White House Heavily Redacts Clinton Papers (Pardons Documents)

ABC News ^ | 3/19/05

[Libloather]

White House Heavily Redacts Clinton Papers
Bush Administration Blacks Out Almost All Information in Documents on Clinton Pardons
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON Mar 19, 2005 — The Bush administration blacked out almost all the information in hundreds of documents before releasing them to a conservative organization looking into President Clinton's controversial pardons four years ago on his last day in office.

The only items not deleted from the material are the names of the person who wrote the document and the person it was sent to.

The government accountability group Judicial Watch said Friday that it received the Justice Department documents following a court battle that featured a Republican administration fighting to keep secret documents generated by its Democratic predecessor.

The Bush White House has argued that releasing pardon-related documents would have a chilling effect on internal discussions leading up to presidential action on such requests.

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton called it an instance of the Bush administration covering up a Clinton administration scandal.

The group plans to return to court to challenge the deletions, which cover nearly everything that is written on a total of 915 pages.

A federal appeals court ruled a year ago in the case that the White House can't claim Justice Department records are covered by a special exemption from the law reserved for presidential communications.

Among the 140 people Clinton pardoned on Jan. 20, 2001 was fugitive financier Marc Rich. Rich's wife, a Democratic fund-raiser, contributed $450,000 to Clinton's presidential library foundation and more than $100,000 to Hillary Rodham Clinton's U.S. Senate campaign.

Rich's name does not appear on any of the 915 pages.

The department invoked exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act that allow deletions for reasons such as documents being part of internal deliberations or containing personal information.

[bitt]

http://www.judicialwatch.org/4873.shtml

'Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, is in receipt of 915 blacked-out pages relating to the Clinton pardon scandal after four years of litigation. Judicial Watch originally filed a Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) request for the Clinton pardon documents on January 29, 2001.



In May of 2004 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled the Bush Administration’s claim of presidential communications privileges regarding the Justice Department documents “. . .would be both contrary to executive privilege precedent and considerably undermine the purposes of FOIA to foster openness and accountability in government.” Furthermore the Court added that such an extension “. . . would have far-reaching implications for the entire executive branch that would seriously impede the operation and scope of FOIA.” (To review the Court’s decision, click here )



The Justice Department produced 915 blacked-out pages of records to Judicial Watch in reply to the Court of Appeals ruling, citing the “deliberative process” and other exemptions.



Initially the Bush Administration, asserting executive privilege, fought to prevent the release of the documents. On January 21, 2004 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard oral arguments in Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of Justice (01-0639 (USDC DC)). It was Judicial Watch’s goal to force the Bush Justice Department to release the thousands of documents relating to President Bill Clinton’s controversial pardons.



There were 177 Clinton pardons, including one for fugitive financier Marc Rich. Some of the pardons were granted in spite of criminal investigations going on at the time, yet the Bush Administration continues its fight to prevent any sunshine from illuminating the 4,300 pages related to the pardons.



“The Justice Department turned over a mere fraction of the documents, all of which were nearly completely redacted. This document black-out is an insult to the Court and a slap in the face to the American people. It boggles the mind that the Bush Administration would go to such unprecedented lengths to cover up a Clinton Administration scandal,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The Justice Department behavior is also ironic considering this is National Sunshine Week, which seeks to highlight government openness.”'

[international american]

Thanks for nothing, Bush.

[sirchtruth]

IMO, JW is a bunch of useless windbags that has done absolutely NOTHING in the past 10-15 years!

[Pittsburg Phil]

Bush and the GOP still don't know how to play hardball with the DemoRats.

Look for them to fold on judicial nominees, too.

And by the way, why isn't Sandy HamBurger in prison yet???

[EagleUSA]

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton called it an instance of the Bush administration covering up a Clinton administration scandal.
=====
Washington elitists protecting Washington elitists -- (saying the same thing really, just in a slightly different way).

[YaYa123]

This action by the Bush Administration is further proof that President Bush keeps his word. He promised to restore the integrity of the White House. He also wants to preserve presidential power, and this isn't the first time his actions have coincidently benefited Bill Clinton.

It's awesome isn't it? This dumber than dirt president, so maligned by the left and their media lapdogs, actually came to office with a full understanding of the presidency, and how important it is to protect the power of Executive branch of government from the courts and from the legislative bodies.

Bill Clinton corruption doesn't deserve the good treatment George Bush affords him, but Bush is big enough man to treat the Clinton administration with the same respect Bush wants from future presidents.

Oh it would be such fun to find out how many times Denise Rich secretly visited Bill Clinton to secure her husband's pardon, but in the over all scheme of things, it's much more important that Bush (and future presidents), be allowed to make their pardons without interference from political opponents.

I would have a stiff neck from turning the other cheek as often as George Bush has done it to the Clintons and the democrats......but he's a bigger man than even we knew.

[international american]

"This action by the Bush Administration is further proof that President Bush keeps his word. He promised to restore the integrity of the White House"

Restore integrity by covering up crimes of the evil party.
Yeah, pure logic, there. Course daddy is in bed with Clinton now, so we have to cover up.

[DJ Taylor]

President Clinton is not just an embarrassment to the Democrat Party he is also an embarrassment to the people of the United States. Any public airing of the crimes that Clinton participated in while President will not faze the Democrat constituency, as they are for the most part just like him. However, this information could be used by the enemies of our country to attack the integrity of the U.S. Government.

I believe that our President believes there is nothing to be gained by airing our dirty laundry for the world to see at this critical time.

[dominic7]

Wow I could not have ever expressed it better than that. You are spot on.

[YaYa123]

I politely disagree with your "daddy is in bed with Clinton now, so we have to cover up" assessment.

What you view as collusion, I view as our presidents exhibiting respect for each other. And while it personally aggravates the hell out of me to see the corrupt, rapist, lying, philandering president BC being treated with honor, I have to admit I'm proud George Bush is a Godly man of honor, doing the right thing, for the good of the country.

[Grateful One]

TRUTH is the purest form of "integrity".

[yoe]

DJ Taylor, YaYa123...I couldn't agree more!

[Lancey Howard]

Excellent post!

[JohnG45]

This dumber than dirt president, so maligned by the left and their media lapdogs, actually came to office with a full understanding of the presidency, and how important it is to protect the power of Executive branch of government from the courts and from the legislative bodies.

How does this restore integrity to the White House? By blacking out those documents President Bush became complicit in Clinton's corruption.

By doing this Bush becomes a smaller man - a much smaller man.

[DoughtyOne]

Look, this isn't indicative of a problem with Judicial Watch. Don't lay this on their doorstep. If you do you're missing the bigger picture. Why is the Bush administration carrying Clinton's water? At one time I thought it was a call to unity. I can't accept that claim any longer. This defies logic.

[ml/nj]

Could I suggest that you read the fifteenth Psalm. Here's the KJV:

1 Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. 4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. 5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

"Godly" men do not honor vile persons.

ML/NJ

[DoughtyOne]

What the world see instead, is that when our government is corrupt, we will sweep it under the carpet like all the third world nations do. Ah yes, much preferable don't you think?

[DoughtyOne]

Precisely!