Investigation into Shelby leak likely to end in the fall

The Hill

The Senate Select Committee on Ethics is expected to end its investigation of alleged classified leaks by Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) in the next eight to 10 weeks, according to a source familiar with the probe. The pace has been slowed by difficulties obtaining information, difficulties created partly by Sen. Pat Roberts’s (R-Kan.) decision not to recuse himself from the case, the source said
Two potential witnesses told The Hill earlier this year that they would be reluctant to cooperate with the Ethics Committee unless Roberts recused himself because he is chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and inherited senior aides from Shelby, the previous chairman.

The conclusion of the probe could have political consequences for Shelby, who won reelection last year; possible penalties include censure and expulsion from the Senate.

The Justice Department referred the Shelby case to the Ethics Committee a year ago. Since then, almost no information about progress has emerged.

The length of the probe and the fact that the committee has sought more information than the Federal Bureau of Investigation gave it indicate that the panel is not just conducting a “paper review” but is actively investigating, a Senate source said.

Ironically, in 2000 Shelby pushed hard for S. 2507, which would have subjected federal officers and employees to fines and prison time for “knowingly and willfully” disclosing classified information to unauthorized people.