Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Bill Clinton Pardoned Nat'l Security Leaker
NewsMax ^ | 7/26/05 | Limbacher

Posted on 07/26/2005 7:38:22 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection

No wonder 2008 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has been silent as a churchmouse about Karl Rove while her Democratic colleagues call for his prosecution for leaking classified information about CIA employee Valerie Plame.

Turns out - in the only case in U.S. history of a person successfully prosecuted for leaking classified information to the press - Hillary's husband pardoned the guilty party.

On January 20, 2001, President Clinton pardoned Samuel Loring Morison, a civilian analyst with the Office of Naval Intelligence. In 1984, Morison had been convicted of providing classified satellite photos of an under-construction Soviet nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Britain's Jane's Defense Weekly.

He received a two-year jail sentence.

In pardoning Morison, Clinton dismissed the advice of the CIA.

"We said we were obviously opposed -- it was a vigorous 'Hell, no," one senior intelligence official told the Washington Post at the time. "We think . . . giving pardons to people who are convicted of doing that sends the wrong signal to people who are currently entrusted with classified information."

Morison is the only person ever successfully prosecuted under the 1917 Espionage Act, the law invoked by Democrats who want to nail Rove after it became clear that he didn't violate the 1982 Intelligence Identities Protection Act.

But it's going to be difficult for Dems to feign national security outrage over Plame's outing when the husband of their party's presidential frontrunner let an actual convicted leaker off the hook.

Last week, when Sen. John Kerry called for Mr. Rove to be fired with Hillary standing by his side, she nodded silently. When reporters asked her what she thought of the alleged Rove outrage, she offered only, "I'm nodding."

No doubt while remembering her husband's pardon of Mr. Morison.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cialeak; clintonlegacy; impeachedx42; news; samuelmorison
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-44 next last
To: Timeout

From The Nation - America's Longest Running Weekly Magazine.

Volume: 241 • Issue #: 0015 • Date: November 09, 1985

Minority Report

by Hitchens, Christopher

Open the article in The Nation Digital Archive

Abstract:

According to the author, the Officials Secrets Act is the only piece of Western democratic legislation that stands comparison with the much-cited fictions of authors Franz Kafka and Joseph Heller. Its operative, central function is totalitarian. If charged, the person must be guilty of something. This handy principle has just been deployed in the U.S., as it might be said experimentally, in the case of Samuel Loring Morison. A former naval intelligence analyst, a scion of some distinguished family or other, a volunteer for the Vietnam War, he spent some of his ripest years telling the naval establishment that it was lagging behind the Soviet Union.


http://tinyurl.com/do8ab


21 posted on 07/26/2005 8:14:37 AM PDT by kcvl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection

More of the RAT MO:
Our guys can do whatever they want, and we'll defend them to the death, but don't you @#$%^&* Republicans even think about it!


22 posted on 07/26/2005 8:14:42 AM PDT by Polyxene (For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel - Martin Luther)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection

MORISON, SAMUEL LORING,

a civilian analyst with the Office of Naval Intelligence, was arrested 1 October 1984 for supplying Jane's Publications with classified photography showing a Soviet nuclear powered carrier under construction. The photographs were subsequently published in Jane's Defence Weekly (July 1984). Morison, described as a heavy spender and unhappy with his Navy Department job, had been employed by Jane's as a part-time contributor. A search of his apartment turned up two portions of Navy documents marked Secret. On 17 October 1985, after a seven-day trial, Morison became the first individual convicted under the 1917 Espionage Code for unauthorized disclosure to the press. Also convicted of theft of government property, Morison was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on 4 December 1985. The decision was appealed, and in April 1988 the conviction was upheld by the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals. In October 1988 the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, thus endorsing the use of the espionage code for prosecuting cases of unauthorized disclosure.

Washington Post, 3 Oct 1984, “Navy Analyst Arrested in Photo Sale”
Washington Post, 29 Oct 1984, “Unlikely Espionage Suspect”
Washington Post, 18 Oct 1985, “Morison Guilty of Spying, Stealing Documents”
New York Times, 8 Oct 1984, “Disclosing Secrets to the Press...”


23 posted on 07/26/2005 8:15:58 AM PDT by kcvl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection

Well, as long as we're all living up to the same (low) standards.


24 posted on 07/26/2005 8:16:16 AM PDT by Wolfie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: StarFan; Dutchy; alisasny; BobFromNJ; BUNNY2003; Cacique; Clemenza; Coleus; cyborg; DKNY; ...
On January 20, 2001, President Clinton pardoned Samuel Loring Morison, a civilian analyst with the Office of Naval Intelligence. In 1984, Morison had been convicted of providing classified satellite photos of an under-construction Soviet nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Britain's Jane's Defense Weekly.

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.

25 posted on 07/26/2005 8:17:26 AM PDT by nutmeg ("We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." - Hillary Clinton 6/28/04)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: doug from upland; Mia T

ping


26 posted on 07/26/2005 8:17:46 AM PDT by nutmeg ("We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." - Hillary Clinton 6/28/04)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead
Gutless bitch, keeping her head as low as her boobs

I thought Bill was taller than her?

27 posted on 07/26/2005 8:18:30 AM PDT by null and void (Be vewwy vewwy qwiet, we're hunting wahabbits...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Flyer; humblegunner; Allegra; TheMom; Xenalyte; thackney; Eaker; stevie_d_64; TXBSAFH; ...

