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| For Immediate Release | |
| Mar 17, 1999 | Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
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Reno Proposal To Shift Authority to Justice's "Public Integrity Section" (sic) A Bad Joke (Washington, DC-March 17) Fresh from letting the Bill Clinton off the hook in the impeachment proceedings, Democrat and Republican lawmakers -- in conjunction with Janet Reno of the Clinton Justice Department -- are falling over themselves in a rush to kill the concept of the independent counsel law. The independent counsel law was created after Watergate, when it became apparent that an attorney general could not supervise an independent criminal investigation of his or her own administration. Over the past three decades, independent counsels have looked into alleged Republican and Democrat political abuses. Some investigations have proven successful, and others, like Lawrence Walsh's and Kenneth Starr's, have not. However, the lack of success of some prosecutors in no reason to end the law, particularly when it is clear that the Justice Department will frequently not seriously prosecute crimes by "important" political figures. The most recent example is Janet Reno's fraudulent investigation of Chinagate, lead by her now nearly defunct China Task Force of the so-called Public Integrity Section. As just two examples of this sham investigation, Reno's prosecutors have refused to talk with Nolanda Hill, who revealed to Judicial Watch and the Court that Hillary Clinton, with the knowledge of Bill Clinton and Al Gore, devised the Chinagate scheme to sell seats on trade missions, and other illegalities. Well intentioned FBI agents have effectively admitted to Judicial Watch that they were prevented from doing their jobs by the Clinton Justice Department. And, we now learn that Reno knew of the compromise of national security by a Chinese spy at the Los Alamos nuclear laboratory, but did not inform Congress. "When the independent counsel law ends, Judicial Watch will be the only entity left to 'independently' investigate corruption by politicians. Reno's proposal to transfer authority to the politically compromised 'Public Integrity Section' is worse than a bad joke," stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman. "It is a formula for continued coverup and obstruction. If the Justice Department is serious, it should show its independence by commencing an investigation of Janet Reno for her role in helping the White House suppress evidence of the crimes committed in Chinagate. However, it should leave the concept of the independent counsel law alone. While many conservatives, liberals and others oppose the law, they have not fully understood the consequences of ending the concept of it. Judicial Watch will never adopt the establishment mantra of Washington insiders," added Klayman. |
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