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 For Immediate Release
Nov 4, 1999 Contact: Press Office
202-646-5172


MORE "HOT AIR" FROM CONGRESS ON CHINAGATE

Dan Burton Says Waxman's Attempts To Obstruct Chung Testimony Was "Unethical," But Fails To Sign Judicial Watch's House Ethics Complaint Against Ranking Minority Member And Democrats

No Action Taken By Republicans

(Washington, D.C.) Yesterday, on Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes," Chairman Dan Burton of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee was confronted by Sean Hannity about the obstruction by Representative Henry Waxman, and his band of Democrats, in unsuccessfully trying to get Johnny Chung to invoke the Fifth Amendment and not offer testimony that would implicate the White House and Democrat Party in treasonous activities in Chinagate. Ironically, Waxman solicited Chung for money on August 26, 1996.

The exchange on "Hannity & Colmes" with Mr. Burton went as follows:

Hannity: Is that a crime? I mean obstructing an investigation of Congress?

Burton: Well, I don't know if you'd call it obstructing if you're giving advice on how to take the Fifth, but I sure think it's unseemly and unethical for members of the minority -- or the majority -- to be telling somebody how to take the Fifth Amendment.

Many weeks ago, when Mr. Chung revealed the Democrat obstruction, Judicial Watch prepared and filed a complaint with the House Ethics Committee against Waxman and other participating Democrats on the Government Reform Committee. Under House Rules, the complaint, to go forward, must be certified by a Congressman. Accordingly, to test Chairman Burton's sincerity and hold him to his word, Judicial Watch sent the complaint to Burton and asked that he endorse it. Burton has complained over the last three years that the reason his Chinagate investigation has failed, is due to this Democrat obstruction.

Despite many, many continual requests by Judicial Watch, Chairman Burton has failed to endorse Judicial Watch's House Ethics Complaint, or for that matter file one of his own. As a result, the public can now see more clearly the reasons why the Congressional Chinagate investigations have failed; Republicans want to conduct show hearings, but not prosecute the lawbreakers, for fear that there own big donors, many of whom bribed the Clinton Administration to illegally transfer high technology to the Chinese, will be implicated and put in prison. Senator John McCain has confirmed this to Judicial Watch.

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