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 For Immediate Release
Nov 30, 1997 Contact: Press Office
202-646-5172


SPECTER AND TORICELLI REFUSE TO DISCUSS ON ABC'S "THIS WEEK" THE MAJOR ILLEGALITIES OF THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE SCANDAL

Further Example of Both Political Parties Desire to Ignore the Real Issues

Major Networks Must Provide Prime Time To Allow Others to Explain Seriousness of The Scandal

As predicted, Republican Senator Arlen Specter and Democrat Senator Robert Toricelli, both members of the compromised and failed Thompson Government Affairs Committee, today appeared on ABC's "This Week" and offered their usual and now warmed over rationale for the campaign finance scandal. In advocating the appointment of an independent counsel, Senator Specter focused on the misuse of soft money, and coffees and fundraising in the White House. Senator Toricelli, of course, routinely denied that this was a basis for the appointment of an independent counsel, instead repeating the Democrat mantra of the need for campaign finance reform.

Larry Klayman, Chairman and General Counsel of Judicial Watch, the group that uncovered the campaign finance scandal and deposed John Huang, issued the following statement:

"It is a tragedy that leaders of both political parties have failed to level with the American people, and that the major networks allow them to do this on the major weekend news shows. The campaign finance scandal is about the sale of taxpayer-financed government assets, such as seats on trade missions, Air Force one, influence peddling and bribery. It is also about the breach of national security interests, as recently reported by Bob Woodward, and as previously reported by William Safire. That both parties would dwell on 'nickel and dime' issues, such as the use of telephones, and coffees in the White House -- knowing full well that these 'issues' will never give rise to an independent counsel -- show that they are hiding something from the American people; such as knowledge of serious breaches of national security which both the Deomcrat White House and Republican Congress allowed to occur on their watch. In addition, the sale of taxpayer financed assets, which is the equivalent of stealing from the American people, is a violation of 18 U.S.C. 600 of the U.S. Criminal Code. Both parties have, in the past, sold out the American people's assets; however no administration ever did it with the brazenness and outright illegality of the Clinton Administration. This warrants strong law enforcement, to have a deterrent effect in the future.

It is time that the networks stop allowing these politicians to continue to deceive the American people, and allow others to explain, in prime time, the seriousness of the campaign finance scandal and why there is a bi-partisan coverup to sweep it under the carpet. If politicians will not come clean on this, then how can they believed on other issues, such as Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction?"



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