| Printed from JudicialWatch.org Jan 14, 2000 |
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COMMERCE SECRETARY DALEY IN TROUBLE OVER ALLEGED KICKBACK SCHEME, AND ALLEGED MISLEADING TESTIMONY Allegations Analogous To Illegal Commerce Scheme To Sell Seats On Trade Missions And Export Licenses (Washington, D.C.) In early 1995, Judicial Watch commenced a landmark case against the Clinton Commerce Department, which would later uncover perhaps the biggest scandal in American history; Chinagate. The case began over allegations that the Clinton Commerce Department was selling seats on trade missions for political campaign contributions, expanded when John Huang was deposed and later gave rise to investigations which led to the discovery that American technology had been stolen or transferred by the Chinese. Judicial Watch has seven ongoing lawsuits concerning Chinagate, including one against Bernard Schwartz and Loral for the transfer of missile technology to the Chinese. It was Bernard Schwartz who in 1994 bragged about going on Clinton Commerce Department trade missions, where he undoubtedly met his Chinese counterparts. After the death of Ron Brown and the departure of Mickey Kantor (who also sold seats on trade missions for campaign contributions) as Secretaries of the Clinton Commerce Department, William Daley was installed, purportedly to clean up the corruption. Judicial Watch warned, however, that Mr. Daley � coming from a Chicago family which perfected the art of political "payola" � was like putting the fox in the henhouse. Sure enough, within weeks, Daley proceeded to issue $10,000 cash awards to the Commerce employees who had helped obstruct Judge Royce Lamberth's orders in Judicial Watch's initial Chinagate lawsuit against the Clinton Commerce Department. Judicial Watch learned about this through an anonymous tip from a government employee, and the Court has written about it in its orders of December 22, 1998. See www.JudicialWatch.org. "Now that Jerry Seper � an excellent investigative journalist � of the Washington Times, has uncovered Daley's alleged involvement in a Chicago kickback scheme and his purported misleading testimony to the FBI about it (see Washington Times, January 14, 2000, p. A1), this comes as no surprise to Judicial Watch. However, Congress again let the American people down by allowing this individual to be confirmed as Secretary of the Commerce Department," stated Judicial Watch Chairman Larry Klayman. | |