Comment of Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.),
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee,
On News Reports Of The CIA’s Admission
That It Destroyed Videotapes Of Harsh Interrogations

December 6, 2007

 

“The fact that no one is above the law protects every American from abuses of government power, and accountability under our laws has been a source of our strength and endurance as a nation.  America has always been a country that does not torture and stands against torture.  When an administration abandons the moral high ground to take the low road, they are mortgaging the historic commitment to human rights that is part of the legacy of every American.  The damage is compounded when such actions are hidden away from accountability.  If true, this latest development is troubling, and it fits a pattern we have seen repeatedly during this Administration.”