The Justice Department's AP Leaker Was an Ex-FBI Agent

Former FBI bomb technician Donald Sachtleben, a 55-year-old who was arrested last year for distributing child pornography, has been identified as the source for the Associated Press story about a foiled Al Qaeda terrorist plot that led the Justice Department to snoop on AP reporters' phone records. 

The Justice Department announced Sachtleben will plead guilty to charges of unlawfully disclosing national defense information and face 43 months in prison. Sachtleben worked for the FBI for 25 years, before retiring in 2008, when he was rehired as a contractor and maintained his Top Secret clearance. During his time with the agency, he worked on high-profile cases like the hunt for the Oklahoma City bomber. If an Indiana court approves, some are saying it would be the longest prison term ever for releasing national security information. You can read the plea agreements here, per the Huffington Post.

"While I never intended harm to the United States or to any individuals, I do not make excuses for myself," Sachtleben said in a statement. "I understand and accept that today's filings start the process of paying the full consequences of my misconduct, and I know that the Justice System I once served so proudly will have its say."

Read more on The Atlantic Wire. 

(Image via Flickr user michaelhebb )