The FBI is investigating Sandy Berger (Clinton’s national security advisor, and a chief foreign policy advisor for Kerry) for removing some documents from the National Archives back in July, September, or October. The investigation began in October and was turned over to the FBI this January and became a criminal investigation. Berger was doing research in response to inquiries by the September 11 Commission. The WaPo states:
"Berger inadvertently took copies of several versions of an after-action memo on the millennium bombing plot from the Archives last fall, said his attorney Lanny Breuer. The lawyer said one or more of the copies were then inadvertently discarded." The author of the documents was Richard A. Clarke.
This AP report has a nice detail not mentioned in the Washington Post story above: "Berger and his lawyer said Monday night he knowingly removed the handwritten notes by placing them in his jacket and pants, and also inadvertently took copies of actual classified documents in a leather portfolio." Berger said: "I deeply regret the sloppiness involved."
And this guy was Clinton’s NSA? Great. Just great!
John Solomon nails more big stories for AP. Hardly surprising his account is best.
Let’s not forget, Chuck Colson got three years for exactly the same thing in Watergate!
"I deeply regret the sloppiness?" He wishes he had taken the documents in a neater manner?
Anyone who’s ever done archival research knows that Berger’s claim that it was "inadvertent" is nonsense. It is forbidden to bring bags of any kind into any of the NARA repositories. To smuggle anything out would require serious effort--not the sort of thing that can happen by accident.