| Printed from JudicialWatch.org Nov 9, 1999 |
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CLINTON ANTITRUST CHIEF IN WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL'S OFFICE DURING FILEGATE Tripp Says He Kept "Files on Others," Including Starr's Office (Washington, D.C.) Joel Klein, the Clinton Justice appointee and Assistant Attorney General prosecuting the Microsoft antitrust case was in The White House Counsel's Office around the time period that Republican FBI files were illegally gathered by the Clinton White House. Indeed, after the death of Vince Foster, Klein filled Foster's job and occupied his office. Linda Tripp, who worked with Klein, testified in the Judicial Watch Filegate lawsuit that she understood that these FBI files were being uploaded into a computer in the White House Counsel's Office. In the least, Mr. Klein was at "the scene of the crime" around the Filegate time period. Tripp testified that Klein kept files on others, including Ken Starr's office, for intimidation purposes. Tripp recounted in her testimony how Klein said that being a good lawyer wasn't enough, "that in order to survive, we have to be good politicians too." Tripp also testified that Klein "scared" her. "Is the Microsoft case a matter of the Clinton Administration once again doing favors for selected Clinton/Gore donors - this time Microsoft's competitors in Silicon Valley and elsewhere?" asked Larry Klayman, Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel. Klayman was a trial lawyer on the famous AT&T case for the Justice Department's Antitrust Division in the Carter and Reagan administrations. "The past news that Joel Klein had breakfast at the home of Netscape's CEO just before the suit against Microsoft was filed raises significant questions about Mr. Klein's possible involvement in a political payback," stated Klayman. Judicial Watch believes the involvement of the Clinton Justice Department's "tainted" political operatives such as Joel Klein has pushed the ongoing antitrust action against Microsoft. The group filed a request for documents under the Freedom of Information Act to see if politics and campaign contributions have influenced its actions against Microsoft. When the Clinton Justice Department failed to respond, Judicial Watch filed suit. The case remains pending and active. Video and transcripts of Ms. Tripp's testimony about Mr. Klein are available upon request. Ms. Tripp's deposition testimony about Mr. Klein can be found at pages 375-77, 400-05, 485-90, and 798-803 from her testimony of January 5, 1999 and January 22, 1999. The transcripts are available on the Judicial Watch Internet site at www.judicialwatch.org. | |