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 For Immediate Release
Jun 5, 2001 Contact: Press Office
202-646-5172


FLORIDA ELECTION PROBLEMS COLORBLIND

Judicial Watch Independent Audit Found No Racial Bias

US Commission on Civil Rights Report is “Political”

(Judicial Watch Will Honor Tallahassee Trial Judge N. Sanders Sauls on Thursday, June 7 at National Press Club)

(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest law firm that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today took issue with some of the reported conclusions about the Florida election controversy by the US Commission on Civil Rights. The report by the Commission, which is headed by an appointee of disgraced President Bill Clinton, said that black voter ballots were “statistically” more likely to be rejected than the ballots of other groups.

Judicial Watch, which hired the independent accounting firm of Johnson, Lambert & Co. to conduct a non-partisan audit of ballots in dispute, found absolutely no evidence of racism. Judicial Watch did find evidence of possible fraud and evidence that election officials in certain counties enacted procedures that benefited Al Gore, but found no evidence that race was a factor considered by any election official in the counting of ballots. Judicial Watch was the first independent group to gain access to the disputed ballots and fought both Al Gore and then Governor Bush in court to enforce its right to conduct its own recount. A copy of the report is available on the Internet at www.judicialwatch.org.

“There were problems with the Florida election and Judicial Watch made suggestions in its Final Report to help ensure better elections in the future. The Commission, by issuing a report written by Democrats only, has undermined any sensible suggestions it may have had about the conduct of the Florida election. We respectfully suggest that the non-partisan Judicial Watch’s Report will be more useful to the American people and policymakers than the corrupted Commission report,” stated Judicial Watch Chairman Larry Klayman.

In related news, Judicial Watch will honor Judge N. Sanders Sauls with a reception and dinner on Thursday, June 7 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The event, which is not a fundraiser, will be emceed by actress and activist Morgan Brittany and will pay tribute to Judge Sauls, who handled the Florida election trial in a way that gave “credit to the judiciary.” Many notable personalities will speak. For information on how to attend the reception and dinner (from 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm), call (202) 646-5172.

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