Verrrrrry interesting ping.


28 posted on 07/26/2005 8:18:35 AM PDT by pax_et_bonum
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kcvl
I saw the title of this story and it brought back some undefined memories. I simply posted it and went back into the library to locate what I was unable to think of whereupon I found the Moynihan letter. I never thought the site would still be good, but hell, things like this deserve to be here a while.

So obviously this does not make market media, but how does Hillary play it now?

29 posted on 07/26/2005 8:21:02 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection (I take the Ginsburg)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection

BTTT


30 posted on 07/26/2005 8:21:26 AM PDT by bk1000 (A clear conscience is a sure sign of a poor memory)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

hahahahahaha!


31 posted on 07/26/2005 8:28:21 AM PDT by jackv
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Here's another group that need to be watched.....

Larry Johnson's Group (VIPS) Called On CIA Employees To Leak Secrets To Hurt Bush .. Article from back in March 2003

32 posted on 07/26/2005 8:35:56 AM PDT by deport (If you want something bad enough, there's someone who will sell it to you. Even the truth your way.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: deport

This is a great opportunity to reveal it all, I posted the only piece of information I have on him, hopefully others have more


33 posted on 07/26/2005 8:44:46 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection (I take the Ginsburg)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: rdb3
Image hosted by Photobucket.com rdb3... good to see you back!!! hope all's well and on the mend.
34 posted on 07/26/2005 8:45:34 AM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist ©®)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Apparently he was still in the media business back in 2003 if this press release was accurate... Not sure of his standing today......

Sea Waves Magazine
News Release
02/01/03
Sea Waves Magazine Welcomes Samuel Loring Morison
Vancouver, BC January 1, 2003 - Sea Waves Magazine is pleased to announce
that Samuel Loring Morison has joined our staff. Mr. Morison will be providing
research services as well as shortly starting a weekly newsletter, to be published
by Sea Waves magazine, on U.S. naval news that will originate from Washington
DC.
Mr. Morison has 35 years of experience in naval affairs from both a hands on and
in the academic field. After graduation from the University of Louisville in 1967,
he served onboard the USS Savage during combat operations off Vietnam. After
leaving the Navy he was employed by the U.S. Naval Historical Center and then
as a civilian analyst for US Naval Intelligence Service.
In the tradition set by his esteemed grandfather, Samuel Eliot Morison, he has
assisted in the writing and publishing of such works as Jane’s Fighting Ships,
Ships and Aircraft of the US Fleet and the multi-volume Dictionary of American
Naval Fighting Ships. He is currently working on a book about American
Battleships and publishing his grandfathers World War II diaries.
He has also writes or has written for various publications including the U.S. Naval
Institute “Proceedings” and "Naval History" both published by the United States
Naval Institute, Annapolis, MD, "Navy News and Undersea Technology" of
Washington, DC, "Navy Times" of Springfield, VA, the "Fort Wayne Journal
Gazette" of Fort Wayne, IN and "Warship International" of Toledo, OH.
Sea Waves Magazine (www.seawaves.com) has been the world’s leading source
of naval news since 1997 and is delivered five times per week via e-mail.
For more information, contact Dave Shirlaw (604-924-0200)
-30-

35 posted on 07/26/2005 8:52:04 AM PDT by deport (If you want something bad enough, there's someone who will sell it to you. Even the truth your way.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
[ 1917 Espionage Act, ]

Thats funny.. LoL..
The MsP/MsM performs virtual espionage in print and over the air waves DAILY.. What a joke.. Not to speak of elected democrats and some RINOs.. The 1917 Espionage Act, is a joke..

Sedition and treason are performed with abandon freely under the protection of the 1st amendment no less.. National Security is also a joke(borders).. Congress is a chinese fire drill.. on these issues..

I hope the bad guys havn't noticed... d:-/

36 posted on 07/26/2005 9:30:01 AM PDT by hosepipe (This propaganda has been ok'ed by me to included some fully orbed hyperbole....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection

A "Thank you for this information" BUMP!


37 posted on 07/26/2005 9:47:54 AM PDT by Pagey (Whether Hillary Clintons' attacks on America are a success or a failure depends upon YOU TOO!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pax_et_bonum; Flyer; humblegunner; Allegra; TheMom; Xenalyte; thackney; Eaker; stevie_d_64; ...

I remember seeing those pictures back when they came out in Jane's, that ship would have been classified as an automatic high value target, from my operational experience in the Nav at that time...

Jane's was a great source of information for us back then...Little did we know the source got in trouble for releasing those photos...

"Travis McGee" will know what else the military intelligence and operational types were having to deal with back then as well...

The Walkers...


38 posted on 07/26/2005 9:54:38 AM PDT by stevie_d_64 (Houston Area Texans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: lightingguy

Nice. I hope someone besides Newsmax mentions this as this Rove ridiculousness continues.


39 posted on 07/26/2005 10:26:48 AM PDT by agrace (Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me if you know so much. Job 38:4)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: rdb3
the significance of missus clinton's gratuitous gerundial g-droppings
40 posted on 07/26/2005 12:20:57 PM PDT by Mia T (Stop Clintons' Undermining Machinations (The acronym is the message.))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-44 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson