Berger's Eternal Secret

New York Post ^ | May 27, 2007 | Staff

[Truth29]

BERGER'S ETERNAL SECRET

May 27, 2007 -- It now looks like the American people will never learn how - and why - Bill Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy "Sticky Fingers" Berger, stole and destroyed classified documents from the National Archives.

That's because Berger - in a significant, but little-noticed, move - has short-circuited the last investigation into his sordid little burglary. As Byron York reports at National Review Online, Berger last week voluntarily surrendered his law license. Now, that's hardly as serious a step as it sounds, since - as Berger freely admitted - "I have not [practiced law] for 15 years and do not envision returning to the profession."

What it does, however, is prematurely end an investigation by the District of Columbia Bar Association into Berger's confessed thievery. It also means that details of the probe, which would have been made public, now remain sealed.

So much for the public's right to know.

(snip)

As York notes, a report from the Bar Association says that Berger "acknowledges that the material facts on which the allegations of misconduct are predicated are true" - and that he "could not successfully defend against them."

But just what they are, we'll never know. Score one for Mr. Happy Pants.

[stylin19a]

so, if Libby gives up his whatever, he wont go to jail ?

[Truth29]

Naw -Berger sentencing guidelines only apply to Democrats. Libby is guilty of being a Republican - Gitmo for him.

[SkyPilot]

No - Libby was convicted by a jury - thanks to Fitzgerald's zeal to justify his job and a jury pool from DC that would have given OJ the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Dept of Justice cronies left over from the Clinton Administration (and there are A LOT of them) worked overtime to make sure Sandy Burgler wasn't pursued.

By surrendering his law license, Berger effectively shuts down the bar investigation which would have brought facts to light.

[rellimpank]

--The Dept of Justice cronies left over from the Clinton Administration (and there are A LOT of them) worked overtime to make sure Sandy Burgler wasn't pursued.

--a weak-kneed Bush AG didn't stop this--

[DooDahhhh]

Makes you get close to puking, doesn’t it?

[sgtbono2002]

It makes any right thinking American want to puke. Over at DU they are patting each other on the back saying how smart Berger is. Once again the Clintons are given a free pass.

[RandallFlagg]

I know it’d be just an assumption, but wouldn’t an inventory check reveal everything that was missing on the dates he was there? Thus, bringing out the truth of this?

[saveliberty]

Months ago, a commenter on Tom Maguire’s blog “Just One Minute” had posted a recommended sentence for Libby if convicted— that Libby would do a community service by kicking Sandy Berger in the pants for 100 hours.

[tiger-one]

My thoughts also. I would think when a person asks to enter a certain area, and look through records, which are cataloged, a search would ID at least some tile[s] of what is missing.

[nyyankeefan]

America....what a great country....

paris hilton will do time for driving drunk....

sandy burgler will do NO time for treason!!!!

[Truth29]

Only relying on what has been reported in various media sources, so my understanding may be flawed, but there were reports of multiple copies of various documents, some with original annotations and comments, some without. Every copy was apparently not individually cataloged, so what was probably lost were copies with original comments that Berger removed.

[visualops]

Mr. Berger's tactics at the Archives were to obfuscate exactly which and how many documents he'd had in his grimy little hands:

"He used the pretext of making and receiving private phone calls to get time alone with confidential material, although rules governing access dictated that someone from the Archives staff must be present. He took bathroom breaks every half-hour to provide further opportunity to remove and conceal documents."
"he reviewed collections of confidential memos, e-mails, and handwritten notes, including materials taken from counter-terrorism adviser Richard Clarke's office - all of which were not catalogued at the individual item level."

[DooDahhhh]

Yep, they wanted to bury some evidence. But that just proves how stupid they are to let it get in the archives in the first place.

[restornu]

Berger a thief ~ Libby a pawn!

[Diogenesis]

"We, Democrats, laud Hillary for her (stolen) remarkably powerful FBI files,
and praise the foresight of Hillary-the-Powerful and the weakness of Alberto-the-fop."

[johnny7]

This guy would have no problem explaining why he took a crap on your living room carpet...

[oldironsides]

I could never understand why Web Hubbel rolled over for the Clintons. Sandy Berger seems to have that same sick loyalty to them and not to his country. Gonzalez is not up to the task of AG.

[csvset]

--a weak-kneed Bush AG didn't stop this--

The fact that this administration is covering up the criminal activities of the previous one's is as disturbing as the theft itself.

[Ben Hecks]

The Dept of Justice cronies left over from the Clinton Administration (and there are A LOT of them) worked overtime to make sure Sandy Burgler wasn't pursued.

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that Berger was allowed to plead guilty to a minor offense without being officially questioned and required to sign a sworn statement that could be used against him in any future action.