BUSH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT BLOCKS RENO DEPOSITION

Judicial Watch Press Release ^ | 11/8/01

[Rebeckie]

11/8/2001

202-646-5172

BUSH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT BLOCKS RENO DEPOSITION

Latest Obstruction Prevents Scheduled Testimony In Defamation Case Against Accused Spy Wen Ho Lee

Last Minute Gamesmanship No Better than Clinton Justice Department

(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest law firm that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today criticized the Ashcroft Justice Department for obstructing a long scheduled deposition of former Attorney General Reno in whistleblower Notra Trulock defamation case against accused Chinese spy and admitted felon Wen Ho Lee. Trulock, the former chief of the Energy Department intelligence operations, is suing Lee and others for falsely accusing Trulock of racial bias while conducting an inquiry into the loss of America nuclear secrets from Energy Department labs. Former Attorney General Reno, who was subpoenaed last month, was expected to testify that Wen Ho Lee charges of racial bias had no basis in fact and that there was a legitimate basis to investigate Lee. The deposition of Ms. Reno was scheduled to take place tomorrow in Miami. Judicial Watch is representing Mr. Trulock in this matter.

Late yesterday afternoon, the Ashcroft Justice Department, through a fax from Assistant Attorney General Robert D. McCallum, Jr., unilaterally decided that Reno (and other witnesses such as former FBI Director Louis Freeh) would not appear as scheduled. Judicial Watch was told by a Justice Department lawyer that this decision was only made yesterday. (The Ashcroft Justice Department had known that Reno would be testifying in this case since June of this year.)

The Justice Department lawyers know they have no legal basis to prevent Ms. Reno from testifying at the last minute. Yet they think they are above the law and are contemptuous of the Court processes. The Ashcroft Justice Department has continually obstructed this case. Indeed, a federal court has already sanctioned them for similar conduct in this case. "Truth be told, in matters that Judicial Watch has been litigating, the ethics and practices of the Ashcroft Justice Department are no better than those of Reno Justice Department", stated Judicial Watch Chairman Larry Klayman.

"No one is above the law. And Judicial Watch will seek appropriate sanctions and plans to ask for an independent investigation by the Office of Professional Responsibility into the way the Wen Ho Lee case has been handled. These repeated obstructionist tactics by this Justice Department are most likely to cover up their ongoing negligence concerning the loss of virtually all of our nation nuclear secrets to China and other nations adverse to the United States", added Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

[BeAChooser]

Bush did not run to prosecute Clinton. He never mentioned it, not once, in his campaign.

So is THIS going to be the EXCUSE that the GOP (and YOU) use to avoid investigating credible evidence of VERY VERY SERIOUS CRIMES? Does this mean that FROM NOW ON, ALL CRIMES must be mentioned by candidates in their election speeches before we can rely on them to UPHOLD THE LAW? What a LAME argument. Perhaps if they don't mention the SPECIFIC LAWS they are going to upheld, they can VIOLATE them too!

He never promised BeAChooser that, in the first months of his presidency, he would regurgitate the last eight years.

Spoken like a true democRAT. How can one REGURGITATE investigations that NEVER TOOK PLACE AT ALL under the Clinton CRIMINAL conspiracy. You are showing your true colors again sinkspur.

Bush is smart and is doing the right thing.

Sure. He's letting your CRIMINAL idols off the hook.

You'd better get over your obsession with Clinton.

No. YOU are the one obsessed with Clinton. You seem to think this is ONLY about Clinton. It is not. It is about the HUNDREDS of democRATS who violated the law in his administration. It is about a party that is so corrupt that it sends people onto the internet to PRETEND like they are conservatives as a means of keeping any investigation and prosecution of a MOUNTAIN OF CRIMES from proceeding. It is about a party that could use the slogans of 1984 as its platform.

[horsewhispersc]

In a word....'YES'

[BeAChooser]

This is a Civil case...and a Civil Rights Case....How does taking on the role of a plaintiff injury attorney fit into the mission statement of Judicial Watch champ? Exposing government corruption...LOL

Where were you during the CIVIL cases in which Klayman uncovered Chinagate or gathered most of the facts we know about Filegate and Emailgate or proved that the Clinton Whitehouse ordered that there be no autopsy of Brown's body? This just shows you have no understanding of what Klayman's cases and methods during the Clinton adminstration were all about.

[BeAChooser]

But since you know it all, why don't YOU tell us which ones have been DISMISSED and which ones haven't.

No, Howlin. You are the one making the accusation that nearly all of Klayman's cases were "laughed out of court". PROVE IT.

And while you are at it, try to answer ANY of the other questions I've asked you during this discussion. Or are you going to continue to make UNFOUNDED ACCUSATIONS and RUN from the facts ... just like a democRAT would do?

[BeAChooser]

Here's a couple I ran across the other day...... but I'm sure there are more....

Then by all means locate them. And perhaps you can help Howlin prove that they were nearly all "laughed out of court" as she claimed. Do you agree with her implication in that phrase that none of Klayman's cases had any merit or served any purpose (as far as information gathering is concerned)? How far out on the limb to you want to go with her?

[Howlin]

How can you complain that they ask for Attorney and Court costs and also then claim that proves greed when you say they never win, which indicates they would never win court costs???

Goodness, can't you connect ANY dots at all?

The reason that they keep asking for money is because they NEVER win anything (you don't really think they finance that office with FEES, do you, it's ALL fund raising!!).......and I've never seen a lawsuit yet where the attorneys didn't ask for their fees and the moon in case they win.........sort of like I wish for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

[Howlin]

This just shows you have no understanding of what Klayman's cases

Now you're getting it.......NOBODY understands Klayman's cases; I've been a court reporter for YEARS and I've never seen a case that was nothing but PRESS RELEASES.

[Howlin]

If he is so in it for the money, then he should win more cases to collect all those court costs

If he was a real lawyer, he'd win anyway -- or at least once in awhile -- regardless of whether he makes money or not. The point is he doesn't. So he has to beg for money to run his career.

[deport]

LOL.... not interested in chasing ol' larr's dismissals.

[Howlin]

Larry has not filed a subpoena to have anyone provide a deposition

I am dead serious about this next question: that IS a joke, isn't it?

[Howlin]

Former Attorney General Reno, who was subpoenaed last month, was expected to testify that Wen Ho Lee charges of racial bias had no basis in fact and that there was a legitimate basis to investigate Lee.

Gee, why does Larry even need to talk to her; he's testifying for her.

[Howlin]

Or are you going to continue to make UNFOUNDED ACCUSATIONS and RUN from the facts ... just like a democRAT would do?

You really are pathetic. I've never seen ONE court case Larry Klayman won.........not one, so we can assume that ALL of them are either dismissed or soon to be.

[Rebeckie]

He said it to the military. But he also used this slogan numerous times on the campaign trail. I saw it in IL and chanted it myself when all the aides told us (volunteers) to.

[deport]

.......Gee, why does Larry even need to talk to her; he's testifying for her. ........

Well maybe she has in possession one of the Official Badges and thus he's privy to her info..... lol

JW Badge With Holder
($50.00)

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.

[Rebeckie]

Larry could more done if all of his FOIA requests were granted both by the White House and the Justice Department. Bush is just trying to further shield the Clinton Klan and it just makes me sick to my stomach to see this occur. I do not appreciate the fact that he claimed executive privilege in keeping Clinton cases sealed.

[Rebeckie]

I was just curious, but did you get the name Everyman from the British poem?