Leaks About Lawmakers Prompt Warnings
By DAVID JOHNSTON
New York Times
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 — Director Robert S. Mueller III of the F.B.I. has issued a stern message to the bureau’s nearly 30,000 employees warning them against leaks of confidential information after recent news articles disclosed criminal inquiries involving incumbent lawmakers, mainly House Republicans.
“There have been a number of recent stories in the press attributing sensitive law enforcement information to ‘federal law enforcement officials,’ ” Mr. Mueller said in an Oct. 26 e-mail message. “While I cannot say they have come from F.B.I. employees, such disclosures do serious damage to our investigations and risk unfairly tarnishing the subjects of our investigations who enjoy the presumption of innocence.”
In similar election season warnings, senior Justice Department officials sent messages on Wednesday to prosecutors reminding them of departmental rules against leaks. One was sent by Alice S. Fisher, assistant attorney general in charge of the department’s criminal division, to prosecutors in her unit. Another was issued by Michael A. Battle, director of the Justice Department office that coordinates with federal prosecutors throughout the country.
Mr. Mueller has tried, during his five-year tenure, to keep a tight lid on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s activities in advance of elections, and is said by some associates to have been “livid” at the recent disclosures. In some cases, the F.B.I. investigations have been made into campaign issues that have threatened the re-election prospects of incumbents.
“He was angered by it because he understands how the leaks can damage investigations,” said John Miller, the F.B.I.’s spokesman.
Aides said Mr. Mueller, a former United States attorney and longtime courtroom prosecutor known for his strict adherence to secrecy rules, had written the e-mail message to communicate his strong views on the topic, although F.B.I. officials deny that agents were sources for the articles. The contents of Mr. Mueller’s message have not been previously reported.
(The rest is here.)
New York Times
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 — Director Robert S. Mueller III of the F.B.I. has issued a stern message to the bureau’s nearly 30,000 employees warning them against leaks of confidential information after recent news articles disclosed criminal inquiries involving incumbent lawmakers, mainly House Republicans.
“There have been a number of recent stories in the press attributing sensitive law enforcement information to ‘federal law enforcement officials,’ ” Mr. Mueller said in an Oct. 26 e-mail message. “While I cannot say they have come from F.B.I. employees, such disclosures do serious damage to our investigations and risk unfairly tarnishing the subjects of our investigations who enjoy the presumption of innocence.”
In similar election season warnings, senior Justice Department officials sent messages on Wednesday to prosecutors reminding them of departmental rules against leaks. One was sent by Alice S. Fisher, assistant attorney general in charge of the department’s criminal division, to prosecutors in her unit. Another was issued by Michael A. Battle, director of the Justice Department office that coordinates with federal prosecutors throughout the country.
Mr. Mueller has tried, during his five-year tenure, to keep a tight lid on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s activities in advance of elections, and is said by some associates to have been “livid” at the recent disclosures. In some cases, the F.B.I. investigations have been made into campaign issues that have threatened the re-election prospects of incumbents.
“He was angered by it because he understands how the leaks can damage investigations,” said John Miller, the F.B.I.’s spokesman.
Aides said Mr. Mueller, a former United States attorney and longtime courtroom prosecutor known for his strict adherence to secrecy rules, had written the e-mail message to communicate his strong views on the topic, although F.B.I. officials deny that agents were sources for the articles. The contents of Mr. Mueller’s message have not been previously reported.
(The rest is here.)
Powered by Blogger
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home