Anonymous
29th July 2002, 21:03
"No one is above the law." That is the slogan of Judicial Watch, the dogged legal watchdog group that investigates and prosecutes abuses of power. The group was founded in 1994 and quickly became President Clintons most relentless foe, launching numerous lawsuits related to the so-called Whitewater scandal, Waco, the deaths of Ron Brown and Vince Foster, they even filed a suit on behalf of an alleged former Slick Willy girlfriend. For many on the left, the organization appeared to be just another right-wing attack group with a pathological contempt for Clinton and his cronies. But since Bush has taken office, Judicial Watch has shown that its targets are not just shifty Democrats, but anyone in office who abuses power. Recently, JW has set their sights on the shady dealings of Dick Cheney, suing to get the Vice President to release documents related to his super-secret National Energy Policy Development Group. Last week, when they tried to serve a complaint in their suit on behalf of Halliburton shareholders, Halliburton ex-CEO Dick Cheney refused to accept it. In a time when dissent is a dirty, and often dangerous, word, it's groups like Judicial Watch that need our support.
The following is a JW press release describing their latest attempts at serving justice:
BUSH-CHENEY WHITE HOUSE OBSTRUCTS HALLIBURTON LAWSUIT
Process Server Threatened With Jail By White House Security
White House Refuses to Allow Complaint to be Lawfully Served On Vice President Cheney
(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes public corruption, today reported that security staff at The White House threatened a process server with arrest over his attempt to serve Vice President Cheney with a complaint filed against him by Judicial Watch on behalf of shareholders of Halliburton. It is a crime to interfere with service of process.
According to an affidavit of due diligence filed in the case, the process server attempted to serve the complaint on the Vice President at The White House and was told by a security officer that he would not accept the papers for the Vice President. According to the process servers sworn statement, the security officer said that if I dropped them [the federal court summons and complaint], he would arrest me. The attempted service was made on July 22, 2002.
No lawyer for Vice President Cheney has contacted Judicial Watch to accept service on the Vice Presidents behalf.
We have served many a lawsuit on Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and Hillary Clinton when they were in The White House. The Clinton White House accepted the papers. Never before have our process servers been threatened with arrest. If this Bush-Cheney White House is serious about corporate corruption and responsibility, it would not allow the Vice President to improperly hide behind White House security to evade service of process in the Halliburton securities fraud litigation, and it would not threaten the process server with arrest, stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman.
Judicial Watch will continue to attempt service on the Vice President and will move for appropriate sanctions if Vice President Cheney continues to obstruct court process. Mr. Cheney is not above the law.
The following is a JW press release describing their latest attempts at serving justice:
BUSH-CHENEY WHITE HOUSE OBSTRUCTS HALLIBURTON LAWSUIT
Process Server Threatened With Jail By White House Security
White House Refuses to Allow Complaint to be Lawfully Served On Vice President Cheney
(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes public corruption, today reported that security staff at The White House threatened a process server with arrest over his attempt to serve Vice President Cheney with a complaint filed against him by Judicial Watch on behalf of shareholders of Halliburton. It is a crime to interfere with service of process.
According to an affidavit of due diligence filed in the case, the process server attempted to serve the complaint on the Vice President at The White House and was told by a security officer that he would not accept the papers for the Vice President. According to the process servers sworn statement, the security officer said that if I dropped them [the federal court summons and complaint], he would arrest me. The attempted service was made on July 22, 2002.
No lawyer for Vice President Cheney has contacted Judicial Watch to accept service on the Vice Presidents behalf.
We have served many a lawsuit on Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and Hillary Clinton when they were in The White House. The Clinton White House accepted the papers. Never before have our process servers been threatened with arrest. If this Bush-Cheney White House is serious about corporate corruption and responsibility, it would not allow the Vice President to improperly hide behind White House security to evade service of process in the Halliburton securities fraud litigation, and it would not threaten the process server with arrest, stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman.
Judicial Watch will continue to attempt service on the Vice President and will move for appropriate sanctions if Vice President Cheney continues to obstruct court process. Mr. Cheney is not above the law.