Has Rep. Jane Harmen, a member of the House Intelligence Committee been divulging information to the MSM?

Yesterday we learned that an unnamed democratic staffer had been suspended by House Intel Committee Chairman, Rep. Pete Hoekstra for possibly leaking a National Intelligence Estimate to the Ny Times.

Of course the first to complain was in fact Jane Harman, who just happens to have been the one who pushed for it’s release from John Negreponte, and is even now pushing for a second NIE.

The fact is that the staffer had been asked by someone, most likely Harmen to request the report. However, it’s highly unlikely that the staffer would just call up the Ny Times and give them the info.

Harmen has a long historywith the Times. In fact when you read most of the leaked stories over the last couple of years you don’t have to read too far without hearing a quote from her somewhere in the story.

Although she has tried to deflect on occasion, but we know that she has no problem giving up information to the MSM when a political partisan end is in sight.

I think that this may well turn into a major scandal, especially if this staffer was her mule and he decides to talk.

UPDATE: According to Fox News, the staffer is Lawrence Hanauer, who is a senior staffer, and is listed on the leftist Source Watch

More to come….

UPDATE II: Seems that Mr. Hanauer might have a reason to resent the Bush Administration:

“Shortly after George W. Bush is inaugurated, ‚Äú[k]ey personnel, long-time civilian professionals‚Äù at the Pentagon‚Äôs Near East South Asia (NESA) desk are moved or replaced with people from neoconservative think tanks. [American Conservative, 12/1/2003; Mother Jones, 1/2004 Sources: Karen Kwiatkowski] Joe McMillan, the Office Director, is moved to a new location outside of the Pentagon, which according to Karen Kwiatkowski, who works at the NESA desk, is odd because ‚Äúthe whole reason for the Office Director being a permanent civilian (occasionally military) professional is to help bring the new appointee up to speed, ensure office continuity, and act as a resource relating to regional histories and policies.‚Äù [American Conservative, 12/1/2003; Mother Jones, 1/2004; Salon, 3/10/2004 Sources: Karen Kwiatkowski] Larry Hanauer, who has long been at the Israel-Syria-Lebanon desk and who is known to be ‚Äúeven-handed with Israel,‚Äù is replaced by David Schenker of the Washington Institute. [American Conservative, 12/1/2003; Mother Jones, 1/2004 Sources: Karen Kwiatkowski] Other veteran NESA employees who are banished include James Russell, who has served as the country director for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, and Marybeth McDevitt, the country director for Egypt. [Mother Jones, 1/2004]“