Thread: Court Upholds $900,000 Award to Judicial Watch

Dec 21, 2006

Judicial Watch Victory:Appellate Court Upholds Nearly $900,000 Award in Attorney’s Fees and Costs in Clinton Scandal FOIA Lawsuit

Clinton Administration Destroyed Documents Involving Illegal Scheme to Sell Taxpayer-Funded Trade Missions for Campaign Contributions

http://www.judicialwatch.org/6092.shtml

(Washington, DC) –Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. upheld the vast majority of a lower court award to Judicial Watch of nearly $900,000 in attorney’s fees and costs in a lawsuit related to the Clinton fundraising scandals (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Commerce, Appeal No. 05-5366) The fees were awarded on December 1, 2006, after a nearly decade-long court battle between Judicial Watch and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The scandal involved a scheme by Clinton administration officials to sell seats on taxpayer-funded trade missions in exchange for campaign contributions to the 1996 Clinton-Gore campaign. When Judicial Watch began investigating the scandal, Clinton administration officials deliberately concealed and destroyed records regarding the trade missions to avoid releasing them to Judicial Watch. In fact, Ms. Nolanda Hill, a business partner and confidante of then-Clinton Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, testified at a dramatic court hearing during the litigation that the Clinton White House “instructed” Brown "to delay the [Judicial Watch] case by withholding the production of documents prior to the 1996 elections, and to devise a way not to comply with the court’s orders."

(Ms. Hill also testified that Brown, who was killed in a plane crash during a trade mission to Bosnia, admitted to her that Hillary Clinton conceived of the scheme to sell trade mission seats. Specifically, the court heard testimony on how Brown allegedly complained about being “Hillary’s [expletive] tour guide.”)

Clinton administration misconduct was so egregious that the Commerce Department took the unprecedented step of asking that a judgment be entered against itself in order to end the lawsuit prematurely and stop further revelations. The court denied the Commerce Department’s request, ordered it to conduct a new search for trade mission records and authorized additional discovery into the illegal concealment and destruction of government records.

The lower court also noted that “…disclosures made as a result of this litigation spurred two Congressional committee investigations and a Federal Election Commission investigation into (the Commerce Department’s) alleged sale of foreign mission trade seats. Further, the DOC revised its trade mission participant selection policy to explicitly exclude consideration of past political contributions and activities.” In addition, a criminal inquiry was launched by the Justice Department and FBI.

“We’re pleased the appellate court upheld the award and held the government accountable for its Clinton-era misconduct. Frankly, the Clintons still have a lot to answer for in this scandal,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “This is a vindication of Judicial Watch’s persistence in prosecuting this long battle to let the sun shine in on government corruption.”

For information related to Judicial Watch’s Chinagate investigation and related lawsuits click here.

And yet the Clintons are still free and getting richer by the day as they call in markers.

And yet the Clintons are still free and getting richer by the day as they call in markers.

ya'll noticed that too huh?

admitted to her that Hillary Clinton conceived of the scheme to sell trade mission seats. Specifically, the court heard testimony on how Brown allegedly complained about being “Hillary’s [expletive] tour guide.”)

And this woman could be president.

Mr. Brown's death was convenient - wasn't it?

Did I hear that Judicial Watch has asked the government for all the 'non-matching' SS#. I know I am saying that wrong, but I think it is the report sent in by employers to the government that 'doesn't match up'.

Did anyone else hear about this?

Three cheers for Judicial Watch!!!

Did I hear that Judicial Watch has asked the government for all the 'non-matching' SS#. I know I am saying that wrong, but I think it is the report sent in by employers to the government that 'doesn't match up'.

YEP

http://www.judicialwatch.org/6081.shtml

Judicial Watch Lawsuit Seeks Social Security Data Linked to Illegal Alien Fraud

Open Records Lawsuit Seeks a List of Top 100 Employers with the “highest number of Social Security number mismatches”




(Washington, DC) -- Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the Social Security Administration (Judicial Watch v. Social Security Administration, Case No. 1:06CV02034). Judicial Watch is seeking documents identifying the top 100 corporations in the United States receiving the highest number of “no match” letters from the Social Security Administration.

In its November 29 complaint, Judicial Watch asks the court to compel the Social Security Administration to comply with Judicial Watch’s June 29, 2006 FOIA request seeking: “All records detailing the top 100 U.S. employers receiving the highest number of Social Security number mismatches, as described by the Social Security Administration’s Code V letter program (EDCOR).” (Under the program, the Social Security Administration sends letters to employers identifying the Social Security numbers of employees who do not match names or numbers in the Social Security Administration’s records.)

Judicial Watch believes, based on media reports and its own field investigations, that a large number of illegal aliens are using false Social Security numbers in order to unlawfully work in the United States. (A “crackdown” against this practice occurred yesterday, as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids were conducted in six states.) Judicial Watch is seeking statistical data related to the companies with the highest number of Social Security number mismatches, not information pertaining to individual Social Security numbers.

“Identity-theft (the use of fake or stolen Social Security numbers) by illegal immigrants is an expensive fraud on our Social Security system. The more information released about this ongoing problem, the better,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

Judicial Watch is a non-partisan, educational foundation organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code.

Thanks, Xanadu, for the article.

Sometimes I just hear things on the run and things like this don't get repeated dozens of times a day - like celebrity weddings, etc.

things like this don't get repeated dozens of times a day - like celebrity weddings, etc.

Isn't that the truth.

xanadu,
Please post the SS story under the news section.