We Can Block the Clinton Pardons!

0 Comments | Insight on the News, May 28, 2001 | by Larry Klayman

Dear Friend:

I urge you to immediately join Judicial Watch in demanding that President George W. Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft act immediately to declare void over 44 pardons issued by President Bill Clinton during the waning hours of his presidency in January. I have included a list of the individuals in question for you.

In a nutshell, they are illegal because they were handed down by Bill Clinton without the specificity required by law to allow the U.S. Department of Justice to process the pardon applications and issue a pardon warrant. These pardons are not valid, and President Bush may and should cancel them. Case law, including U.S. Supreme Court precedent, stands for the proposition that President Bush can cancel these pardons. The attempted Clinton pardons concern individuals like Roger Clinton, Bill's brother, Susan McDougal, Glen Braswell and friends of Jesse Jackson.

Let me stress to you that this is not a matter of politics; it is a simple fact that the clear, objective regulations of the law were not followed in these over 44 pardon cases, rendering the pardons illegal. As partisan a Democrat as you will find, attorney Julian Epstein, the top Democratic lawyer on the House Judiciary Committee, went on CNN's "Larry King Live" on February 26th and said "... President Bush actually has the legal ability to rescind these pardons if they haven't been delivered. Ulysses Grant rescinded pardons that were given out by President Johnson...."

My friend, this is a moment of testing - for George W. Bush and his Administration.

If the President really means to carry out his campaign pledge to "restore honor and integrity to the Oval Office," then he must do his duty under the law and void the over 44 pardons granted by Bill Clinton illegally. What does "honor and integrity" mean, if it does not mean upholding the law and the Constitution?

Clearly, the President and the Attorney General need to hear from citizens like you and me about these illegal pardons. They are avoiding any public comments on this matter. Rather, President Bush says that "we should move on" and ignore Clinton corruption.

That is why I urge you to endorse your "Citizens Call to Action" and return it to me, along with your most generous tax-deductible contribution, as soon as you possibly can. Every day is vital in this effort, since we must stop the Department of Justice from processing and delivering the over 44 illegal Clinton pardons!

Americans are finally, rightly outraged by the "Arkansas Grifter's" brazen contempt for the constitutional powers of the office he besmirched, as etched indelibly on the public consciousness by the midnight "grants of clemency" obtained through fraud, extortion, bribery and other illegal acts.

My concern, our concern here at Judicial Watch, has always been respect for the law and justice. And that is why we are continuing, on so many legal fronts, to fight to bring Bill and Hillary Clinton to justice for their many violations of the law, because no one is above the law!

But right now, what I want to see is George W Bush and John Ashcroft do their duty and void the over 44 illegal Clinton pardons. To fail to block these pardons will send a terrible signal to the country - that the new Administration thinks it is more important to be "civil" than to follow the Constitution.

If you endorse our efforts to cancel these pardons, I hope that you will also be able to make a tax-deductible contribution to help Judicial Watch.

If the Administration fails to do its duty, then Judicial Watch is prepared to take whatever legal action is necessary to pursue and defend justice in the matter of the illegal pardons. I hope that the Administration will do the right thing, but we must be ready for the worst.

Here is my solemn pledge to you: if the Bush Administration will not stand firm for the Constitution and the clear rule of law, Judicial Watch will!

Whether it is the Clinton scandals, uncovering the corrupt legislative deals that lie behind California's energy crisis, or fighting the Gestapo-like tactics of Teamsters and political hatchet-men in Philadelphia, Judicial Watch is battling in courts around the country for our fundamental principle - no one is above the law!

Our litigation, of necessity, comes at a high price. And that is why I urge you to make an especially generous contribution today. Our work exposing the corruption of the Clinton Presidency is now unquestionably making an impact on the American public - but we must continue to fight on all fronts to see that justice is done where it counts, in the courts.

It really is important that you endorse our stand on the illegal pardons and make your contribution as soon as possible. Our efforts to void the pardons are underway now and we need all the help we can get to stop the Department of Justice from processing and delivering these illegal pardons to their intended recipients.

Your support of our work is so very important to us, and to the preservation of the rule of law in our beloved nation. Thanks to your sacrifice and dedication, we are keeping the spotlight of public attention on government corruption, even when our leaders want to ignore it. I hope I can count on you again today.