| For Immediate Release Feb 20, 2002 |
Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
TAXPAYERS FORCED TO PAY FOR DEFENSE OF LAWSUIT OVER ILLEGAL WHITE HOUSE OFFICE “BIG BROTHER” DATABASE (Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest law firm that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, was in court yesterday raising questions about why the Bush Justice Department is providing free legal representation to Hillary Clinton in a lawsuit concerning her conspiracy with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to misuse White House computer resources to create the White House Office Database, named “WHoDb.” Hillary Clinton and the DNC are being sued by White House whistleblower Sheryl Hall for conspiracy. Ms. Hall, who is represented by Judicial Watch, was forced out of her career staff position at the Clinton-Gore White House after she complained that the White House Office Database (a.k.a. the Big Brother database), which tracked Democratic party donors, was in violation of the Hatch Act and other federal laws which prohibit government resources being used for political fundraising. The case is on appeal and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard oral argument on the matter yesterday. Over the objections of Ms. Hall and Judicial Watch, the Bush Justice Department represents Hillary Clinton in this lawsuit free of charge, saying that it is in its “discretion” to represent private parties. Interestingly, both the Clinton and Bush Justice Department have not represented Hillary Clinton in Judicial Watch’s FBI files “Filegate” lawsuit, in which she is also being sued personally. (Sheryl Hall also exposed the E-mailgate scandal, which saw millions of Clinton-Gore White House e-mails withheld from investigators. In order to keep the e-mail secret, Clinton-Gore officials threatened White House computer contractors with jail and job loss.) “During the Appeals Court hearing yesterday, I had to shake my head in wonderment at the sight of the Bush Justice Department working hand in hand with the DNC to defend the Hillary Clinton-led conspiracy to use the White House computer systems for illegal fundraising and to destroy heroic government employees such as Sheryl Hall who got in their way. Rather than improperly giving Hillary Clinton free legal representation in this private lawsuit, the Bush Justice Department ought to be prosecuting her for this illegal database and retaliation,” stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman. | |