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Politics : Bill Clinton Scandal - SANITY CHECK -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Neocon who wrote (58703)	8/17/1999 9:15:00 AM
From: jlallen	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 67261

Here's the letter: I sent to to my Senators and Congressman Charles Bass of my district: August 17, 1999 Via e-mail and first class mail The Honorable Senator/Representative __________ __________________Office Building Washington, D.C. ____________ Re: Interference with Congressional Investigation Dear Represenative/Senator _________: I was very disturbed by an article which appeared on the editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal dated August 17, 1999. The item appeared under a banner labeled "Asides" on page A22. This report seems to indicate John Chung has stated that Democratic staffers on the House Government Reform Committee were providing legal advice to potential witnesses during the investigation into campaign finance irregularities. In particular Mr. Chung alleges the Democratic staffers encouraged him to plead his Fifth Amendment rights. I have no issue with any individual asserting the rights guaranteed by the Constitution under advice from his own counsel. I do have a problem with unelected Congressional "staffers" giving legal advice to potential witnesses in upcoming Congressional investigations. The initial probes into this matter failed in large part, I believe, because of the large number of witnesses who plead their Fifth Amendment rights. No lesser an individual than Louis Freeh, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said that he had not seen such mass invocation of Fifth Amendment rights in any other instance short of investigations he had participated in with respect to the Mafia. I believe it would be warranted to look into how widely the practices Mr. Chung has alleged were engaged in by Congressional staffers. Why would the staffers for our elected Representatives in Congress who should be interested in getting to the bottom of this matter for the good of our country be seeking to find ways to stymie potentially useful testimony? How could such conduct be consonant with the Rules of the House of Representatives? Given that it is very possible that the campaign finance scandal may also be related to the inexplicably incompetent bumbling by the DOE, DOJ, FBI and other federal agencies with respect to our national security respecting nuclear weapons, I believe this "Aside" as reported deserves serious attention and perhaps its own investigation. If violations of House Rules or any laws are uncovered, Rep. Henry Waxman, the staffers and other Democratic members of the House Government Reform Committee ought to be held to account. If such conduct is not presently illegal or in violation of House Rules, it ought to be made so IMMEDIATELY. I thank you for your attention to this matter and I look forward to your reply. Very Truly Yours, John L. Allen, Esq. This link: visi.com will get you to the contact info for every state's Congressional delegation Hope you follow suit. I plan to copy Judicial Watch as well. JLA