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| For Immediate Release | |
| Aug 21, 2001 | Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
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Predictably, Agency Failed To Investigate Charges That Tom DeLay and RCCC Sold Access To Campaign Contributors Evenly Divided Commission Covers Up Bi-Partisan Wrongdoing (August 21, 2001) Judicial Watch Inc., the non-partisan public interest law firm that investigates and prosecutes government abuse and corruption, announced today that it has sued the Federal Election Commission (FEC) -- an agency evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats -- over its failure to investigate Congressman Tom DeLay’s and the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee’s (RCCC) sale of access to Bush Administration officials in exchange for large campaign donations. Under the law, the FEC has 120 days after receiving a complaint to take action. When the FEC did nothing -- which is its usual modus operandi – Judicial Watch filed suit. “Previously, when Judicial Watch initially filed its FEC complaint, House Speaker Dennis Hastert repudiated his own party’s illegal fundraising by temporarily withholding his name from the RCCC’s appeals. Now, the FEC, the agency charged to uphold the law, says and does nothing. Judicial Watch’s lawsuit will force action, and pierce through the Republican/Democrat complicity in covering-up their own misdeeds,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Judicial Watch will not allow the nation’s political elite to allows themselves to be bought and sold,” added Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman. According to Russell Verney of Judicial Watch, “Laundering bribes for access to administration officials through campaign committees and political parties is a practice that should be halted immediately. The FEC has failed once again to stand up for the law. In their true political tradition, the FEC looks the other way when both the Republican and Democrats scheme to break the law. The only avenue available to stop the out-and-out bribery of public officials is the federal court.” |
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