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 For Immediate Release
Sep 25, 2001 Contact: Press Office
202-646-5172
HEARING ON RAMIREZ COMPLAINT SUING RENO, MEISSNER AND OTHERS OVER ANTI-CUBAN AND HISPANIC PREJUDICE AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE

Date: Wednesday, September 26, 2001

Place: U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida
Address: Magistrate Ted E. Bandstra
U.S. Courthouse, 300 NE 1st Avenue, Miami, FL 33132
Time: 10:00 A.M.
Courtroom - 105

(Miami, Florida, September 25, 2001) Judicial Watch, the public interest law firm that investigates and prosecutes government corruption and abuse has, on behalf of Immigration and Naturalization Service Special Agent Rick Ramirez filed suit against former Attorney General Janet Reno and former Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner Doris Meissner, and others, for interfering, under the civil rights and other laws, with a witness in a federal lawsusit, Mr. Ramirez himself. In addition, the complaint alleges that Ramirez witnessed anti-Cuban and Hispanic conduct in the INS Miami Field Office during the period leading up to, during and after the raid on Elian Gonzalez’ relatives home on April 22, 2000, and was instructed, along by other INS personnel, to destroy documents and things that are evidence in this and other lawsuits. The person giving the order to destroy evidence was Ms. Meissner, on information and belief at the direction of Janet Reno.

A preliminary injunction hearing had been scheduled for October 2-5, 2001, and discovery, including the depositoin of Ms. Reno and Ms. Meissner and Ms. Reno had been scheduled to begin over the last several weeks, but typically they both tried to block it with last minute motions.

Tomorrow’s hearing will discuss this and other issues, including Ms. Reno’s and Ms. Meissner’s attempt to have the case dismissed.

A similar case was filed by Linda Tripp, and the federal court upheld Ms. Tripp’s right to sue, do Ms. Reno and Ms. Meissner’s motion is simply an attempt at delay. Plaintiff is confident that the Court will see through this and order Ms. Reno and Ms. Meissner to appear and testify, both at deposition and the scheduled hearing.

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