-Caveat Lector- http://cnn.com/US/9907/15/justice.china/index.html Report scolds Justice, FBI handling of China data July 15, 1999 WASHINGTON (CNN) -- An internal Justice Department investigation released Wednesday revealed "no improper intent to conceal information" relating to the probe of possible Chinese efforts to influence U.S. politics, but questioned the judgment of top FBI and Justice officials. Inspector General Michael Bromwich found that senior officials abandoned Justice Department standards and inappropriately provided too much uncorroborated raw data to the Republican-controlled Congress. "In order to satisfy Congressional committees' demands for information ... the Department adopted a policy of briefing the committees and later the NSC [National Security Council] on information of unknown reliability rather than waiting until that information could be corroborated," the report said. Bromwich released a 22-page summary of his top secret 569- page report. An FBI statement welcomed "many of the suggestions" and said it already taken steps to provide "finished" analyses of raw intelligence data. Important data not given to Reno, Freeh The Inspector General blamed the practice of providing too much uncorroborated raw data to Congress, in part, to a September 1997 incident in which the CIA had provided previously undisclosed FBI information to a Senate panel investigating possible Chinese interference in U.S. campaigns. Attorney General Janet Reno and FBI Director Louis Freeh testified that they were unaware of the information at the time. That led Reno, Freeh and Committee Chairman Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tennessee) to question whether campaign finance investigators were receiving all the FBI's intelligence on Chinese efforts. The Bromwich report revealed that Reno and Freeh did have the information in question, but it was buried in documents and not otherwise brought to their attention. The data related to whether a California businessman from Indonesia, Ted Sioeng, acted on behalf of China in donating $250,000 to the Democratic National Committee and $50,000 to a Republican think tank. Sioeng's attorney denied that China or its officials "directed or funded any political contributions" by Sioeng. FBI division used 'poor judgment' The Bromwich report also cited "poor judgment" on the part of the FBI's National Security Division, which is responsible for catching spies operating in the United States. The document cited "attempts to protect the division's interests" by withholding information at the expense of the rest of the FBI and the Justice Department's campaign task force. Bromwich called on Justice and FBI officials to resolve a dispute over how much to tell the White House's National Security Council about the campaign investigation. The FBI, concerned about protecting the criminal investigation, believed that briefing the White House "was akin to briefing the subject of an investigation about that investigation." Other Justice officials believed the White House needed to receive national security information from the probe. Bromwich, who has announced his resignation from the Justice Department, is known for stinging reports on several high- profile investigations They include probes into the practices of the FBI Crime Lab, the Immigration and Naturalization Service citizenship program and the FBI's role in the Aldrich Ames spy case. The Associated Press contributed to this report. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
