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| For Immediate Release | |
| Jan 16, 2001 | Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
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Judicial Watch Intervenes to Block It (Washington, DC) Today, Judicial Watch, Inc., through its counsel in San Marino, California, Sterling “Ernie” Norris, Chief of the Judicial Watch Monitoring Project, and Larry Klayman, Chairman and General Counsel, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and presented a Motion to Intervene seeking to block the “sweetheart” plea agreement of James Riady and the Lippo Group, who, along with John Huang, are suspected as being Chinese Communist agents. The text of Judicial Watch’s Motion can be found at www.judicialwatch.org. After hearing Riady’s and Lippo’s plea, Magistrate Judge Stephen Hillman assigned the case to U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Lew, a Reagan appointee. Since Judge Lew was not available due to recent surgery, he could not consider Mr. Riady’s and the Lippo Group’s plea at this time. Instead, it will be set over to another date, after the Justice Department changes hand to a Bush-Cheney Administration. Judge Lew will then consider Judicial Watch’s motion to block the plea agreement. Both Mr. Klayman and Mr. Norris were in the courtroom standing within inches of James Riady. He appeared calm and without a care in the world. Contrary to the other criminal defendants, his case was given priority, and he was not forced to wear an orange jumpsuit. “Money again buys influence in the Clinton-Gore Administration; but Judicial Watch is determined to make sure that Mr. Riady, the Lippo Group and the politicians they funded, ultimately pay the price for the serious crimes they have committed against the American people and its system of justice,” stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman. |
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