| For Immediate Release Feb 15, 2001 |
Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
Documents Had Been Withheld for Over One Year by Clinton-Gore Administration Decision Will Serve as Precedent for Documents on Latest Pardon Scandal (Washington, D.C.) A federal court judge, The Honorable Thomas Hogan, ruled this week that documents that were withheld by the Clinton-Gore Administration relating to Bill Clinton�s pardon of several Puerto Rican terrorists in 1999 are public documents subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Judicial Watch, the non-partisan public interest law firm that investigates and prosecutes public corruption, has been trying since September, 1999 to obtain documents on the pardons under FOIA and a subsequent FOIA lawsuit. The Clinton-Gore Administration had tried to withhold documents related to pardons on the basis of law enforcement and privacy privileges. In his decision earlier this week, Judge Hogan ruled that these privileges do not apply, as any privacy interests of the terrorists are outweighed by the public interest in the pardons. Judge Hogan ruled that �...these pardoned prisoners have arguably become public figures through their well-publicized pleas for clemency and the speeches some have made since their release... the presidential pardons have been highly public as well as controversial events, which clearly implicate the public interest�s in knowing and understanding the activities of the federal government.� The Court ruled that Judicial Watch can now pursue access to these documents through FOIA. Previous documents uncovered by Judicial Watch in this case show that the FBI vociferously opposed Clinton�s pardons of the Puerto Rican terrorists. Documents released to Judicial Watch show the FBI warned that �these individuals [to be pardoned] sanctioned, supported and/or directly or indirectly participated in activities resulting in no fewer that nine fatalities, hundreds of injuries, millions of dollars in property damage, and armed attacks on U.S. Government facilities.� The documents also show that the FBI only learned through press reports that Clinton was considering clemency for the terrorists. �This is an important ruling in the context of the current Clinton pardon scandal. It will be difficult, under the precedent of Judge Hogan�s decision, for the government to hide documents from the American people about Clinton�s latest pardons,� stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. | |