
3) if I had to guess, Berger was probably blackmailed into stealing the documents, the three "destroyed" copies probably are in Beijing or somewhere similar by now.
4) am I the only one to suspect that in return for this slap on the wrist, Berger had to cooperate more than just saying he did it and was sorry? If he was let off the hook this easy in return for nothing, the Justice Department is insane. I'm hoping beyond hope that Berger was flipped and had to rat out whoever put him up to this in the first place.
No, and more outlets are now reporting what I heard on MSNBC when this deal broke; that Berger is cooperating.
I'm relieved because for months when people would decry Berger "getting off" I would opine that they were pressuring him to cooperate.
We shall see.