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| For Immediate Release | |
| Apr 21, 2000 | Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
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Judicial Watch Will Seek Full En Banc Appeal on Recusal Issue (Washington, D.C.) Judge David S. Tatel issued a ruling late Good Friday denying a request from Judicial Watch for him to voluntary recuse himself in an appeals court matter concerning the man who appointed him, Bill Clinton. Judge Tatel, who sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and who was appointed by Clinton in 1994, is scheduled to hear Clinton's unusual "mandamus appeal" of a lower court ruling that concluded that Clinton criminally violated the Privacy Act when he authorized the release from government files of letters to him from Kathleen Willey. Judicial Watch had pointed out to Judge Tatel that Judge David W. Hagan, another Clinton appointee, recently recused himself from a lawsuit brought by Gennifer Flowers against Hillary Rodham Clinton, James Carville, and George Stephanopoulos. Judge Hagan, to his credit, cited "the appearance of impropriety" in recusing himself. Judge Tatel's order did not address this. Judge Tatel's order is attached. Similarly, judges connected to Bill Clinton in the Eighth Circuit also recused themselves from cases directly concerning him in the Jones case. "Judicial Watch had hoped that Judge Tatel would have voluntarily recused himself. We will ask the full appeals court to replace Judge Tatel on the panel hearing the Clinton-Willey Privacy Act issue," stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. |
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