October 12, 2007

From the Desk of Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton:

Thief Sandy Berger Advises Clinton Campaign

 

“Personnel is policy,” or so the old political adage goes.  This week, the media has gotten around to exposing a criminal as part of the personnel of Hillary Clinton’s kitchen cabinet.  As I’ve been noting for some time now, disgraced former Clinton National Security Advisor Sandy Berger, is already in the Clinton campaign’s inner circle.  This according to The Washington Examiner:  

 

“Sandy Berger, who stole highly classified terrorism documents from the National Archives, destroyed them and lied to investigators, is now an adviser to presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.  Berger, who was fired from John Kerry’s presidential campaign when the scandal broke in 2004, has assumed a similar role in Clinton’s campaign, even though his security clearance has been suspended until September 2008.”

 

Berger is reportedly offering Hillary Clinton foreign policy advice.

 

In case you do not recall the details of Berger’s unconscionable breach of national security, while preparing for his testimony before the 9/11 Commission, Berger stuffed classified documents from the Archives in his socks and down his pants before spiriting them out of the building.  After hiding the documents under a construction trailer for a period of time, he later retrieved them, took them home, and destroyed them with scissors.  Why?  Because the documents evidently did not cast the Clinton administration in a favorable light with respect to its response to terrorism.

 

Berger was caught only because suspicious Archives staffers staged in informal sting operation.  He claims he only stole copies.  But according to the House Government Reform Committee, Berger had access to original documents as well.  In other words, we will likely never know what else he may have taken and destroyed, and how much damage he caused.

 

Just the sort of guy you want at the top of your campaign’s foreign policy team, don’t you think? 

 

In July 2005, Judicial Watch filed a bar complaint against Berger.  Facing the prospect of losing his law license, Berger decided to “voluntarily” relinquish his law license.  (Trust me.  There was nothing voluntary about it.)  His security clearance, would, of course, be reinstated just in time for a Hillary presidency.

 

Hillary’s connections to Berger shouldn’t surprise anyone.  He’s been a friend (and criminal co-conspirator) of the Clintons for a long time.  In fact, he helped mastermind the Chinagate scandal, which involved the illegal sale of trade mission seats in exchange for campaign contributions to the Clinton-Gore campaign.  And clearly Hillary has proven she has no problem surrounding herself with criminals.  (See Norman Hsu.)

 

None the less, once the press got hold of Berger’s role as advisor to the Democratic presidential front-runner, the Clinton campaign did attempt to distance itself from Berger, claiming he has “no official role.”  That means absolutely nothing, of course.  After all, Hillary Clinton had “no official role” in the Clinton administration, and we all know how much mischief she was able to create without a proper title.

 

The important issue with respect to Berger is this:  As a foreign policy advisor to candidate (and potential president) Hillary Clinton, he would presumably have access to sensitive information, and he has proven time and time again that he cannot be trusted.  By continuing to use the criminal Berger as an advisor, Mrs. Clinton again shows that contempt for the rule of law is as much of a “policy” for her as universal health care.

 

Judicial Watch Obtains New FDA Documents Re: Abortion Pill RU-486

 

As you likely will recall, Judicial Watch has been involved in a legal battle with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over documents pertaining to the approval of the abortion pill RU-486.  (Click here to read more.) 

 

According to documents we’ve uncovered thus far, in order to appease the abortion lobby, the Clinton FDA misused a measure intended for lifesaving drugs to rush the abortion pill through the approval process.  We also uncovered clinical trials that proved RU-486 has caused numerous serious side effects for the women who take it, and has been linked to multiple deaths.  The results of our legal and investigative work has led to calls to ban the drug from the market.

 

The story with respect to the FDA’s decision on the abortion pill, however, continues to get more interesting (and disturbing).

 

Judicial Watch recently received 175 pages of brand new documents regarding RU-486 that had been previously withheld by the FDA.  Here are just a few of the details uncovered by Judicial Watch in this latest document release:

 

·         Despite the FDA’s refusal to disclose where the abortion pill is manufactured, these documents confirm that the China-based Hua Lian Pharmaceutical Company manufactured RU-486 at the time of approval. This seems to be the first official document confirming that the abortion drug has been manufactured in China.

 

·         The documents indicate that not only did Hua Lian fail its first FDA safety inspection, but that the company was not in compliance with safety requirements at the time the FDA approved the facility for manufacturing on August 15, 2000. 

 

·         The documents also show the extent to which the pro-abortion lobby was involved in the approval process.  For example, one of the trials used by the FDA to justify its decision was conducted by Dr. Suzanne Poppema, President of the National Abortion Federation.  Another trial was performed by Dr. Daniel Mishell, a senior scientist for RU-486's patent holder, the Population Council.

 

·         RU-486 must be used in conjunction with another drug (Cytotec) that is not approved as an abortifacient.  According to FDA internal communications obtained by Judicial Watch, the agency knowingly participated in the “off label” use of Cytotec and helped the drug’s manufacturer, Searle, craft a letter designed to protect the company from legal liability for the unauthorized use of the drug.

 

Without a doubt, these documents show the reckless and politicized nature of the FDA’s decision to approve the abortion pill.  And the FDA, for its part, has a lot of explaining to do.  For starters, why has the FDA previously refused to disclose the Chinese connection and the related safety issues?  Why did the FDA allow the abortion lobby to participate in the clinical trial process?  And why did the agency participate in the unauthorized use of the drug?  The American people deserve answers.

 

The more we find out about the decision to approve RU-486, the more reason we have for concern.  JW will, of course, continue to investigate and to push for the release of all documents pertaining to this dangerous drug.  In the meantime, be sure to check our special report “The Clinton RU-486 Files,” which describes some of what we’ve discovered thus far.  (The latest FDA documents will hit our Internet site, www.judicialwatch.org, next week.)

 

GAO Report:  Government Employees Waste $146 million on Improper “Premium Class Travel”

 

Government employees are apparently enjoying the benefits of “premium class travel” on your dime, in violation of policies mandating they buy coach fares in most cases, according to a new report by the General Accounting Office (GAO), the watchdog arm of Congress.  And that’s just in one year!

 

According to the report, released last week:

 

“A weak control environment and breakdowns in specific internal control procedures resulted in at least $146 million in improper first and business class travel by executive branch agencies over the 12-month period ending June 30, 2006.”

 

The GAO cites a number of egregious examples.  Here’s just one of them:

 

“A senior executive at FAS (Foreign Agricultural Service) took 10 premium class trips from Washington, D.C., to Geneva, Paris, and other destinations in Western Europe from July 1, 2005, through September 30, 2006.  In violation of USDA’s policies and procedures, these trips were authorized by the executive’s subordinate—tantamount to self-authorization.  These tickets were not only improper, but because these tickets totaled more than $62,000 compared to less than $9,000 in coach, the $53,000 difference between business and coach class travel was abusive.”

 

Apparently, the worst offenders are senior government executives, who represent less than one half of 1% of the federal workforce, while accounting for 15% of the premium class travel costs.  Nothing surprising there. 

 

The bottom line:  This is yet another example of the hubris of government officials who have completely forgotten they are public servants, not royalty.  All rules regulating the travel of government employees must be enforced.  Moreover, those who violated those rules should be held personally accountable.  The problem of government corruption is not limited to high-level politicians, it is too pervasive (and expensive) in our large federal bureaucracy. 

 

On that happy note, until next week…

Tom Fitton
President

Judicial Watch is a non-partisan, educational foundation organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code. Judicial Watch is dedicated to fighting government and judicial corruption and promoting a return to ethics and morality in our nation's public life. To make a tax-deductible contribution in support of our efforts, click here.