Judicial Watch Obtains Pardon Records for Fugitive Marc Rich (Release on March 20)

Judicial Watch ^ | March 17, 2008

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(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained the official pardon application submitted to the Clinton White House by attorney Jack Quinn December 11, 2000, on behalf of former fugitive Marc Rich, who fled the United States in 1983 to avoid prosecution on racketeering, wire fraud and tax evasion charges. The fugitive Rich was one of about 140 criminals who received pardons from Bill Clinton in the last hours of his administration on January 20, 2001. The pardon application was made available in response to a Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request made on August 8, 2006.

The Rich pardon was particularly scandalous because of large contributions made by Denise Rich, Marc Rich’s ex-wife, to Hillary Clinton’s Senate campaign and to the Clinton Presidential Library foundation in the months leading up to the Rich pardon. The Rich pardon application includes a letter excerpt from Denise Rich: “My husband and I could not return to the United States because… no one would listen -- all the prosecutors appeared to think about was the prospect of imprisoning Marc for the rest of his life. With a life sentence at stake, and press and media fueled by the US. Attorney, we felt he had no choice but to remain out of the country,” Denise Rich wrote. The National Archives, under the direction of Bill Clinton, continues to withhold from public disclosure hundreds of pages regarding the pardons.

“Denise Rich personally appealed to the Clinton administration to pardon her ex-husband while she was dumping large amounts of cash into the Clintons’ coffers,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “If that’s not a quid pro quo, I don’t know what is.”

Key members of Bill Clinton’s own staff were opposed to the Rich pardon. Three White House officials, White House Chief of Staff John Podesta, White House counsel Beth Nolan and deputy counsel Bruce Lindsey all testified to Congress that they recommended against granting a pardon to Rich.

Just one month after he received the pardon, Rich reportedly served as a middle man for several of Iraq’s suspect oil deals in the infamous UN Oil-for-Food scandal, which allowed Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi regime to pocket billions of dollars intended for humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people. (R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., in his recent book The Clinton Crack-Up, reports that Bill Clinton met with Rich in Geneva since leaving the White House.)

In other news related to Judicial Watch’s investigation of Clinton Presidential Library records, Judicial Watch expects to receive 10,000 pages of former First Lady Hillary Clinton’s daily schedule records by March 20, 2008, the date of a status hearing in Judicial Watch’s lawsuit in the matter [Judicial Watch, Inc. v U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Civil Action No: 1:07-cv-01267 (JR)].

For more information on Judicial Watch’s campaign to force the release of Hillary Clinton’s White House records, please visit www.judicialwatch.org.

To see the pardon document, click here.

March 17, 2006

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MARC RICH, 2001

In 1983, financier Rich was indicted for evading more than $48 million in taxes, and charged with 51 counts of tax fraud, as well as running illegal oil deals with Iran during the 1979-1980 hostage crisis. During his last week in office, President Bill Clinton pardoned Rich, who had fled the U.S. during his prosecution and was residing in Switzerland. Clinton's eleventh-hour move, along with pardons of his half-brother, Roger, and former business partner Susan McDougal, outraged Republicans and Democrats alike. The Rich pardon sparked an investigation into whether it was bought by the hefty donations Rich's ex-wife, Denise, had given to the Clintons and the Democrats.

[Rudder]

You're going against the grain by posting an article that could possibly damage Clinton's chances.

You can redeem yourself only if you join the sheeple and post something degrading to Obama.

[singfreedom]

Good Grief. Rudder, I can't think of a soul who's ever posted on FR, dead or alive, that actually supports Hillary! It is certainly no secret that she and her husband should be listing a federal penn as their permanent address.

On the other hand, I can't support the racist Osama Obama either. Frankly, I welcome negative articles about either—or both—of them! The ideal, I suppose, would be news that they are having a torrid Spitzerish affair-—with each other! ;^)

[raygun]

Unbelieble.

What has Free Republic become if it allows a single post pertaining to Juicial Watch to stand unchallenged?

The Horror, the horror!

How the mighty have fallen. Horror, I tell you.

Aside from the horror of Wide Awakes running the show, I’ll present you REAL horror: “Hey, look at thid thing, I bet I could play it.”

[mkjessup]

Romania had the Ceausescus, America has the Clintons.

In a perfect world, the latter would exit like the former.

[DManA]

I think Rich’s worst crime was lying about his military service so he could get buried in Arlington.

[JohnnyP]

No, that was some other guy.

[Ben Hecks]

That was Larry Lawrence. So many scandals, so little time.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

Will the Clintons go to jail? I doubt it.

[Dante3]

I just want the Clintons go away. After all their scandals and Clinton fatigue, here is Hillary again. What a disaster if she became POTUS. Ditto regarding McCain and Obama. In Iraq McCain revealed his ignorance and pulled yet another gaffe and Lieberman had to come to his rescue. Also, Obama’s Rev. Wright problem will not go away.

[angcat]

For real?

They should dig him up.

[TommyDale]

I wish Judicial Watch would also look into the Hugh McColl/BankofAmerica $500,000 “contribution” to the Clinton Foundation two weeks prior to his buddy Rick Hendrick being pardoned.

[DManA]

I’m sorry, I was thinking of another Clinton scum chum named Lawrence. They did dig HIM up.

[angcat]

LOL

[raygun]

Judicial Watch is THE most contemptible and despicable crop of mold that has arisen as a result of genetic engineering (or as a byproduct of exposure to toxic waste). Wait, wait, wait, it MIGHT be "something" else. I doubt it though....

You talk to ANYBODY around here, and you will find that YOU are barking up the wrong tree around here.

I konw this for a FACT.

[angcat]

You talk to ANYBODY around here, and you will find that YOU are barking up the wrong tree around here.

What in the hell are you talking about??????????????