The Escape Hatch

Earlier this summer, after federal investigators arrested two dozen residents from Blanding, Utah, for looting ancient Indian burials, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) was quick to denounce the FBI’s conduct. Hatch called the federal pothunting raid “overkill” and asked Congress to investigate the FBI’s sting operation.

A Salt Lake Tribune editorial scolded Hatch for

trying to make cheap political points back home at the expense of federal agents.

Yesterday, Hatch held the CIA to a different standard. As the Salt Lake Tribune reported, he

said the Justice Department’s decision to open a preliminary inquiry into whether CIA officers violated federal laws would put a chilling effect on the nation’s ability to gather intelligence and thwart potential terrorist acts.