CIA Will Cover Legal Bills for Officers in Inquiry

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 28, 2009 9:50 AM CDT
CIA Will Cover Legal Bills for Officers in Inquiry
CIA Director Leon Panetta speaks with reporters, at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Va.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Leon Panetta couldn't stop the Justice Department's widening inquiry into the CIA's interrogation policies, but the agency's director can make sure his employees don't go broke paying legal fees. The agency will see to it that case officers caught up in the investigation have representation, the Washington Post reports. Most "don't have much money and could go into debt to hire a good lawyer," says one attorney.

Adds a top intelligence official: "Panetta will do everything he can to ensure that anyone who needs legal representation has it, whether they have liability insurance or not. It's a question of fairness. People who did tough jobs for the country won't be left by the side of the road." (More Leon Panetta stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X