Republican Staffer Disciplined Over Memo
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch said Tuesday he had put one of his staffers on administrative leave for improperly obtaining data from the secure computer networks of two Democratic senators.
Hatch, R-Utah, said preliminary interviews suggested that a former Republican member of the committee staff may have also been involved in penetrating the Democratic computers.
"I was shocked to learn that this may have occurred," Hatch said in a statement. "I am mortified that this improper, unethical and simply unacceptable breach of confidential files may have occurred on my watch."
Hatch launched an investigation after Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., protested what they said was the theft of memos from their servers. The memos, concerning political strategy on blocking confirmation of several of President Bush's judicial nominations, were obtained and reported on by The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Times.
Get the rest of the story from the Associated Press.
Matt's Chat
Integrity in action. When it came up, Sen. Hatch called for an investigation. When it comes up that one of his staffers may have been involved (even though the staffer denies leaking it to the press, the staffer says (s)he merely accessed the file), that staffer is disciplined. I approve...and would like to see that the investigation continues.While we're at it, let's take a real good look at WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT...
Mark's Remarks
Yes, but Matt, this story is now going to be put to bed...the evil politicizing of intelligence by the Dims is going to be forgotten, because now we have found a villain, this staffer....who don't get me wrong, should be disciplined....and I am proud Senator Hatch had the conviction to do so. I just wish he had more conviction in standing up for judicial nominees.
