Was U.K. Ambassador Darroch a Serial Leaker of Classified U.S. Material?

July 16, 2019 (EIRNS)—Two U.S. government officials, one current, the other former, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Washington Examiner’s Tom Rogan that the U.S. government had become so alarmed at the “repeated” leaks of sensitive U.S. intelligence by the U.K.’s erstwhile Ambassador to Washington, Sir Kim Darroch, that an investigation had been launched to find the source of the leaks.

These leaks were not related to Darroch’s private cables published by the Daily Mail which led to his resignation, the sources specified. According to Rogan, the unnamed sources reported that Darroch leaked classified material to “a journalist for a U.S.-based media outlet ... on a continuing basis.” Those leaks included highly-classified “originator-control intelligence information” (known as “ORCON”) designated to be distributed solely to other members of the “Five Eyes” intelligence community, and also “may” have included intelligence designated “U.S.-U.K. only.”

“[O]ne source says that the U.S. government was so alarmed by Darroch’s leaks that it launched an official investigation to find the source of the information. That source described the leaked intelligence as ‘very sensitive,’ and suggested that exigent U.S. security concerns motivated the investigation. That source says that non-U.S. government-derived records showed the ambassador and journalist exchanging messages on a continuing basis.... A second source, a career government official, described the leaks as ‘unprecedented,’ ”

Rogan wrote.

Rogan reported that he has been unable to confirm how long any investigation was underway or whether it has since been suspended, or whether the Ambassador himself was monitored in the investigation.

Neither the White House, the Justice Department nor the British Embassy would comment on the story, he reports.