Hastert Statement on Berger Allegations

7/20/2004 12:54:00 PM

To: National Desk

Contact: John Feehery or Pete Jeffries, 202-225-2800, both of the Office of House Speaker Dennis Hastert

WASHINGTON, July 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Today, House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) released the following statement regarding allegations that former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger removed highly classified terrorism documents and handwritten notes from a secure reading room during preparations for the 9/11 Commission hearings:

"I am profoundly troubled by allegations that former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger removed highly classified documents from the National Archives regarding the Clinton Administration's handling of terrorist attacks prior to the September 11th attacks.

"What could those documents have said that drove Mr. Berger to remove them without authorization from a secure reading room for classified documents?

"What information could be so embarrassing that a man with decades of experience in handling classified documents would risk being caught pilfering our nation's most sensitive secrets?

"Did these documents detail simple negligence or did they contain something more sinister? Was this a bungled attempt to rewrite history and keep critical information from the 9/11 Commission and potentially put their report under a cloud?

"It is my understanding that Mr. Berger shoved this classified information into his clothing to smuggle them out of the National Archives. Press reports indicate that Archival staff became concerned when documents began to disappear and specifically marked additional documents to track them. A number of those documents also turned up missing.

"Mr. Berger has a lot of explaining to do. He was given access to these documents to assist the 9/11 Commission, not hide information from them. The American people and the 9/11 families don't want cover-ups when it comes to the War on Terror. They want the truth. And so does the U.S. House of Representatives."

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=134-07202004