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| For Immediate Release | |
| Dec 14, 1999 | Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
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PROSPECTS DIM OF TRUTHFUL TESTIMONY TO CONGRESS (Washington, D.C.) John Huang, who according to Bob Woodward is believed to have passed classified U.S. government documents to the Chinese, first testified to Judicial Watch on October 28, 1996. In a decision of December 22, 1998, the Court - in the case against the Clinton Commerce Department which sparked the Chinagate scandal - found that Huang had likely provided false testimony to Judicial Watch. When Judicial Watch redeposed Huang in early 1999, he invoked the Fifth Amendment when asked if he had testified truthfully at his prior deposition. He invoked "the Fifth" 1,933 times thereafter, refusing to state whether he had indeed passed classified information to the Chinese, among other crucial questions. In a civil case, invoking the Fifth Amendment privilege raises an adverse evidentiary inference. "There is no reason to expect that Huang will testify truthfully and fully before Congress this week - over 3 years after Judicial Watch first deposed him," stated Judicial Watch Chairman Larry Klayman. "We will soon file a motion to have him held in contempt for his false testimony in Judicial Watch's case," Klayman added. |
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