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Do White House leaks rise to level of impeachable offense?
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New fallout from intelligence leaks that revealed national security initiatives
- Duration 5:10
- Date Feb 6, 2013
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New fallout from intelligence leaks that revealed national security initiatives
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New fallout from intelligence leaks last summer the revealed -- national security initiatives including cyber attacks on Iran and classified details about the hunt for bin Laden.
The FBI has reportedly opened a criminal investigation.
Into senior administration officials and now a well respected columnist is suggesting that if those leaks.
Are traced back to the Oval Office it could constitute an impeachable offense.
-- scenario I would also -- -- has written this column in the Washington Post in which he says.
It there is a bombshell story going on in Washington right now that not many people are talking about and that is that the Justice Department.
And the FBI are investigating these very high level leaks.
They came out last summer how significant is this story.
Well I think it is significant for two reasons number one you've got a potential leak of -- appears to be a leak of national security.
Information regarding this computer virus and our dealings with Israel and I ran.
In order to implement stopping or slowing down -- -- Iranian program.
The uranium program in RNC -- it's a significant issue and then you have -- yourself.
There's only a few people that -- had this information and this is had to be highly classified information.
And assuming the president didn't did not declassify and he made statements last year indicating that he did not.
Than someone leaked this information -- every one of these senior members of the administration.
Whether it's in whatever department they might -- are all required to signed forms and agreements that say they will not.
Release this kind of information and if they do so they're subject to criminal prosecution.
So there is a very serious story here with serious implications.
And I'm glad the media is now starting to at least look at it but the implications of this are pretty staggering.
And by the way the -- -- were talking about.
Are the ones that last summer that say that the president personally ordered the cyber attacks.
On the Iranian nuclear program using a computer virus it was developed -- Israel called.
Stocks next it this was an incredibly damaging -- because it exposed.
Intelligence sources.
And methods so what -- the rationale be for someone in the president's inner sanctum to reveal something like that's.
Well you Percy got to look at it at may -- implications of what they've done.
I mean this was a successful -- program by the way and I'm glad that our government able to do these kind of things but now you've got to look at the implications.
And why would it be league -- was -- -- because the president wanted to show.
That you know he was supporting and working with Israel to stop our random that would be you know I don't have evidence of that -- what has a direct evidence and battery and an indirect evidence at this point.
But what it does show.
Is that the administration which the president is ultimately responsible for he is the president of the United States.
This information got leaked and someone leaked it and -- all high probability with in that.
The president's administration at a senior level and it's important that the FBI investigate this but what's more important is that there be cooperation.
Between the FBI and the executive branch -- government between the president's office.
And the senior security advisors but some of these folks are being nominated -- very -- position right now with confirmation hearings tomorrow.
So invited mr.
-- was involved and and no I don't have evidence of that no one does other than the people are highly involved with this investigation.
Congress has the right to know these questions need to be asked.
And we have to wonder who is minding the store here.
When you've got this kind of information being leaked.
To the press when it's as high level security as this and it backs and it impacts directly our national security.
Updates on that this is a huge story with really big implications and not someone needs to come clean and come clean quick here.
Do you think it rises to the level of an impeachable offense if somehow the president himself authorized the -- Well I mean it YouTube could -- reach a high crime and misdemeanor and moral turpitude that's -- awfully high standards are I'm not gonna.
A venture into the -- this would constitute an impeachable offense or not I would know what has the we don't have the evidence showing that.
But I'll tell you what it does show at a minimum and this -- -- -- significant if the president of the United States is running our national security through his offices which is what happens in these kind of situations.
And there's a leak in his administration.
He is ultimately accountable and those individuals that engaged in the -- should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and I'm assuming.
That's what the United States Department of Justice is doing.
Right now with the investigation looking at all those options that the president authorizes a -- -- it would though -- Watergate type of scenario although far -- situation and Watergate.
Well then you've got a serious situation there for the president we don't have that evidence yet but I'll tell you something someone needs to figure out how this information got out it's critical for our own national security that this information.
Not be league and I can't imagine the president declassified this which would be the other defense here I just don't see that.
Are we shall see what the FBI comes up with.
Thanks Bradley and bombshell.