Wednesday, February 10, 2021

This Is How The U.S. National Security Establishment Protects Their Own

 


While national security insiders are routinely given the kid-glove treatment that Sandy Berger, David Petraeus, and Kevin Clinesmith received, the experiences of whistleblowers who dare expose even the most blatant misdeeds by those agencies are very different indeed. 

The shocking double standard with respect to violations of federal law committed by members of the national security bureaucracy compared to similar offenses by whistleblowers is on display once again.  In late January, federal judge James Boasberg sentenced former FBI assistant general counsel Kevin Clinesmith, who admitted falsifying evidence submitted to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court for a warrant to spy on Carter Page—a onetime foreign-policy adviser to former President Donald Trump. Boasberg sentenced Clinesmith to a mere twelve months probation and four hundred hours of community service. The judge said the evidence persuaded him that “Mr. Clinesmith likely believed that what he said about Mr. Page was true.” 


WNU Editor: I have said this more than once. Kudos to former President Trump exposing how the rules are different for those in Washington from everyone else.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Though there is a double standard there is still nothing they can do about the tragedy of Lapides' intelligence.

Anonymous said...


No embarrassment. None. We do it all for you, crowing as old crows do in miss nanceyland.

Anonymous said...

Quite thoughtful of them.