7 July 2004. Thanks to R.

http://www.leeforme.com/news/070204.html

July 2, 2004

Kirk Admits C.I.A. Connection

[Excerpt]

Mark Kirk (Republican, 10th District – Illinois) admitted on the floor of Congress that he has been working for the Central Intelligence Agency at the same time he is serving in Congress. Lee Goodman, Kirk’s Democratic opponent, called for Kirk’s resignation from Congress. “The conflict of interest is blatant and appalling,” said Goodman. “Congress has been struggling to investigate intelligence failures by the CIA and now it turns out Kirk is working for the CIA. No wonder Kirk voted not to investigate these failures after 9/11. He is working for the people who didn’t want to be investigated. Any high-schooler who has studied the separation of powers in U.S. history class would recognize the problem.”

Goodman pointed out that until this revelation, Kirk had concealed his CIA connection. “Up until now, all he said was that he was a Navy reservist who was spending some weekends at the Pentagon. Now it turns out he is working with the people who conduct covert operations. Is there any way an agent of the CIA can be expected to function as a legitimate representative of the people in his district? The CIA is an organization that depends on secrecy. Congress is supposed to operate under public scrutiny. The two just aren’t compatible.”

_____

[Congressional Record: June 23, 2004 (House)]
[Page H4859-H4880]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr23jn04pt2-7]

             H O U S E  O F  R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

Vol. 150

WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 2004
No. 88--Part II

[[Page H4859]]

House of Representatives

     INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005--Continued

[Excerpt]

  Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to my friend and
distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk), who is
also a naval intelligence officer.
  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Simmons amendment.
Unlike some other amendments in this bill that are offered for partisan
advantage, this amendment is offered by a former CIA officer with
detailed knowledge of how the U.S. intelligence community works. To my
knowledge, there are only three current Members of Congress who work
with the CIA: our chairman, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss), the
author of this amendment; the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons);
and me, who is detailed to the CIA from navy intelligence.

_____

http://www.leeforme.com/news/070604.html

July 6, 2004

Kirk Pleads Lewinsky Defense In Spy-Agency Charge: It Depends What Meaning of "Is" Is

[Excerpt]

Denying the accuracy of the Congressional Record, Mark Kirk (Republican, 10th District, Illinois) said he is not working for the Central Intelligence Agency. The Congressional Record, the official verbatim transcript of everything said on the floor of the House of Representatives, shows that on June 23, 2004, Kirk said he “is” working for the Central Intelligence Agency. Kirk’s Democratic opponent, Lee Goodman, pointed out that Kirk’s employment by the C.I.A. while serving in Congress would be unethical and illegal. When questioned about the matter by a reporter for the Waukegan News Sun newspaper, Kirk said the Congressional Record was wrong. Kirk said that although he used to work for the C.I.A. while he was also working for the U.S. State Department, he no longer works for the spy agency.