The National Security Archive today bestowed its 2013 “Rosemary Award” for worst open government performance to National Intelligence Director James Clapper over the “whopper” he told to Congress.

Despite heavy competition, Clapper’s “No, sir” lie to Senator Ron Wyden’s question: “Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?” sealed his receipt of the dubious achievement award, which cites the vastly excessive secrecy of the entire U.S. surveillance establishment.

Rose Mary Woods re-creates how she deleted parts of the tapes. SOURCE: Wikimedia Commons and Ford Library.

The award is named after Rose Mary Woods, Richard Nixon’s secretary who famously erased 18-1/2 key minutes of her boss’s secret White House tapes and as famously re-created how she did it.

Others joined Clapper in accolades as Clapper’s “fellow secrecy fetishists and enablers,” including NSA Director Gen. Keith Alexander; FBI Director Robert Mueller; and National Security Division Lawyers.

Previous Rosemary winners include the Justice Department (back-to-back 2011 and 2012); FBI; Federal Chief Information Officers’ Council; the Department of Treasury; the Air Force and the CIA.

P.S. OTB wonders this every year: Why is it the “Rosemary” Award when it is named after Rose Mary (two words) Woods?