"This has been the most expensive and drawn out 'ordinance' violation in St. Louis history," said Mr. Federer in an interview with the Cybercast News Service.

The alleged incident took place during a St. Louis parade on October 7, 2000, just before Election Day. And while it was Mr. Federer who was charged, he was, in fact, the victim. During the event, James Larrew, a Gephardt campaign worker, allegedly at the direction of Gephardt, stalked Mr. Federer and then provoked a confrontation with him in order to gain a public relations advantage in what had been a tightly contested race.

As Mr. Federer passed by, Larrew stepped into his path and swung a video camera within inches of Mr. Federer's face. He then stepped on Mr. Federer's foot and shoved him with his elbow. Gephardt's campaign then manufactured the frivolous assault charge in order to further damage Mr. Federer¹s reputation.

In May 2002, Judicial Watch filed a civil suit in U.S. District Court in St. Louis against Gephardt, his chief political advisor, Joyce A. Aboussie and Larrew in connection with this same incident, charging them with assault, civil rights violations, abuse of process, and other civil wrongdoings. Aboussie is Gephardt's national political advisor and a paid member of Gephardt's congressional staff, currently earning approximately $130,000 per year in that capacity.

In addition to the staged assault, Judicial Watch alleges that Gephardt's campaign staff orchestrated a series of break-ins at Mr. Federer¹s home and office during the campaign.

"A jury has spoken," said Judicial Watch Chairman Larry Klayman. "Mr. Federer is an innocent man, falsely accused by a Gephardt political operation that sought to put him in jail. We will seek legal redress for Gephardt¹s abuse of the legal system."