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| For Immediate Release | |
| Feb 9, 2001 | Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
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Former Deputy Attorney General Had Also Obstructed Justice in Chinagate Scandal President George W. Bush Left Holder in Place for Several Weeks During Ashcroft Nomination Process (Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, Inc., the public interest watchdog that investigates and prosecutes government abuse and corruption, today filed a complaint with the Office of Professional Responsibility of the U.S. Department of Justice against former Clinton-Gore Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder for his now obvious involvement in the bribery scheme that led to the pardon of Marc Rich. Holder, who previously was in charge of the Reno Justice Department Chinagate investigation, had lied to the Senate Judiciary Committee at his confirmation hearings about his involvement in sanctionable conduct committed in Judicial Watch’s first lawsuit against the Clinton-Gore Commerce Department – which uncovered John Huang and sparked the Chinagate scandal. As he testified yesterday before the House Government Reform Committee, Holder then claimed he had no involvement in the case -- however a review of court pleadings shows that he signed several of them personally. Yesterday, Holder’s testimony also confirmed that he was involved in greasing the Marc Rich pardon between the Justice Department and the Clinton-Gore White House. No one doubts – even the liberal side of the media – that huge sums of cash were paid by Denise Rich on behalf of her former husband for this pardon to not only the Democratic National Committee, but also the Clinton Presidential Library. In addition, expensive gifts were given to the Clintons illegally, such as $7,000-plus worth of furniture. “Eric Holder has long been protected by both Democrats and Republicans alike. Indeed, even President George W. Bush negligently left him at the Justice Department during the John Ashcroft nomination proceedings. Holder is not only dishonest, but represents the worst of the legal profession and now must be held fully accountable for the crimes which he has furthered. Judicial Watch’s complaint asks the new Justice Department to do its job and seek justice against Holder who, while he was conspiring with the Clinton-Gore White House over the Marc Rich pardon, was seeking the quid pro quo of a possible nomination as Attorney General under a hoped-for Gore administration,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Holder is also a defendant in a $100 million Judicial Watch lawsuit concerning the illegal Elian Gonzalez raid in Little Havana,” stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman. |
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