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I'm confused here. Maybe someone can help me out. I think there are more questions about accessing the memos than we know.

If in the regular course of a government employee's duties, they become aware of wrong doing and/or corruption and blow the whistle - they are protected through the whistleblower's act.

Was "monitoring files", in the regular course of the staffer's duties?

Did the whistleblower, violate federal laws in aquiring the information? If they did, does this negate ammunity through whistleblower's act?

Are staffer's made aware that their e-mail and or files can/maybe monitored by their employer and are not to be considered "private" property? If so, are the files property of the committee and not an individual member of the committee?

Are the computers that were accessed, property of the committee or are they property of the Senator's office. Do all staffers regardless of party have access to the data on those computers?

However - could the staffers that held the information be in violation by not securing the computers from being accessed by unauthorized individuals?

Example - If the staffer followed all security rules, and had both the computer and data secured and as a result of hacking or a breakin the data is taken- then the staffer would not be liable. If however, the staffer did not secure the computer and or data, then the staffer would be held liable.?