Isakson, Chambliss Co-Sponsor Resolution Urging Attorney General to Appoint Special Counsel to Investigate Security Leaks

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss today introduced a congressional resolution urging the Attorney General of the United States to appoint an outside special counsel to investigate the recent leaks to the news media of classified and highly sensitive information on U.S. military and intelligence plans, programs, and operations.

“It is imperative that we get to the bottom of the recent security leaks, which pose a threat to our nation’s security and to our men and women serving overseas,” said Isakson. “I believe that appointing an outside counsel to investigate the leaks is the best approach to take to ensure that the investigation is conducted in a fair and impartial manner.”

“I have no doubt that the U.S. Attorneys appointed by Holder are excellent prosecutors. However, they would still be operating under the Obama Department of Justice,” said Senator Chambliss, vice chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. “The better solution is to appoint an outside counsel to impartially investigate what would have to include a White House inquiry.”

The non-binding “sense of the Senate” resolution, which was introduced by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and co-sponsored by Isakson, Chambliss and at least 16 other senators, reads, in part:

Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that—

(1) the Attorney General should—

(A) delegate to an outside special counsel all of the authority of the Attorney General with respect to investigations by the Department of Justice of any and all unauthorized disclosures of classified and highly sensitive information related to various United States military and intelligence plans, programs, and operations reported in recent publications; and

(B) direct an outside special counsel to exercise that authority independently of the supervision or control of any officer of the Department of Justice;

(2) under such authority, the outside special counsel should investigate any and all unauthorized disclosures of classified and highly sensitive information on which such recent publications were based and, where appropriate, prosecute those responsible; and

(3) the President should assess—

(A) whether any such unauthorized disclosures of classified and highly sensitive information damaged the national security of the United States; and(B) how such damage can be mitigated.