Posted on 04/14/2006 9:50:07 PM PDT by peggybac
Known for his seemingly perpetual litigation against the Clintons, Larry Klayman is turning his sights on the group he founded, charging in a lawsuit that his successor has "hijacked" the government-watchdog Judicial Watch for personal gain.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, Klayman charges, "sent out false and misleading fundraising letters, misused donor money, disparaged Klayman with supporters and the media, and took other actions which increased the damage to Judicial Watch, the donors and Klayman."
Fitton issued a statement to WND stating Klayman's "ridiculous lawsuit is full of lies and distortions which Judicial Watch will address in court. "
He called it a "tactical maneuver designed to distract attention away from the fact that Klayman owes more than a quarter of a million dollars to Judicial Watch."
"This lawsuit is without merit and is an attempt to smear Judicial Watch’s good name and the reputations of Judicial Watch’s fine employees," Fitton said.
Klayman, who has set up a website to present his case, is asking for more than $3.5 million in compensation plus punitive damages.
Fitton took over the Washington, D.C.-based group when Klayman left in the fall of 2003 to run, unsuccessfully, for a U.S. Senate seat in Florida.
"In the two and one half years since I left, Fitton, who is not a lawyer, has taken over Judicial Watch for himself, never filling my position as chairman with a distinguished lawyer to lead the organization," Klayman said. "And Fitton disparaged and harmed my reputation in an attempt to make sure that I, and others who are loyal to me, could never return to lead Judicial Watch."
Lawsuits also have been filed against Fitton in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by a Judicial Watch donor, Louise Benson, and a former director of the group's Miami district office, Sandy Cobas, who also names Judicial Watch in her suit.
Klayman emphasizes Judicial Watch was founded in 1994 as a watchdog to fight for ethics in government. Believing government could not police itself, he says his vision was for the group to be a "true independent counsel" for the people.
Judicial Watch's litigation under Klayman included challenges to President and Mrs. Clinton's Legal Defense Fund, uncovering the "Chinagate" campaign finance scandal, the theft of nuclear codes at Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratories, political abuse of the Internal Revenue Service, charges of misconduct and cover-up at the FBI – both before and after 9-11 – and Vice President Cheney's Energy Task Force.
Klayman criticizes Fitton for allowing Robert G. Mills to remain as head of Judicial Watch's fund-raising department, asserting Mills defrauded donors.
Fitton knew Mills had a "shady fund-raising past and was in bed with Congressman Tom DeLay," Klayman contends.
The complaint says that one month after Klayman left Judicial Watch, the organization sent out a fund-raising letter claiming Klayman still was chairman and general counsel, causing confusion among donors. Contributions were sent to the group, the complaint says, by donors who believed Klayman was still there, "using their donations for proper purposes."
In addition, Klayman contends Fitton and Mills have defrauded donors funds given on the condition they be spent to purchase Judicial Watch's headquarters at 501 School Street, S.W., in Washington. Money designated for the sale, the complaint says, was mingled with operating funds.
Also, contends the complaint, in breech of Klayman's severance agreement, Fitton and other Judicial Watch employees told callers inquiring about Klayman that they could not discuss the reasons for his departure, leaving the erroneous impression he was forced to leave.
Fitton ordered Judicial Watch employees not to speak with Klayman, the complaint asserts, and shortly after Klayman announced his candidacy for the Senate, made a "frivolous demand," to prohibit him from ever mentioning he was founder of Judicial Watch and threatening legal action if he didn't comply.
Klayman also asserts Fitton lied about his past, "passing himself off as a college graduate of George Washington University when Klayman hired him years earlier, when in fact he had not graduated from the school and did not have even an undergraduate college degree."
In a separate suit filed in Miami circuit court, the former director of Judicial Watch's Southern Regional Office, Cobas, alleges Fitton and others took part in disparaging her Cuban and Hispanic heritage, defamed her and took other actions to force her out of Judicial Watch because she was loyal to Klayman.
Klayman said he regrets having "to take strong legal action to preserve this national treasure for all Americans."
"Not even the current leadership of my former organization is above the law," he said. "It's time to set things straight for the future and return Judicial Watch to the millions of Americans who support it. In this renewed era of government scandal and secrecy, the country needs an honest, forceful and effective Judicial Watch."
