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| For Immediate Release | |
| Jul 12, 2001 | Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
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GOVERNMENT SANCTIONED FOR DELAYING TACTICS Defamation Lawsuit by Whistleblower Notra Trulock Against Wen Ho Lee Will Proceed Over Government Objections To Help Discovery, Court Orders Government to Release Report on Wen Ho Lee by August 13 Wen Ho Lee, Freeh, Reno Among Slate of Witnesses to Deposed (Washington, DC) A federal magistrate judge, overruling objections by the government, ordered discovery to proceed in Energy Department whistleblower Notra Trulock’s defamation lawsuits against convicted felon Wen Ho Lee and Energy intelligence officials Robert Vrooman and Charles Washington. All three defamed Mr. Trulock, who uncovered Chinese espionage at our nation’s nuclear laboratories, as targeting Lee because of his ethnicity. The government had intervened at the last minute in an attempt to delay and prevent discovery into alleged “government secrets.” Judicial Watch pointed out to the court that the nearly all relevant aspects of the Wen Ho Lee espionage investigation are in the public domain and unclassified. The court, evidently agreeing, ordered discovery to proceed into “non-classified areas” and ordered the government to release portions of a report on the Wen Ho Lee investigation by August 13. It is expected that the facts and conclusions in the report will not only be helpful to the case, but be of great public interest. The magistrate judge made his ruling on Tuesday, July 10. Magistrate Judge Thomas Rawles Jones, Jr. also sanctioned the government for its “belated” attempt to seek a protective order, ordering the government to pay certain costs which Judicial Watch incurred in having to cancel depositions because of the governments last minute filings. In addition to Lee and the other defendants, Judicial Watch will depose Janet Reno and Louis Freeh about the botched Wen Ho Lee investigation. “Wen Ho Lee, in order to deflect attention from his own wrongdoing, falsely accused Notra Trulock of conducting a racial witch-hunt against him. In order to rescue his good name and reputation, Trulock will show that Lee was subjected to an inquiry for espionage by the Department of Energy because of his actions, not because of his race,”stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman. |
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