Rove’s security clearance

July 14, 2005

New Jersey’s Frank Lautenberg (D) got the ball rolling with this earlier in the week, but I really believe going after Karl Rove’s security clearance is a wise and reasonable strategy. Based on what we know, there’s no reason Rove should have access to classified information.

Yesterday, Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.) and every Dem on the House Intelligence Committee sent Bush a letter demanding the White House revoke Rove’s clearance.

“It is outrageous that even though Mr. Rove has acknowledged, through his attorney, that he disclosed the identity of a covert intelligence officer, he continues to have access to our nation’s highest level of classified intelligence,” said Congressman John Tierney. “As one of the highest ranking officials in the Bush Administration, Mr. Rove knows full well that all government employees with access to classified information are obliged to protect it from unauthorized individuals and to verify whether information is, in fact, unclassified before disclosing it.” […]

“The security of our country is at stake. We must look beyond elections, beyond politics, and beyond personal relationships. The White House is not an asylum for those who use backdoor maneuvers that jeopardize the safety and protection of our professional intelligence officers and the security our nation,” Tierney stated.

The Dems on the Intelligence Committee are not always on the same page, so it’s encouraging to see unanimity on this. I don’t expect the White House will respond to the letter, but we’ll watch for it.

Better yet, to add to this story, I’ve learned that Dem Sens. Harry Reid, John Rockefeller, Joe Biden, and Dick Durbin will offer a terrific “Security Clearance” amendment today on the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill that the Senate is considering this afternoon. It reads:

No federal employee who discloses or has disclosed classified information, including the identity of a covert agent of the Central Intelligence Agency, to a person not authorized to receive such information shall be entitled to hold a security clearance for access to such information.

I can’t wait to see how the Republicans vote on this one. The vote is expected this afternoon; I’ll try and let readers know what happens.

Update: The amendment failed along straight party lines.

Wouldn’t that amendment, as written, simply inspire bureaucrats to stamp everything classified, down to post-its and lunchmeat wrappers?

  • Wouldn’t that amendment, as written, simply inspire bureaucrats to stamp everything classified, down to post-its and lunchmeat wrappers?

    That’s possible in theory, but there’s supposed to be a specific, objective process whereby documents are labeled as classified. There’s been abuse of this, to be sure, but I don’t think the amendment would set off mass classifications.

  • N Wells, I think they already do. Anyway, this bill is clearly a slap targeted at Rove & to remove the discretion about this from Bush. It won’t of itself change the culture of classification or declassification one iota, as the consequences of violation are the least of the offender’s worries (compared to the criminal consequences, at least).

  • or has disclosed

    So this would be retroactive–actually put teeth to the calls for revoking clearance.

  • How would the ammendment affect people convicted in the Iran-Contra scandal and then subsequently pardoned? My read is that the ammendment would prohibit those people. Are there any lawyers out there who would care to weigh in on this?

    thanks in advance.

  • I just read this on a TPM post today:

    Late Update: Here is the text of the so-called ‘Frist Amendment’: “Any federal officeholder who makes reference to a classified Federal Bureau of Investigation report on the floor of the United States Senate, or any federal officeholder that makes a statement based on a FBI agent’s comments which is used as propaganda by terrorist organizations thereby putting our servicemen and women at risk, shall not be permitted access to such information or to hold a security clearance for access to such information.”

    … But’s cool to blow the cover of CIA operatives if it helps the far right Republican cause. Bullshit on you Frist.

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