| oversy surrounded and continues to surround Samuel | | | | Nobody, not even former presidents, has any authority |
| “Sandy’ Berger when he was fined | | | | to remove classified documents from the Archives. |
| $50,000 by Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson on | | | | The investigation began in October 2003. |
| September 8, 2005 for mishandling of sensitive and | | | | Though word about the investigation went around in |
| classified documents. Berger also lost his security | | | | the second quarter of 2004, the criminal investigation |
| clearance for three years. What are the facts | | | | was actually instigated on October 2003. Prior to this, |
| regarding the Sandy Berger scandal? | | | | the Archive employees noticed that some documents |
| Sandy Berger pled guilty. | | | | that Berger reviewed went missing in September. On |
| Sandy Berger admitted to deliberately pilfering | | | | October, the employees coded the documents Berger |
| classified documents from the National Archives. Five | | | | was likely to read so that they will know if these were |
| documents about the Clinton administration’s | | | | also taken. The Archive officials called Berger on |
| actions regarding the millennium attack plots went | | | | October 4 that the materials he had reviewed had |
| missing and Berger admitted to taking all of them. He | | | | gone missing. Because Berger cannot produce more |
| also admitted to taking home notes which he himself | | | | than two documents, the FBI was brought in. |
| made in the course of his visits to the Archives. | | | | The Archive employees did not follow procedure. |
| At first, Sandy Berger held that he inadvertently | | | | The Archive employees first noticed the missing files in |
| stuffed in the classified documents with his other notes | | | | September 2003. Instead of calling the FBI, however, |
| and papers. However, he soon admitted that his | | | | they called former President Bill Clinton’s legal |
| actions were deliberate. It would be quite difficult to | | | | counsel Bruce Lindsey. This was against procedure. In |
| prove that he “inadvertently” took both | | | | matters involving missing classified documents, the FBI |
| sets of documents both times in September and | | | | should have been called in immediately because this |
| October and that he “inadvertently” cut | | | | was a federal offense under the law. Of course, at |
| the first set up. | | | | that time, the National Archives head honcho was a Bill |
| Sandy Berger destroyed three of the five documents. | | | | Clinton appointee, John Carlin, who was terminated |
| Sandy Berger visited the Archives on September | | | | from his position when the Sandy Berger scandal was |
| 2003 and October 2003. On his first visit, he took three | | | | brought to light. |
| documents and on his second visit, he took two | | | | Sandy Berger got off on a plea bargain. |
| documents. He took scissors to the first three | | | | Apparently, the U.S Justice Department believed that |
| documents from his September visit. The last two | | | | Berger’s “lapse in judgment” |
| documents were returned to the Archives after the | | | | wasn’t as significant as it had been painted up |
| officials contacted Berger about the missing | | | | to be. The U.S State prosecutors let Sandy Berger off |
| documents. | | | | lightly in a plea bargain agreement that stipulated a fine |
| These documents were all about the Clinton | | | | of $10,000 and a loss of security clearance for three |
| administration’s memos about the millennium | | | | years. Magistrate Judge Robinson thought $10,000 |
| attack plots. All of these documents were classified | | | | dollars wasn’t enough and increased the fine to |
| materials and were only made available to Berger | | | | $50,000. The other terms of the agreement remained |
| because he was there on Bill Clinton’s orders. | | | | unchanged. There was no prison sentence indicated. |