Retiring Sen. Joeseph Lieberman (I., Conn.) does not deem it "doable" for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) to investigate formally the national security leaks emanating from the White House, according to a spokesperson for the committee.
During a press conference earlier today, several prominent Republican senators urged Lieberman and Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine), the HSGAC chairs, to open a congressional investigation intended to pinpoint the source a series of White House leaks that revealed highly classified national security information.
A spokesperson for HSGAC told the Free Beacon this evening that Lieberman does not view an investigation as feasible at this time.
"The idea of an investigation was presented to the Senator. He said he would think about it but he doesn’t think it is doable within the six months he has remaining in office," Leslie Phillips, HSGAC’s communications director, told the Free Beacon.
However, the statement may not silence the chorus of voices calling for a congressional investigation and for Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special prosecutor to probe the leaks.
During Tuesday’s press conference, Sen. John Cornyn (R., Tex.) said Holder could not be trusted to wage a truly independent investigation and expressed hope that Lieberman and Collins would commence their own review.
"I've talked specifically to Senator Collins and Senator Lieberman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that would have jurisdiction over some if not a substantial portion of this, and my hope is that we will have a truly independent investigation because you cannot investigate yourselves and claim you have no conflict of interest, which the administration and Attorney General holder are claiming presently, " Cornyn said.