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Department of Justice Names Two Special Prosecutors in Leak Case
AP

Department of Justice Names Two Special Prosecutors in Leak Case

“These two highly-respected and experienced prosecutors will be directing separate investigations currently being conducted by the FBI."

Apparently the pre-emptive statements by the Department of Justice that they would not be doing probes into the recent leaks of sensitive national security information were premature. Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that he would be appointing not one, but two special prosecutors to lead probes into the leaks. Politico reports:

Attorney General Eric Holder on Friday named two federal prosecutors to oversee investigations into leaks of classified information that have roiled Congress and led to calls for a special prosecutor.

His decision came hours after President Barack Obama denounced the notion that the White House was engaging in politically motivated leaks and declared that he had “zero tolerance” for such national security breaches.

Holder tapped U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C,. Ronald Machen and U.S. attorney for Maryland Rod Rosenstein to head up the probes.

“These two highly-respected and experienced prosecutors will be directing separate investigations currently being conducted by the FBI,” Holder said in a statement Friday evening. “I have every confidence in their abilities to doggedly follow the facts and the evidence in the pursuit of justice wherever it leads.”

Holder indicated that the two prosecutors were “fully authorized to prosecute criminal violations discovered as a result of their investigations and matters related to those violations, consult with members of the Intelligence Community and follow all appropriate investigative leads within the Executive and Legislative branches of government.”

Read Holder's full statement below:

Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement today on the assignment of U.S. Attorneys to lead investigations of possible unauthorized disclosures of classified information: 

“Today, I assigned U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ronald C. Machen Jr. and U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein to lead criminal investigations into recent instances of possible unauthorized disclosures of classified information.

“These two highly-respected and experienced prosecutors will be directing separate investigations currently being conducted by the FBI.   I have every confidence in their abilities to doggedly follow the facts and the evidence in the pursuit of justice wherever it leads.

“In carrying out their assignments, U.S. Attorneys Machen and Rosenstein are fully authorized to prosecute criminal violations discovered as a result of their investigations and matters related to those violations, consult with members of the Intelligence Community and follow all appropriate investigative leads within the Executive and Legislative branches of government.

“I have notified members of Congress and plan to provide more information, as appropriate, to members of the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees.

“The unauthorized disclosure of classified information can compromise the security of this country and all Americans, and it will not be tolerated.    The Justice Department takes seriously cases in which government employees and contractors entrusted with classified information are suspected of willfully disclosing such classified information to those not entitled to it, and we will do so in these cases as well.”

With any luck, this will lead to answers as to the identity of the people involved in these unacceptable leaks.

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