| For Immediate Release Jan 2, 2001 |
Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
Mineta Involved in Trade Mission Scandal, Political Dealings Involving Wen Ho Lee (Washington, DC) Judicial Watch today criticized President-elect George W. Bush�s choice of Norman Mineta for Secretary of Transportation. Indeed, when Mineta was first nominated for Clinton�s Commerce Secretary, Judicial Watch strongly criticized Mineta�s participation in the Clinton Commerce Department trade mission scandal. Judicial Watch found that seats on these trade missions were sold in exchange for campaign contributions. It was in the course of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by Judicial Watch concerning these trade missions that John Huang was uncovered and the Chinagate scandal erupted. Mineta participated in the 1994 Clinton Commerce trade mission to Indonesia, which involved John Huang and many others implicated in the Chinagate scandal, such as Charlie Trie, James Riady, and Mark Grobmyer. Mineta was also reported to have been a Clinton emissary to the family of Wen Ho Lee during an �active� federal espionage investigation as part of an effort to generate votes for Democrats from the Asian-American community. �George W. Bush has every right to pick a Democrat to be in his Cabinet. However, he should have chosen a Democrat who is not implicated in corruption, especially in the corruption of Chinagate. Bush�s selection of Mineta shows again that Bush does not care about corruption in government,� stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. | |