Update: Judge orders ex-NSA contractor accused of stealing secrets held in custody
BALTIMORE – A former National Security Agency contractor accused in a massive theft of classified information will remain in custody as prosecutors continue building a criminal case against him, a federal judge ruled Friday.
U.S. Magistrate Judge A. David Copperthite agreed with prosecutors that Harold T. Martin III of Glen Burnie, Md., represented a flight risk if released and said there was no doubt that the top secret information he was accused of stealing over two decades is something “this country’s enemies would love to explore.”
Martin’s lawyers foreshadowed their upcoming defense, describing him as a “compulsive hoarder” and saying there was no evidence he ever shared the information with a foreign country or even intended to do so.
1. The judge in this case did the right thing in keeping Martin behind bars.
2. Martin’s lawyers are delusional if they think they can paint their client as a simpleton “hoarder” who had no intention of delivering any of the 50 terabytes (!) worth of information to any foreign actors, since he was apparently in the beginning stages of doing just that.
Ex-NSA contractor committed ‘breathtaking’ theft of secrets, feds say
WASHINGTON – A former National Security Agency contractor’s theft of top secret government information was “breathtaking in its longevity and scale,” federal prosecutors said in a court filing Thursday aimed at keeping the man locked up as the case moves forward.
The Justice Department also said it anticipated bringing additional charges against Harold T. Martin III, including under the Espionage Act, which would expose him to far harsher penalties.
Apparently you have to have intent to sell classified government information, rather than just be “careless” in handling it and leaving it ‘out there’ for just anybody to come snooping around (no evidence that happened, but it might have, maybe, we don’t really know/care *shrug* …), in order for the FBI to come down on your pointy little peon head with the big hammer, and put you behind bars.
Mr. Martin, I believe that, if the charges are true, you are a scumbag of the highest order and you should be tried for treason (with the death penalty applied). However, there is this one little oddity with our judicial system (it’s no longer a “justice” system) and that an accused person is still presumed innocent until proven guilty. With that in mind, I would presume to give you and your attorney(s) this one little nugget of advice – “But Hillary Clinton did it too, and she got off scott free!” – it won’t work of course, but it would put in stark contrast on a national stage, the difference in “justice” the elites face, and what us normal peons face.
The filing offers additional details about the enormous volume of information prosecutors believe he stole and reveals the Justice Department’s concern that Martin is or could be in contact with a foreign government. Prosecutors note that Martin has had online communication in Russian and, if freed, “could seek refuge with a foreign government willing to shield him from facing justice.”
“Given the nature of his offenses and knowledge of national secrets, he presents tremendous value to any foreign power that may wish to shelter him within or outside of the United States,” prosecutors said
A detention hearing was scheduled for Friday afternoon in Baltimore. Martin’s attorneys have said he never intended to harm his country and that he does not pose a danger or a flight risk.
Even though defense attorneys are (sometimes) paid the big bucks to paint their client as a paragon of virtue (even though the very fact that the client is up on charges kind of belies that “fact”, no?), I usually just kind of roll with whatever they say about their client, shrugging it off as “Hey, they’re just doing their job.” and move on to the next item on the “to read” list, but in this particular case, because of the notes Miller allegedly made (see later in the article) and the length of time involved here (1996 – 2016!), my BS meter pegged when I read that last sentence.
Never intended to cause harm? Not a danger? Not a flight risk? If the allegations are proven true, whether by intent or not (and why would you do something like this for 20 years if you weren’t going to monetize your efforts?) Mr. Martin has caused harm to the United States. Even if the allegations are later shown to be not true, Mr. Martin has caused harm to the United States simply by having these charges brought against him and having the case go public, eroding the confidence and trust in our intelligence agencies in general, and the NSA specifically.
Eroding the confidence and trust in our intelligence agencies in general is where the danger comes in. If we (and by we, I mean the leaders in the government, of course) can’t have confidence in our intelligence agencies, and trust what they tell us about the dangerous world we live in, how can we be prepared to defend the American people? If we don’t listen to the NSA, DIA and the several branch agencies under DoD, CIA, etc., we won’t be able to prevent the next Pearl Harbor or 9/11 attack, which could potentially be much worse.
As for not being a flight risk? Yeah. Sure. Snowden, anyone? That dude did the same thing and he’s living where now? Behind bars in Leavenworth? Pssh, no. He’s in some free rent apartment somewhere in downtown Moscow – and I don’t mean Moscow, Idaho, either. You can’t tell me … well, I guess you can, but I won’t believe it … that Martin wouldn’t do the exact same thing as Snowden did if he had the opportunity to do so. Heck, if faced with the prospect of going through harsh cold winters in a 9 x 12 (or whatever size they are – just guessing) cell that I didn’t have the key to the front (only) door, or harsh cold winters in a small apartment that I did have the key to the front door, I personally would choose the latter, and I’m sure Mr. Martin would too. Ergo, automatically a flight risk. Lock him up to make sure he goes to trial.
Mr. Martin has been brought up on charges, but is he the last one, or will there be more spies dug out in the near future?
Right Thinking Brothers 