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07-22-2007, 09:17 AM
Gov’t Agrees to Pay Judicial Watch $842,500 in Attorney’s Costs Related to Clinton Scandals
Clinton Administration Destroyed Documents Involving Illegal Scheme to Sell Seats on Taxpayer-Funded Trade Missions for Campaign Contributions
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has approved a settlement by which the U.S. Commerce Department has agreed to pay Judicial Watch $842,500 in attorney’s fees and costs arising from a lengthy and contentious Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit that sought access to records concerning a infamous Clinton Administration fundraising scandal [Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Commerce, Civil Action No. 95-133 (RCL)]. An appellate court largely upheld the award on December 1, 2006, after a nearly decade-long court battle between Judicial Watch and the Commerce Department.
The scandal involved a scheme by Clinton administration officials to sell seats on taxpayer-funded trade missions in exchange for campaign contributions to the Democratic National Committee. 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 seats on trade mission in exchange for campaign contributions. Specifically, the Court heard testimony on how Brown allegedly complained about being “Hillary’s [expletive] tour guide.”
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Clinton administration misconduct was so egregious that the Commerce Department took the unprecedented step of asking that the Court to enter a judgment against itself in order to end the lawsuit 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 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 the FBI. The litigation has been credited with getting the “ball rolling” on “Chinagate,” as many figures in this Clinton administration scandal, including John Huang and Charlie Trie, were involved in the sale of seats on Commerce Department trade missions as well.
“This settlement provides an important measure of accountability for the Clintons in one of the most damaging corruption scandals in recent history,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “At the same time, Bill and Hillary Clinton still have much to answer for in this scandal. Though the American people now know some of the costs, they deserve to know the full truth about Clinton corruption.”
In addition to the District Court’s $842,500 award, Judicial Watch was separately awarded $35,940 in attorney fees and costs incurred as a result of the Commerce Department’s largely unsuccessful appeal.
Clinton Administration Destroyed Documents Involving Illegal Scheme to Sell Seats on Taxpayer-Funded Trade Missions for Campaign Contributions
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has approved a settlement by which the U.S. Commerce Department has agreed to pay Judicial Watch $842,500 in attorney’s fees and costs arising from a lengthy and contentious Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit that sought access to records concerning a infamous Clinton Administration fundraising scandal [Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Commerce, Civil Action No. 95-133 (RCL)]. An appellate court largely upheld the award on December 1, 2006, after a nearly decade-long court battle between Judicial Watch and the Commerce Department.
The scandal involved a scheme by Clinton administration officials to sell seats on taxpayer-funded trade missions in exchange for campaign contributions to the Democratic National Committee. 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 seats on trade mission in exchange for campaign contributions. Specifically, the Court heard testimony on how Brown allegedly complained about being “Hillary’s [expletive] tour guide.”
continued story
Clinton administration misconduct was so egregious that the Commerce Department took the unprecedented step of asking that the Court to enter a judgment against itself in order to end the lawsuit 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 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 the FBI. The litigation has been credited with getting the “ball rolling” on “Chinagate,” as many figures in this Clinton administration scandal, including John Huang and Charlie Trie, were involved in the sale of seats on Commerce Department trade missions as well.
“This settlement provides an important measure of accountability for the Clintons in one of the most damaging corruption scandals in recent history,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “At the same time, Bill and Hillary Clinton still have much to answer for in this scandal. Though the American people now know some of the costs, they deserve to know the full truth about Clinton corruption.”
In addition to the District Court’s $842,500 award, Judicial Watch was separately awarded $35,940 in attorney fees and costs incurred as a result of the Commerce Department’s largely unsuccessful appeal.