Posted on 09/04/2002 1:14:58 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, P.C.
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
3233 P Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20007-2756
(202) 342-6980 · FAX (202) 342-6984For more information contact:
(202) 342-6980
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Federal Judge Permits Linda Tripp to Prove Multiple Privacy Act Violations Committed By Defense Department
Bush Administration Motion to Dismiss Denied
Washington, D.C. , September 4, 2002 In a 19-page written ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan has rejected the Bush Administrations attempt to dismiss a complaint filed by Mrs. Linda Tripp alleging that the Defense Department committed multiple violations of the Privacy Act over a 2-month period of time in 1998. The court denied efforts by bureaucrats in the Bush Administration to limit Mrs. Tripps case to just one leak to Jane Mayer of the New Yorker that the government now admits was committed by Ken Bacon, former DOD spokesman, and Clifford Bernath, another DOD official, in violation of the Privacy Act. However, published news accounts show that numerous leaks of Mrs. Tripps personnel and security records occurred in early 1998.
Although Mrs. Tripp had from the outset of this case alleged that the DOD made numerous unauthorized disclosures of information to the press and public from Mrs. Tripps personnel and security files between late January and late March, 1998, the Bush Administration fought vigorously to prevent Mrs. Tripp from conducting any discovery or seeking any judicial relief for these multiple Privacy Act violations. The government fought hard to prevent Mrs. Tripp from obtaining any information about these horrible leaks or to seek any damages based on the egregious multiple violations that occurred.
Mrs. Tripps Privacy Act case alleges that the Clinton Administration leaked information from government files to discredit and malign her in retaliation for providing evidence to the Office of Independent Counsel which eventually resulted in the impeachment of President Clinton.
Mrs. Tripps attorneys, Stephen M. Kohn, David Colapinto and Michael Kohn issued the following statement:
"The way the government has treated Linda Tripp after she became a whistleblower is nothing short of horrific. She was under a legal duty to document and disclose illegal conduct committed by former President Clinton. By all accounts, before she blew the whistle, Mrs. Tripps work performance was consistently rated as outstanding. Now, her attempt to obtain employment, even at a lower grade and lower salary, and her efforts to obtain justice have been opposed by bureaucrats in the Bush Administration. The dislike and even hatred of Mrs. Tripp came about because she was subjected to a vicious smear campaign in order to save a presidency. We believe that this ruling by the court is an important step towards justice for Linda Tripp."
A copy of the courts ruling may be found at www.kkc.com/whistleblower.htm
or www.lindatripp.com or www.dcd.uscourts.gov/district-court-recent.html
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the Bush Administrations attempt to dismiss hardly is a credit to the current people in power.
Go Linda. I love you for what you did.
I hope this opens the floodgates.
We are talking about the Imperial Federal Government here. Nothing will come of this. Believe me.
we know the motivation of the individuals and that they no lonfer function in positions of power.
Says it all...
It makes more sense that way.
I can't see the Bush administration knowingly supporting what Slick began here.
In my opinion, it is precisely the institution that is at fault. I spent many years in Federal service and learned that lesson early on.
Nor I. At least I hope not. And Jim's post(VI. Summary Judgment & CONCLUSION, thread post #11 )is incredibly insightful regarding the effort the defendents put into Linda's case. It almost appears as if the government lawyers purposefully forced the judge to rule as he did...in accordance with the law. I like that. A lot. One can hope, at any rate, that this was the plan.
GO LINDA GO!!!!
I certainly didn't vote him into office to dump on her too.
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