Posted on 04/09/2002 8:34:03 PM PDT by FreedominJesusChrist
For Immediate Release
Apr 9, 2002
Press Office: 202-646-5172
MEDIA ADVISORY
JUDICIAL WATCH UNCOVERS FORMER INS COMMISSIONER MEISSNERS ORDERS TO DESTROY EVIDENCE IN DECISION TO RETURN ELIAN GONZALEZ TO CUBA AND SUBSEQUENT, ILLEGAL RAID ON GONZALEZ FAMILY HOME
Press Conference For Release of Documents
Date: April 10, 2002
Time: 8:00 AM
Place: Sheraton Biscayne Bay
495 Brickell Avenue
Parlor 3
Miami, FL
(Washington DC / Miami) Judicial Watch, the public interest law firm that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced that tomorrow, April 10, 2002, it will release documents revealing former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Commissioner Doris Meissners orders to destroy evidence and obstruct justice in the illegal raid that returned Elian Gonzalez to Communist Cuba that resulted in the beating and gassing of dozens of peaceful protestors by INS agents. The documents were produced for the first time today in a trial before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), in Miami, concerning charges of retaliation against INS Special Agent Rick Ramirez, by his supervisors in the Miami District Office of the INS. An INS attorney, Diana Alvarez, produced the documents during sworn testimony in the hearing. Ramirez is an INS whistleblower who initially revealed the INS and Justice Department obstruction of justice and anti-Hispanic prejudice that pervaded the Elian Gonzalez saga.
The documents reveal that the U.S. government had information indicating that Juan Miguel Gonzalez (Elians father) had sought to leave Cuba for the United States. They also reveals the U.S. government was aware that Juan Miguel wanted Elian to stay in the U.S. and that the father was being coerced by the Castro regime.
INS attorney Rebeca Sanchez-Roig notes that she was ordered to destroy all documents, but retained a copy of the e-mail because she believed Meissners destruction orders to be improper.
Copies of the documents will be made available at the press conference.
©
Copyright 1997-2002, Judicial Watch, Inc.
INS Misstep Claimed in Elian Case
Wed Apr 10,11:52 AM ET
By ADRIAN SAINZ, Associated Press Writer
MIAMI (AP) - The head of the Immigration and Naturalization Service ordered the destruction of an e-mail that could have bolstered the request for asylum filed for Elian Gonzalez during the Cuban boy's stay in Miami, a conservative watchdog group said Wednesday.
A handwritten notation at the bottom of an INS memo dated Dec. 29, 1999, said that Doris Meissner, then the INS commissioner, ordered the memo destroyed the very next day.
A copy of the memo survived and was made public Wednesday by Washington-based Judicial Watch. It discussed the possibility that Elian's father at one time had sought a visa to move to the United States.
It also discussed allegations that the Cuban government had been coercing the father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez.
If coercion could be shown, the roughly drafted e-mail memo said, INS could "potentially accept the child's asylum's application and advise that there is no prohibition on age to child filing application. As such PA should proceed."
"PA" apparently refers to "political asylum."
The memo, written by INS attorney Rebeca Sanchez Roig, summarized a conference call on the Elian case involving several INS employees, including Meissner.
The handwritten notation on a printout of the e-mail memo, added by Roig some point after the memo was written, said Meissner ordered the destruction of all copies of the memo through another INS official.
It also said Meissner ordered that no more discussions related to Elian's case be put in writing.
Elian was rescued at sea off Florida in November 1999 after his mother and most of the other passengers traveling illegally from Cuba to the United States died when their boat capsized.
The boy was temporarily placed with relatives in Miami who, backed by other Cuban exiles, fought to keep the child in the United States.
The federal government said Elian should be reunited with his father in Cuba.
An INS spokeswoman in Miami, Patricia Mancha, said she could not immediately comment on the memo.
Meissner, reached at her home in the Washington area, said she could not comment because she was not aware of the details of the allegations.
Judicial Watch attorneys said the copy of the memo was provided to them this week by INS lawyer Diana Alvarez.
It was cited Tuesday at a civil service hearing on INS special agent Ricardo Ramirez's claims of threats, harassment and anti-Cuban-American sentiment in the INS Miami office at the time of Elian's stay in the United States.
In March, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit in which Ramirez claimed he was harassed for reporting alleged anti-Cuban bias in the agency after the Elian case.
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Judicial Watch claimed that the former head of the INS ordered the destruction of a memo that could have influenced whether or not Elian Gonzalez could stay in America. Judicial Watch said that they would make the memo public today and they made good on their promise.
You forgot your 'sarcasm' tag.
Never? I challenge you to list some lies that Klayman told in the press releases where Chinagate, Filegate, Emailgate, the Riady non-refund and the death of Ron Brown are concerned. Go ahead! If he NEVER tells the truth it should be easy.
I've never depended on Larry Klayman for ANY news
Of course, you won't tell us who you do rely on for news. I'm just curious if what you say is true how you learned about the Riady non-refund ... or did you make up your mind in that case without any facts? And how about Filegate? Where did you go to learn what Tripp said under oath ... or did you just miss her testimony? And most important of all ... what about Ron Brown? What source did you use to decide he wasn't murdered? At first you claimed it was Ken Starr ... but Starr had nothing to do with Brown. Then you latched onto the statement of a democRAT who said she believed the government's report that nothing foul happened. You said you believed that report too, although it is clear you never read it. And you just ignored the fact that the report was put out by the Clinton administration and failed to even mention dozens of highly incriminating facts. So, again, where did you learn enough about Brown to conclude he died by accident?
You continue to ask all of us questions over and over;
Which you never answer. It is curious how you can DEMAND that others answer your questions while blythly ignoring those of ours that you find "inconvenient".
I, for one, believe you have fallen hook, line, and sinker for Larry's view of the "truth," which contrary to the number of times you post it, does't make it 1) true, and 2) proveable.
Why are you afraid to exhume and autopsy Ron Brown's body? And what you are really doing is calling all those who testified UNDER OATH about Clinton/DNC illegalities (like Linda Tripp) liars. Now why would conservative do that?
You all are just like liberals
Oh that's a hoot. Would you like me to list the characteristics you have that are similar to democRATS?
And since you're always demanding the truth and accountability, can you tell me
See ... there you go DEMANDING an answer without answering a single question. No. Howlin, you address my question first ... what source did you use to decide Ron Brown wasn't murdered?
I hope that Judicial Watch can successfully pull through this one. To tell you the truth, there has been more positive posts on this thread than I have received or seen for a while. Thank-you, I am sure JW appreciates the encouragement, especially from this forum.
I think that you and I both know that Larry is not an "ambulence chaser." He is not a personal injury attorney, he is a public interest attorney with over 22 years of legal experience, including experience as a trial attorney, international attorney, and an attorney for for the Justice Department. You know, people usually sling mud when they have nothing else to go on and no proof to further validate their claims.
And by the way it is 'ambulance' and not 'ambulence.'
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