DOJ Should Appoint Patrick Fitzgerald to Investigate Two Leaks of Classified Information
By Andrew Cochran
The Justice Department is initiating a second investigation into the leak of classified, terrorism-related information to a news source, this time over the NSA intercept program as initially divulged by the New York Times. DOJ already initiated an investigation into the leak of classified information about a network of secret CIA prisons for suspected terrorists. The disclosures alone could be extremely damaging to the pursuit of terrorists, compromising sensitive sources and methods of investigation without a substantial benefit. DOJ should appoint a special investigator who knows the legal issues surrounding the release of classified information, has an outstanding track record in terrorism investigations, and is respected for his objectivity and integrity. Patrick Fitzgerald fits that description perfectly as a veteran and successful prosecutor in terrorism cases and the investigator of the release of information about ex-CIA spy Valerie Plame, earning recent acclaim from the National Law Journal and other legal scholars (politics aside). EDIT: Kathryn Jean Lopez of NRO deserves credit for suggesting this before I did, although I hadn't read her one-liner on it when I wrote this post.
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