 |
|
| Email this article | Printer friendly page |
| For Immediate Release | |
| May 21, 2001 | Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
|
Calls for NRSC to Cease and Desist Go Unheeded (Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest law firm that investigates and prosecutes government abuse and corruption, today announced that it is filing a complaint before the Federal Election Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Senate Ethics Committee over the illegal sale of meetings with Bush Administration officials and foreign dignitaries for political campaign contributions. Judicial Watch’s legal actions come after it had politely asked the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), over two weeks ago, to cease and desist from these illegal activities. After Judicial Watch made its demand, Senator Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL), apparently agreeing with Judicial Watch, quit the NRSC in a dispute over its fundraising tactics. This followed a similar repudiation by House Speaker Denny Hastert, who refused to participate in nearly identical fundraising tactics by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). Both Senator Fitzgerald and Speaker Hastert are in agreement with other Republicans, such as Senator George Allen (R-VA), Congressman Mark Kirk (R-IL), Congressman Adam Putnam (R-FL), and others, who have appeared on Judicial Watch’s radio and television shows, and have condemned the sale of meetings with Bush Administration officials for campaign contributions. “It is regrettable that Judicial Watch has to take these strong actions, since many prominent Republicans and conservatives are in agreement that the actions of the NRSC and NRCC are illegal. One would hope that the political party would police itself and not force a public interest group to protect the rights of Americans to be free from corruption in government. One would also hope that the Bush White House, whose officials are being ‘auctioned off to the highest bidder,’ would put words into action and embrace the high ethical standards which the framers of the Constitution had envisioned for the country. However, while President Bush is busy launching bold and promising new initiatives on tax policy, Social Security, energy and other issues, he has apparently abandoned any concern for ethics in government. Perhaps this is what he meant when he said during the Clinton scandals, ‘let’s move on,’” stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman. In the words of our second and perhaps greatest American President, John Adams, written just 21 days before he signed the Declaration of Independence: Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. |
|