What pray tell did Laura Bush do?
Printed from JudicialWatch.org
Dec 19, 2000 Contact: Press Office
202-646-5172
TEA WITH HILLARY
Republicans Unphased By Hillary Book Deal, Impending Pardons, And Other Unethical Acts Of Clinton-Gore Administration
“Can’t We All Just Get Along?”
(Washington, DC) In an amazing turnaround of political hypocrisy, the “Party of Impeachment” has become the lapdog of Hillary and Bill Clinton and their administration, jettisoning all pretext that government ethics matter. Recent days have shown future First Lady, Laura Bush, having tea with Hillary, and her husband, President-Elect George W. Bush, telling Bill Clinton how much he looks forward to working with the Senator-Elect from New York. To make matters worse, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott -- who obviously cleared his comments with the President-Elect -- says he has no significant problem with either Mrs. Clinton’s book deal or the impending Clinton pardons of Webster Hubbell, Susan MacDougal, and other criminals related to the scandals of the last eight years. Last night on “Rivera Live,” Congressman David Dreier (R-CA) continued the Republican march towards an ethical abyss by declaring that Hillary’s book deal was a good example of “capitalism at its best.” Indeed, the payment of $8 million to Hillary Clinton by Simon & Schuster (which is owned by Viacom, owner of other mega-companies such as CBS, which have large interests pending before the Senate), is just another vehicle to line the pockets of politicians in return for expected favors.
“Bipartisanship apparently means forgetting about justice, ethics, and the rule of law, and instead, becoming just like the Clintons. Perhaps Hollywood can do a new movie patterned after ‘Tea With Mussolini’ and entitle it ‘Tea With Hillary.’ What we are seeing recently is a continuation of a national disgrace, and a spectacle which is simply sickening,” stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman. “Judicial Watch will not overlook the Hillary book deal -- she can expect a swift legal response. Nor, will we stand idly by to watch criminals being pardoned without consequence,” added Klayman.
Of course, in the spirit of Judicial Watch, it would be featured at 20 bucks-a-head.
Why are you attacking Lamberth?
| JW Badge With Holder ($35.00)
 |
Judicial Watch now offers its own membership badge with holder, to members. It has an additional slot for JW membership card or ID. Make it official by owning a JW badge. |
See post #86.
You bet I do.
The judge will throw the suit out of court, and both Klayman's and Fitton's records will be left intact. No wins.
LOL....I always thought that badge looked like a police badge. Think it could get us into the JW offices for an audit if we flashed it at the door? 8)
That reminds me ...my wife hired a lawyer recently to represent us in a simple real estate matter. I called him up and he starts arguing with me. It made me so mad I hung up on him ....Couldnt believe I was spending money to argue with my own lawyer.
Whut?
...Chicken Butt
NewsMax.comMIAMI – Donato Dalrymple, who saved Elian from the sea, filed a lawsuit today in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against Attorney General Janet Reno, Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder and INS Commissioner Doris Meissner for violating his Fourth and Fifth Amendment constitutional rights during the raid on the home of the relatives of Elian Gonzalez on April 22, 2000.
Monday, May 22, 2000
As seen in the famous Associated Press photograph from the raid, 6-year-old Elian was torn from Dalrymple's arms at gunpoint. The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $100 million. Dalrymple is represented by Judicial Watch Inc., the public interest law firm that investigates and prosecutes government corruption.
I gotta call Donato up and borrow a few bucks.
He gave aid and comfort to this charlatan, requiring that forests be destroyed in providing fuel for Klayman's discoveries.
None of these lawsuits ever came to trial, of course.
Lamberth is also on the FISA court, and he was one of those who got his back up over Bush's NSA wiretaps of terrorist accomplices.
He has also harrassed the hell out of the Department of the Interior in a ridiculous Indian lawsuit that maintains improper treatment or something like that.
He seems to be in is own orbit.
You've got to see this.
FYI and laughs!
LOL>.......yeah, I'm sure he's living in a beach front condo in South Beach, right?
Whatever happened to Donato? I fully expected him to get some kind of gig on FOXNEWS, or at least a date with Maryeslesis.
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