Congressman Tierney Reiterates Call For Suspension of Rove's Security Clearance and Access to Classified Information

Congressman Tierney Reiterates Call For Suspension of
Rove's Security Clearance and Access to Classified Information

Washington, DC - All Democrats on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) joined Congressman John F. Tierney (D-MA), the only New England Member of HPSCI, to call on President George Bush once again to revoke White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove's security clearances and access to classified information.

Attached below is the letter sent today to the President, in which all nine Democrats on the Committee urged him to take immediate action.

*******

November 8, 2005

President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

This letter follows our July 13, 2005 letter to you on the same subject - the need for White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove's security clearance to be suspended. On this occasion, we write with the benefit of public information and the indictment of I. Lewis Libby, which enumerated related details. It is now clear that Mr. Rove held conversations with reporters about the classified identity of an undercover CIA operative. Mr. Rove, through his attorney, has acknowledged as much.

As previously stated, we abhor the disclosure of the identities of undercover officers and fully recognize the danger such action presents to the officer, to the agency and other agents, and essentially to the security of this country. Former President Bush, in calling those who expose our human sources "the most insidious of traitors," may well have expressed feelings shared by many Americans.

Although the criminal investigation into Mr. Rove continues, the facts of his involvement appear to squarely place his actions in violation of Executive Order 12958 which prohibits any "knowing, willful or negligent action that could reasonably be expected to result in an unauthorized disclosure of classified information." (See §5.1). An appropriate sanction pursuant to Section 5.7 of the Order would be "loss or denial of access to classified information." In addition, the "supervisory official shall, at a minimum, promptly remove the classification authority of any individual who demonstrates reckless disregard or a pattern of error in applying the classification standards of this order."

In light of the above, we urge you to remove any and all of Mr. Rove's security clearances at once. Our brave intelligence officers need not labor under any risk that errant behavior would be repeated.

Sincerely,

Jane Harman
Alcee L. Hastings
Silvestre Reyes
Leonard L. Boswell
Robert E. (Bud) Cramer, Jr.
Anna G. Eshoo
Rush D. Holt
C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger
John F. Tierney