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Holy Land Foundation Fallout
The Weekly Standard ^ | 12/11/2001 | Stephen F. Hayes

Posted on 12/10/2001 8:19:13 PM PST by Pokey78

George Salem's law firm responds, and the Justice Department stays mum.

GEORGE SALEM'S law firm has chosen not to represent the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development as the group fights the Bush administration's decision last Tuesday to shut it down. Salem and his firm had previously represented Holy Land in a suit filed by the Boim family after their son was killed by Hamas terrorists in 1996 (see my article from last week, "Salem's Lot").

The family alleges that the Holy Land Foundation has for years served as a financial front group for Hamas. The Bush administration affirmed those charges when President Bush seized the assets of the foundation and forced it to cease operations earlier this week.

"The firm has declined to represent the Holy Land Foundation over the seizure of its property and the freezing of its assets," says Zev Furst, a spokesman for Akin, Gump, Straus, Hauer and Feld.

Salem, however, remains the attorney of record for the Holy Land Foundation in its dispute with the Boim family.

"Ethically and legally, there's nothing else to do," explains Furst. "We can't withdraw from that case."

Salem said he and his firm took the Boim case only after consulting with the U.S. Attorneys office in Dallas and the FBI.

"The counter-terrorism people within the FBI told us they had absolutely nothing on this group," says Salem.

Kathy Colvin, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's office in Dallas would not comment on whether such a meeting had taken place. Spokesmen for the Bush Justice Department and the FBI did not return phone calls.

Stephen F. Hayes is staff writer at The Weekly Standard.


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
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1 posted on 12/10/2001 8:19:13 PM PST by Pokey78
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To: Pokey78
Was this Vernon Jordan's lawfirm?
2 posted on 12/10/2001 8:26:27 PM PST by bayourod
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