[RealJustme]

IG report says Panetta disclosed sensitive info on bin Laden raid, rep decries 'hypocrisy' A top House Republican is accusing the Obama administration of “hypocrisy” after a draft watchdog report claimed former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta disclosed sensitive information on the Usama bin Laden raid to a Hollywood filmmaker -- even as the Justice Department aggressively pursued other security ***.


The first instance was a July 15, 2011, interview of the Pentagon's top intelligence official, Michael Vickers, by the film's director, Kathryn Bigelow, and screenwriter Mark Boal. In that session Vickers gave them the name of a special operations planner whose identity was supposed to be protected from public release, the report said.


The second instance was a June 24, 2011. Panetta was delivering a speech classified as secret to a group of CIA attendees, and mentioned the commander in an ad-libbed section and other secret information . Panetta explained he wasn't aware screenwriter Boal was present for the secret briefing.

The IG report said the ground commander's name was supposed to be protected from public release, under federal law. It also said without further explanation that Panetta "also provided other (Defense Department) information identified by original classification authorities as top secret to the screenwriter and a producer."

A Pentagon spokesman, Army Col. Steve Warren, said the Defense Department had no comment and pointed out that Panetta is no longer in office so it's a closed matter.

[johnforbes]

Oh, we can be sure the govt now views it as a closed matter.