Ethics Panel Clears U.S. Senator In 9/11 Leak Probe

Ethics panel clears US senator in 9/11 leak probe

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N13578399.htm

14 Nov 2005 02:18:17 GMT

WASHINGTON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - The Senate Ethics Committee has dropped its investigation of Sen. Richard Shelby regarding allegations he was the source of a media leak about how the National Security Agency handled messages before the Sept. 11 attacks.

The Alabama Republican said on Sunday he was "gratified" the committee had closed the matter and that he felt vindicated.

"Throughout the life of this investigation, I have taken the position that I never knowingly disclosed any classified information. My position has not changed," Shelby said in a statement.

The chairman and vice chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee wrote to Shelby on Friday saying the Justice Department had referred the matter to the panel in a letter dated July 20, 2004.

"The Department of Justice further stated in this letter that its investigation had produced evidence and information concerning your conduct in connection with the disclosure and concerning 'related' conduct,'" the committee leaders wrote.

The letter notified Shelby the panel had dismissed the investigation and that the matter was closed. A similar notification was sent to the Justice Department.

The National Security Agency, based at Fort Meade, Maryland, is one of the government's most secretive intelligence agencies. Much of its information carries a higher classification than other sorts of intelligence. It is illegal to release classified information.

The FBI began searching for the source of the leak after news reports the NSA had intercepted two messages on Sept. 10, 2001, that hinted at an impending action, but did not translate them until Sept. 12.

According to a report that first appeared in the National Journal magazine, the ethics committee said it had insufficient evidence Shelby had done anything wrong and would not pursue the matter further.

Shelby, now head of the Senate Banking Committee, was chairman of the Senate intelligence panel when the NSA director spoke to lawmakers behind closed doors in a 2002 hearing. Details of that meeting were subsequently leaked to the media.

The Justice Department launched its criminal investigation in 2002 after complaints from the White House and the heads of a congressional inquiry into pre-Sept. 11 intelligence lapses.