Archivest blocks release of Clinton files - Pertains to pardons made by Bill Clinton

[Wndrtch]

Gee, I wonder why they don't want that information released?

Hmmm, makes you wonder.


By Peter Eisler, USA TODAY

LITTLE ROCK — Federal archivists at the Clinton Presidential Library are blocking the release of hundreds of pages of White House papers on pardons that the former president approved, including clemency for fugitive commodities trader Marc Rich.

So, what could POSSIBLY be in those files? What skeletons lurk behind those doors?


In January 2006, USA TODAY requested documents about the pardons under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The library made 4,000 pages available this week. However, 1,500 pages were either partially redacted or withheld entirely, including 300 pages covering internal White House communications on pardon decisions, such as memos to and from the president, and reports on which pardon requests the Justice Department opposed.


Former president Clinton issued 140 pardons on his last day in office, including several to controversial figures, such as commodities trader Rich, then a fugitive on tax evasion charges. Rich's ex-wife, Denise, contributed $2,000 in 1999 to Hillary Clinton's Senate campaign; $5,000 to a related political action committee; and $450,000 to a fund set up to build the Clinton library.

The president also pardoned two men who each paid Sen. Clinton's brother, Hugh Rodham, about $200,000 to lobby the White House for pardons — one for a drug conviction and one for mail fraud and perjury convictions, according to a 2002 report by the House committee on government reform. After the payments came to light, Bill Clinton issued a statement: "Neither Hillary nor I had any knowledge of such payments," the report said.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-03-06-clinton-library-foia_N.htm?csp=34

[PatrickHenry]

Hmm.. I wonder what files will be unavailable after George Bush leaves office with his hundreds of pardons in January of 2009...

Absolutely doesn't give WJ Clinton any excuse for his round of last minute pardons, though.

Question: What was the last President who DID NOT ISSUE pardons in January of their final year in office?

And why do they wait for the last minute?

Two words: Public Opinion.

[Wndrtch]

Hmm.. I wonder what files will be unavailable after George Bush leaves office with his hundreds of pardons in January of 2009...

Absolutely doesn't give WJ Clinton any excuse for his round of last minute pardons, though.

Question: What was the last President who DID NOT ISSUE pardons in January of their final year in office?

And why do they wait for the last minute?

Two words: Public Opinion.


LOL!

I'm suprised you think he can sign his name to them in the first place!

By the way, I assume the answer to your questions is none?

[PatrickHenry]

It's a real question!

I don't know and am too lazy to look it up!

But it stands to reason that not all of our Presidents have been cynical tools of the powerful.

[preservanation]

The volume and seriousness of the crimes committed by the ones who Bill Clinton pardoned are unprecedented.
They range from PKK terrorists to Frank Rich and Hillary's brother.
Famously a lot of those pardoned were campaign contributors and financeers of the Clinton Library. This goes beyond the appearance of impropriety into actual improprietry.
These pardons never got the scrutiny by the press or others as they deserved.

[lily]

Two words. One name. Scooter Libby. Nothing will top that.....oh you can say it wasn't a pardon (yet) his sentence was only commuted, but look how many asses he saved.

[dgun]

Why should they release any of the documents?

Anything that is public record would be available elsewhere.

In this case, why would the Clintons release a single scrap of paper (about shit that has already be hashed and rehashed in the media for years now, byw) to bottom feeders who are only trying to rake up any little morsel of scandal they can find to use against them?

[preservanation]

Morsel of scandal?
lol.
If there is nothing there they are worried about, why not release the same thing her opponents are called on to do?
Hypocrisy.

[bishop]

The volume and seriousness of the crimes committed by the ones who Bill Clinton pardoned are unprecedented.
They range from PKK terrorists to Frank Rich and Hillary's brother.
Famously a lot of those pardoned were campaign contributors and financeers of the Clinton Library. This goes beyond the appearance of impropriety into actual improprietry.
These pardons never got the scrutiny by the press or others as they deserved.


for comparative purposes, bush's cabinet is chock full of people pardoned from the iran-contra scandal - and not one peep was made from his supporters... i wonder how long it will take before people accept the reality that all of these establishment sob's are equally criminal.

the clintons have tons of skeletons still hiding, and i suspect that bush is no different whatsoever.

[dgun]

Morsel of scandal?

Exactly. Why else would they want to scour over documents that pertain to issues that have been thoroughly discussed in public for years now?

What, you think they are hunting for bad stuff for the sake of 'goodness'? That's the real lol.

Like I said, these documents are just being sought by a bunch of bottom feeding scum suckers looking for something else to fling at Hillary via Bill.

If there is nothing there they are worried about, why not release the same thing her opponents are called on to do?

I didn't realize Obama's spouse has her own Presidential Library. I thought you had to be a President first.

byw, between the two of us I doubt very much that you could possibly dislike Hillary as much as I do.

[preservanation]

What about billing records?
Tax returns? The Clintons are the most secretive, stonewalling, corrupt and immoral admin in US history.

[Pookie]

Well, I think each president has his own skeletons. Look how many records the Bush admin has kept from release. The Bush White House has even been subpoenaed for emails and other documents. Even people have refused to show up to testify in investigations.
This is such a non-issue. Every administration has done this. Show me one which hasn't withheld something.
Purrs,
Pookie

[AnnEsthesia]

Oh well. Perhaps you should see if you can get all of Bush's laws repealed. You know the ones that allow the sitting president to refuse to allow the release of documents by prior administrations, even if that president says it is ok?

[bishop]

What about billing records?
Tax returns? The Clintons are the most secretive, stonewalling, corrupt and immoral admin in US history.


seems that that's little more than hallowed partisan opinion. i'm sure that democrats would say the same of bush. still can't grasp the sad truth that these scumbags all swim in the same cesspool, eh?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Rich

During hearings after Rich's pardon, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who had represented Rich from 1985 until the spring of 2000, denied that Rich had violated the tax laws but criticized him for trading with Iran at a time when that country was holding U.S. hostages [3]. In his letter to the New York Times, Bill Clinton explained why he pardoned Rich, noting that U.S. tax professors Bernard Wolfman of Harvard Law School and Martin Ginsburg of Georgetown University Law Center concluded that no crime was committed, and that the companies' tax reporting position was reasonable [4]. In the same letter Clinton listed Libby as one of three "distinguished Republican lawyers" who supported Rich's pardon. His pardon was curiously supported also by the king of Spain, Juan Carlos I.


i wonder if the republicans here bash libby about his support for rich just as they bash clinton for pardoning him.. if i were to dig through the threads here, i bet that a good number of the republicans here were all crying "poor libby" when he was being investigated and indicted, and convicted.. you all seem to love to coddle your corrupt sob's, so long as they're on your team.

[preservanation]

It is impossible for Hillary Clinton to claim executive privilege, as Bush has the Constitutional right to do with members of his administration while in office.

[dgun]

What about billing records?
Tax returns? The Clintons are the most secretive, stonewalling, corrupt and immoral admin in US history.

preservanation, As much as the Clinton campaign is happy that you have fallen for their propaganda, there was never a 'Clintons' administration.

[Wndrtch]

Two words. One name. Scooter Libby. Nothing will top that.....oh you can say it wasn't a pardon (yet) his sentence was only commuted, but look how many asses he saved.


You're complaining about Scooter?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_pardoned_by_Bill_Clinton

And bear in mind, this is a partial list.