National security analysts say the problem is far more widespread than publicly known, potentially undermining national security in significant ways.
having classified documents in their possession
And Moss said many others have automatic clearances that come with the job, including certain elected officials and judges who must deal with classified information such asRep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the new ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, is one of them as a long-serving member of the intelligence community oversight panel.
Former President Donald Trump’s situation is a rarity among mishandling documents cases because he admittedly took them intentionally, and on a grand scale, when leaving office in January 2021. That prompted a standoff between the National Archives, which is tasked with safeguarding the documents, and the former president, who insisted – inaccurately – that he was allowed the keep them. That is the case even if Trump used his presidential authority to declassify them himself, as he claims.
And intelligence contractors Edward Snowden and Reality Winner took classified documents from their respective workplaces and gave them to reporters because they were unhappy with U.S. policy. Authorities said both cases amounted to a grave breach of national security due to the nature of the information they disseminated.
And for every one of those bold-face names, there are potentially hundreds or even thousands of cases of people – from low-level staffers to top civilian and military officials – who improperly took classified documents from places where they were supposed to be safeguarded, according to Moss, Himes and other security experts interviewed by USA TODAY.
“It is an issue that is far more common than people realize,” said Van Grack, who led mishandling investigations and prosecutions while at the National Security Division at Justice Department headquarters. “There's probably a mishandling case happening right now.”
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Pence, Pompeo and Haley demand Biden ‘shoot down’ Chinese spy balloonFormer Secretary of State Mike Pomeo and diplomat Nikki Haley demanded that the Biden Administration “shoot down” down the Chinese spy balloon that hovered over the central US Friday.
Read more »
Biden Offers Philly Hundreds of Millions to Upgrade the Water SystemPresident Biden visited the Belmont Water Treatment Plant and arranged to give Philadelphia millions of dollars to upgrade the city’s water system. NBC10’s Lauren Mayk, live in Center City, shares an exclusive on where Biden will visit next in his tour.
Read more »
State of the Union 2023: Is Hunter Biden going to President Biden's address?President Joe Biden will deliver the annual State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress next Tuesday. First lady Jill Biden is set to invite guests to sit in her box for the address.
Read more »
Hunter Biden laptop lawsuit risks putting Biden family deals, finances under intense legal scrutinyHunter Biden's threat of a lawsuit over news reports based on the contents of his leaked laptop computer would expose President Biden's son to depositions and other legal discovery about his family's far-flung business deals.
Read more »
Hunter Biden asks for criminal probe into Trump allies for 'theft' of data from laptopLawyers for Hunter Biden have sent letters requesting investigations into allies of former President Trump who they say trafficked in stolen information from his laptop.
Read more »
Hunter Biden seeks federal probe of Trump allies over laptopA lawyer for President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, asked the Justice Department in a letter Wednesday to investigate close allies of former President Donald Trump and others who accessed and disseminated personal data from a laptop that a computer repair shop owner says was dropped off at his Delaware store in 2019. In a separate letter, Biden’s attorneys also asked Fox News host Tucker Carlson to retract and apologize for what they say are false and defamatory claims made repeatedly about him on-air, including implying without evidence that he had unauthorized access to classified documents found at his father’s home. The request for a criminal inquiry, which comes as Hunter Biden faces his own tax evasion investigation by the Justice Department, does not mean federal prosecutors will open a probe or take any other action.
Read more »