Berger fesses up

last updated 8 January 2015

Washington, D.C.

Former national security advisor Sandy Berger last week admitted stealing classified documents from the National Archives. Berger, who served under former president Bill Clinton, took five nearly identical drafts of a report on security issues raised by a foiled al Qaida plot to bomb Los Angeles International Airport in 2000. Berger confessed to destroying three of the documents with scissors, then lying to investigators about what happened. “I exercised very poor judgment,” said Berger, who at the time was preparing to testify before the 9/11 Commission. “I deeply regret it.” Berger pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and is expected to be fined $10,000. He will also lose his security clearance for three years.