Manhunt Underway for CIA Traitor for Leaking Secret Documents
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- A manhunt is underway for an alleged traitor inside the CIA responsible for leaking thousands of top-secret documents.
Over the last several months, investigators have been narrowing down the number of people who may have had access to the data.
Both the CIA and FBI are investigating what they are calling one of the worst breaches in agency history.
It comes less than a year after the NSA dealt with it's own massive security breach in Maryland.
Investigators say the search is now on for a CIA employee or contractor who not only had physical access to top secret documents, but leaked them.
The security breach involves the theft of CIA documents and hacking tools.
Last month Wikileaks went public with the information that describes how the CIA is getting into smart phones, smart TV's and computer systems.
Wikileaks claimed it got its hands on the top secret information from former U.S. intelligence contractors.
Last week, CIA director Mike Pompeo tore into the group and it's founder Julian Assange.
"Assange is a narcissist who has created nothing of value he relies on the dirty work of others to make himself famous. He's a fraud a coward hiding behind a screen," Pompeo said.
At least one homeland security expert agrees.
"Wikileaks has gone from a whistle blower that may arguably have a public service to an agency that appears not to give a damn about United States security," said Homeland Security expert Michael Greenberger.
Greenberger said in spite of other security breaches including one in Maryland. This by far may be the most damaging.
Earlier this year former NSA contractor Hal Martin from Maryland pleaded not guilty to what's believed to be one of the largest theft of top secret documents in U.S. history.
Federal authorities claimed to have found the equivalent of half a billion pages of documents among weapons at Martin's Glen Burnie home.
His attorney said Martin is nothing more than hoarder and that he was no Edward Snowden.
Experts said if nothing else this could prove to be the best time for U.S. intelligence agencies to review their dealings with private contractors.
"My best guest is that when this is all said and done we're going to find out that this was done by a contractor, not by an employee of the CIA" Greenberger said.
So far the CIA has not said when or how the information was stolen or confirmed the authenticity of the Wikileaks disclosures.
Director Pompeo has vowed to change how the CIA strengthens and secures it's information.
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