Quote of note:

The NRO's request marks the latest in a series of high-profile federal inquiries related to leaks of classified or sensitive information, including an ongoing probe into whether Bush administration officials illegally identified a covert CIA operative to reporters in the summer of 2003.

Justice Reviews Request for Probe Of Satellite Reports By Dan Eggen and Walter Pincus Washington Post Staff Writers Thursday, December 16, 2004; Page A03 The National Reconnaissance Office has asked the Justice Department to consider opening a criminal investigation into recent disclosures about a highly classified satellite program that has prompted criticism in Congress because of escalating costs, two administration officials said yesterday. The Justice Department and the FBI are reviewing the request to determine whether classified information was leaked and whether there is enough evidence to support a criminal probe, officials said. The request from the NRO, which manages spy satellite programs, comes after reports in The Washington Post and other publications about a stealth satellite program under debate in Congress. The Post on Saturday reported details of the program and said its cost has ballooned from $5 billion to $9.5 billion. The New York Times published an article on the program Sunday. The request for a Justice Department review was first reported by the Associated Press. The satellite project was debated in closed hearings on Capitol Hill, but some lawmakers took the unusual step of complaining publicly about the program's relevance and cost, without identifying the program or describing it in any detail. Four Democratic senators refused to sign "conference sheets" related to the 2005 intelligence authorization bill, reportedly to protest the program.