The Cold War ended a long time ago, so you can maybe forgive the government’s internal spook-hunters for becoming a little lax compared to the old days. But letting a 67-year-old man ferry top secret documents to his home in a ’91 Toyota Corolla? Gonna need a good explanation on this one, guys.
An analyst named Robert Harwin at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency came under investigation last month after coworkers noticed him carrying large plastic bags out of the office. On top of which, Harwin out and out admitted to one that he sometimes took classified material home by mistake. Real subtle, Robert.
Harwin was confronted about items found in his car late last month, and at the time he fessed up to being a hoarder. He was put under surveillance, and after just a few days, he’d incriminated himself enough for a search warrant. When the FBI raided his house, it found and documented a heaping 82 bits and pieces of classified goodness — which you can check out on The Smoking Gun — though some of it’s as vague as “Electronic Media” or “Digital Media”.
While removal of classified documents is obviously a very serious crime, “I can’t help it I’m a hoarder there’s a TV show and everything” might be the saddest most adorable excuse for suspected espionage we’ve ever heard. [The Smoking Gun]