U.S. Defense Analyst leaked secrets to China

A U.S. Defense Department analyst, Gregg William Bergersen, 51, of Alexandria, Virginia, has been arrested and charged with espionage, accused of passing American military secrets to the Chinese government. Bergersen is WAS a weapons systems policy analyst at the Defense Department's Defense Security Cooperation Agency in Arlington, Virginia. He is charged with conspiracy to disclose national defense information illegally to unauthorized individuals. Also in the Virginia case, two Chinese immigrants -- Tai Shen Kuo, 58, and Yu Xin Kang, 33, both of New Orleans, Louisiana -- were charged with conspiracy to disclose national defense information to a foreign government.

Bergersen and Kuo, a naturalized U.S. citizen, are scheduled to appear later Monday in federal court in Alexandria. Kang, a permanent U.S. resident, will make her initial appearance Monday in a federal court in New Orleans.

Justice Department officials said Kuo cultivated friendships with Bergersen and others at the direction of an unidentified official of the Beijing government. Kuo allegedly "gathered national defense information on behalf of the government" of China from January 2006 to this month.

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GREAT TIP for Bloggers, Investigators, Paralegals and Attorneys

In the Daily Journal’s January 31, 2008 edition an article jumped off the page and spoke volumes to me.

While the Daily Journal is a legal newspaper I find its information to be priceless at times, minus the typographic errors and shoddy proofreading. It’s ironic that the title of the article is, “Proofreading is Crucial to Avoid critical Errors, Tarnished Reputations” by Joe M. Davidson and Nick Unkovic.

To summarize the article I find that the advice would benefit bloggers, investigators, paralegals and attorneys. “An attorney’s reputation can be enhanced or tarnished based on written work product.” Just insert your job where it says ‘attorney’. As the old carpenters saying goes, “Measure twice, cut once.” Bloggers, investigators, paralegals and attorneys should proofread twice, print once.

They cite a recent 9th Circuit case where counsel for a debtor in a bankruptcy case listed the incorrect social security number on the debtor’s petition and notice to the California Franchise Tax Board. The court ruled that the notice was not proper because of the typographical error and thus the taxes owed were not discharged. See Ellett v. Stanislaus, 506 F.3d 774 (9th Cir. 2007). Here is the opinion. Another blog that mentions the case.

Obviously the point I’m trying to make is to take the time to make sure your written work-product accurately represents what your thoughts reflect. (Please don’t count my grammatical errors and so forth...)

Please subscribe to my feed to get notified of my next post. If you found this article to be helpful, please Digg it, Stumble it, or bookmark below. Thanks.

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There's a NEW Public Records Blog in the works

Okay, I can't leak the details yet, but there is a new Blog coming on Public Records and various other Investigator related commentaries. It's in the design phase, so I once it launches, I'll post about it.

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Get Out and VOTE.

Today is Super Tuesday where 24 states will hold primaries or caucuses, with 52 percent of all pledged Democratic Party delegates and 41 percent of the total Republican Party delegates at stake.

I won't ask which candidate you're voting for, but I will ask that you go vote. Take the time to learn the issues, positions, and projected forecast. Go out and VOTE. Please. Subscribe to my feed to get notified of my next post.

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DHS Denies Documents, Claiming Public Has No Interest

Leave it to the Department of Homeland Security to refuse a FOIA request from The Seton Hall School of Law Center for Social Justice and the Brazilian Voice.
If you like a post, please consider Digging it, or book-marking it with one of the nice social bookmarks at the bottom. Thanks. From Courthouse News Service:

NEWARK - The Seton Hall School of Law Center for Social Justice and the Brazilian Voice newspaper demand that the Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement respond to their FOIA request for statistics on warrantless police raids on New Jersey immigrant communities. The DHS refused the request, stating, "a preliminary search of the internet does not indicate that there is substantial current news interest concerning (illegal immigration)," the plaintiffs say in their federal complaint.

I know D.H.S. are experts at Internet Research, after all DHS Agent Michael Burks was caught on NBC's To Catch a Predator. It seems like DHS knows how to use the internet REAL WELL.

This is one suit I don't think we the U.S. Taxpayers should have to end up paying for when DHS loses and is forced to pay attorneys fees. Here is the Complaint.

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Anonymous CPRA Requests?

Do you wish you could submit Records Requests but are afraid that it might jeopardize your position, career, etc.? I think I have a solution, but I want to see if there is a need. I am always trying to find a way to increase the income for my family, and since I currently do not have any beefs with governments (today of course) I thought I might offer the service of CPRA REQUESTS for hire.

What does this entail? You provide me with the information you're seeking and I will draft the request, and I will be the goto person. Your name is protected, in fact it is never mentioned. You pay the costs of the copies and a small fee to cover my time.

In fact for the first few requests I'll let YOU decide how much my time is worth, please don't take advantage of me. I do reserve the right to refuse to work with you, if I think you're doing nothing but trying to get me sued, or involved in lengthly protracted battles. So if you are at all curious about something within the government and/or you know there are documents out there and you want help getting them, lets talk. I can be reached via this blog in the comments section, email me by clicking the image or at the icon in the left column.

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Did Former Priest "Bernie Ward" Indicted for Transmitting Child Porn violate Pretrial Release?

Bernard V. Ward (Bernie Ward) was indicted in December 2007 for receiving and TRANSMITTING child porn. His explanation: Doing research for a book. Every news report I hear talks about his "receiving child porn" nobody addresses the issue of "TRANSMITTING" it. Bernie Ward was a liberal talk show host on KGO-AM/San Francisco. The Indictment was returned September 20, 2007 and remained sealed until December 6, 2007. The United States DOJ issued this PRESS RELEASE regarding the matter.

According to the Indictment Ward is accused of not only receiving pornographic images of children but worse, he allegedly TRANSMITTED them. Why does anybody believe this is acceptable "research"? According to the Court's Docket there was a recent hearing regarding whether Bernie violated the terms of his pretrial release. I emailed the prosecuting US Attorney for comment, we'll see if she responds.

Since Bernie has not disputed he accessed child pornography but offers an excuse as to why he did, where does his "Research Exemption" fall? It doesn't. Let's apply some BERNIE LOGIC. I'm researching a story on how easy it is to access child porn, so I will engage in chats with people in chat rooms and obtain child porn in the interest of journalism. Then I will continue my research and transmit the very images to other people interested in child porn (maybe they're doing research too) and help them become involved in the illegal receipt of child porn. Then I'll research a story on serial killing. Obviously I'll have to kill a few people in the name of "Research" then its off to dealing in drugs, so that I may round out my "Research" project, after all I am going to write a book someday. My guess is that the book would be an autobiography and the title should be, "How I got Caught - Tales from a former Priest convicted of receiving and transmitting child pornography".

Judge Walker issued the Pretrial Scheduling Order for Bernie's case, it looks like he's going to trial on June 10, 2008. Do I smell a Plea?

Here are the documents for yourself:
Indictment
Court Docket
PreTrial Scheduling Order

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