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| For Immediate Release | |
| Sep 25, 1997 | Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
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Vote Tantamount to Bi-Partisan Approval of Illegality at Clinton Commerce Department; Shows That Republicans Will Stoop to Any Level to Pander For Votes And Have Little Interest in Cleaning Up Government Corruption House Republicans, under the leadership of Speaker Newt Gingrinch, have voted to name a federal building in New York City, after the late Ron Brown. During his lifetime, Ron Brown, former head of the Democratic National Committee and Secretary of Commerce, was investigated time and time again for illegal criminal activities, including but not limited to bribery over opening trade relations with Vietnam, accepting and not reporting defaulted government loan monies, accepting gratuities from the Lum family, and illegally selling seats on trade missions for large campaign contributions in violation of 18 U.S.C. 607. In this latter investigation, successfully prosecuted by Judicial Watch in its case against the Commerce Department, it was confirmed that trade mission seats -- financed with millions of dollars of taxpayers' monies -- were sold for large political campaign contributions. This case, and the exposure of John Huang, sparked the current campaign finance scandal. "To honor Ron Brown by naming a federal building after him is tantamount to endorsing his illegal activities and condoning government corruption. Speaker Gingrich's actions in moving this vote through signals that he and his Republican colleagues continue to pander to minorities for votes, and he has no ethical sense of right and wrong. (Gingrich previously ‘cozied’ up to Jesse Jackson). It sends the wrong signal to the nation that government corruption is to be tolerated. Sadly, this is consistent with Senator Thompson's recent decision to effectively shut down the campaign finance hearings, which is part of a bi-partisan cover-up of illegalities on both sides of the aisle," stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman. |
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