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Obstruction goes beyond White House tapes Bruce R. Hegyi, Esq. Assistant United States Attorney Judiciary Center Building 555 Fourth Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001 VIA FACSIMILE (202) 514-8171 and Hand Delivery RE: Re: Judicial Watch, Inc. v. United States Department of Commerce, C.A. No. 95-0133(RCL) Dear Mr. Hegyi: In Freedom of Information Act ('FOIA") requests filed at the Clinton Department of Commerce by Judicial Watch, Inc., on September 12, 13, and October 19, 1994, we requested, among other things, "all . . . tape recordings . . .." that or related in any way to the matters and events enumerated in the subject FOIA requests. During the course of this case, Judicial Watch learned of an archive of videotapes made by the Defendant Department of Commerce at taxpayer expense which chronicle official government foreign trade trips undertaken by the late Secretary Brown, and Clinton officials in the company of large contributors to the Democratic National Committee, President Clinton, Vice-President Gore, and other candidates and officeholders of the Democratic Party. Although Judicial Watch has requested these videotapes, they have yet to be provided to it. See the Court's Order of June 16, 1995. In fact, the Clinton Administration conceded in June of 1995, more than two (2) years ago, that the videotapes are subject to Judicial Watch's FOIA requests, but it nonetheless continues to withold them from the public. See Clinton Administration Memorandum Regarding Videotapes and Private Files, filed June 14, 1995 and its Corrected Memorandum Regarding Videotapes and Private Files, filed June 16, 1995. The Clinton Administration offes no explanation for this continuing to failure to disclose to the public information it concedes is subject to FOIA, except to make an utterly irrelevant and nonsensical argument that, although the tapes are responsive to Judicial Watch's FOIA requests, they are "non-probabtive." Id. As you well know, all requested information within the ambit of Judicial Watch's FOIA requests are subject to the Court's Memoranda and Orders of February 1, 1996 and September 15, 1996, for production, and the videotapes must be produced. Accordingly, we ask that the Clinton Administration, including its Departments of Justice and Commerce, obey the requirements of FOIA by releasing the original, true, unedited, and unerased copies of all tape recordings subject to our FOIA requests. We, of course, stand by our undertaking made to safeguard the tapes as referenced in the attached Plaintiff's Response to Defendant's Memoranda Concerning Videotapes and Private Files, filed with the Court on June 24, 1995. Therefore, please provide the original tape recordings at the offices of Judicial Watch, 501 School Street, S.W., Suite 725, Washington, D.C., 20024 by the close of business on Wednesday, October 8, 1997, or we shall be forced to seek the urgent intervention of the Court to have this further obstruction of the flow of public information to the American people removed. Sincerely, Larry Klayman Chairman and General Counsel JUDICIAL WATCH, INC. 501 School Street, S.W.; Suite 725; Washington, D.C. 20024 Tel: (888) JW-ETHIC; Fax: (202) 646-5199 http://www.JudicialWatch.org Web Site by GXS Web Design © 1999, Judicial Watch, Inc. ® All rights reserved. |