Message from the President
JW Prepared for Success in 2004 as We Celebrate Our Tenth Anniversary
Now that the new year is upon us, I would like to take a little bit of space in this issue of the JW Verdict to express my gratitude for the supporters and friends of Judicial Watch who helped make 2003 such a huge success for the organization. Thanks to your generosity, Judicial Watch bolstered its reputation as the nation's "true independent counsel," with victory after victory in court.
Still, even with the successes of 2003 fresh on our minds, there is no time to rest. In this, our tenth year, Judicial Watch continues to fight some major battles for justice in our most important, high-profile cases. And we are going to need every single drop of support we can find to finish our work. Consider just a few of the cases that could come to an end in 2004:
Now that Peter Paul is back in the United States, Judicial Watch will push its campaign finance fraud case against Hillary Rodham Clinton aggressively. Federal investigators have already targeted Clinton's national finance director, David Rosen. The Senator from New York is also being criminally investigated.
Judicial Watch is spearheading the effort to force Vermont Governor Howard Dean to release records he placed under seal for 10 years through an illegal deal with the Vermont Secretary of State. Because of our lawsuit, Dean has been put on the defensive over his effort to keep his gubernatorial records secret.
Judicial Watch filed an historic lawsuit against the Senate in 2003, and plans to make this case a priority in 2004. By filibustering President Bush's judicial nominees, a liberal minority of Senators has hijacked the confirmation process. This is a clear departure from both precedent and constitutional duty. In addition to its case against the Senate, Judicial Watch has also filed complaints against two individual Senators, Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois and Senator Ted Kennedy from Massachusetts, for tampering with the confirmation process.
Judicial Watch won victory after victory against the Energy Task Force in 2003. Government lawyers have now appealed to the Supreme Court for a last-ditch, desperate attempt to avoid releasing information pertaining to the secret energy policy meetings held by the Vice President. In 2004, Judicial Watch will go before the Supreme Court to argue its case for openness in government. This case will make history.
Of course these advances in the courtroom, while important, do not tell the full story of Judicial Watch's impact. Through its public education programs, JW will continue to build grassroots support for its campaign against government corruption. In addition to JW's nationally syndicated radio show, the Judicial Watch Report (see www.judicialwatch.org for times and stations), JW continues to earn widespread coverage in the media. Judicial Watch representatives were interviewed on hundreds of stations in 2003, and earned more than 900 mentions in top news publications nationwide during the year.
Once again, these successes would not have been possible without the stalwart support of Judicial Watch friends and contributors. Stay with Judicial Watch in 2004 and be a part of what promises to be a landmark year for truth and transparency in government.
And stay tuned to the Judicial Watch Verdict for monthly updates on the activities you help make possible with your generosity.
