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| For Immediate Release | |
| Mar 28, 2000 | Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
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JUDICIAL WATCH DEPOSES TRIE IN CHINAGATE LAWSUIT Reno Has Until 1:45 p.m. Today To State Whether Trie Will Be Granted Limited Use Immunity (Washington, D.C.) Today Judicial Watch began the deposition of "Charlie" Yah Lin Trie in the Chinagate lawsuit which yielded the first sworn testimony of John Huang four years ago, and which sparked the Campaign Finance and Chinagate investigations. At the outset of the deposition, which began at 8:00 a.m. this morning, Trie, when he was asked whether he had met Bill Clinton at his restaurant in Little Rock, Arkansas, claimed the Fifth Amendment privilege. This provoked a discussion between the Magistrate-Judge supervising the deposition, Trie's counsel, lawyers for Judicial Watch, and attorneys for the Reno Justice Department. During the discussion, it was learned that, while Trie had been granted "limited use immunity" by the Reno Justice Department, Congress, and the Federal Election Commission – which immunity hinged on the consent of the Reno Justice Department – the Court had not been given similar consideration or treatment by the Reno Justice Department. Obviously, if Trie is not granted limited use immunity by the Reno Justice Department, he will likely assert the Fifth Amendment (subject to Court challenge), preventing him from providing sworn testimony to Judicial Watch and Judge Royce C. Lamberth. The individual who must consider whether limited use immunity will be granted is Robert Conrad, chief of the Reno Justice Department's Campaign Finance Task Force. Failure to grant this limited use immunity will effectively, for the time being, throw a monkey wrench into Judge Lamberth's proceeding concerning Charlie Trie. Recently, this same Robert Conrad asked Judge Lamberth to stay consideration of whether there is an obstruction of justice over e-mails in his civil Filegate lawsuit. Conrad and the Reno Justice Department have until 1:45 p.m. today to state to the Court whether they will allow Charlie Trie to testify today by granting Trie limited use immunity in Judicial Watch's Chinagate lawsuit. Even if immunity is not granted, Judicial Watch will challenge Trie's invocation. A video of the morning session of the deposition of Charlie Trie and the discussions between the Magistrate-Judge and counsel are being posted on Judicial Watch's website at www.JudicialWatch.org, and are available to the public on demand. |
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