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| For Immediate Release | |
| May 26, 2000 | Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
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Appeals Court Also Lets Stand Earlier Ruling that Privacy Act Applies to White House Bruce Lindsey Will Now Have to Give Answers on Conversations With President Clinton Up Next: Judicial Watch to Fight Bill and Hillary Clinton's ‘Spousal Privilege' Claim Concerning Willey Document Release Discussion (Washington, DC) A federal appeals court let stand today a decision in the Filegate civil lawsuit that Bill Clinton and his aides criminally violated the Privacy Act when they authorized the release of documents from Kathleen Willey's government files in an effort to destroy her after she accused Clinton of sexually assaulting her near the Oval Office. The Clinton-Gore White House improperly and prematurely appealed the historic ruling – an appeal which was rejected by the bi-partisan three judge panel. The panel also let stand an earlier court ruling that the Privacy Act applies to the White House. The Privacy Act was passed specifically to put an end to the abuses of government files by President Nixon and other White House occupants such as Lyndon Johnson. The ruling came in the course of the $90 million Filegate class action lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, the Clinton-Gore White House and others on behalf of those whose FBI files were wrongly obtained and misused. In sworn interrogatory responses, the Clinton-Gore White House admitted that Hillary Clinton also supported the release, but claimed a bogus "spousal privilege" over conversations she and Mr. Clinton had about the illegal Willey release. "The D.C. Circuit's ruling is a total victory for the Filegate Plaintiffs and the American people. The ruling affirms that the President of the United States is not above the law. Now, Bill and Hillary Clinton (and others) will have to answer in a court of law for criminally violating the privacy rights of Kathleen Willey," stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman. |
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