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Government Documents
President Clinton and Whitewater
Jones v. Clinton
Ruby Ridge Shooter Free From Manslaughter Charges
U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge dismissed a state manslaughter charge against FBI sharpshooter Lon Horiuchi on May 14, 1998, almost six years after Horiuchi and eleven other federal officers laid siege to the home of white separatist Randy Weaver in Ruby Ridge, Idaho. Horiuchi was accused by Idaho prosecutors of shooting Weaver's wife Vicki during the assault on the Weavers' cabin.
House Ethics Report on Gingrich
The following is the public version of the findings of the House of Representatives on
ethical violations by House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The House voted 395-28 to reprimand
Gingrich and impose a $300,000 penalty.
FBI Agent Charged with Hiding Ruby Ridge Papers
FBI official, E. Michael Kahoe, has been charged with obstruction of justice in connection with the criminal investigation of white separatists Randy Weaver and Kevin Harris. Weaver and Harris were charged and later acquitted of first-degree murder in the death of Deputy U.S. Marshal William Degan, who was shot and killed on August 21, 1992, in a confrontation near Ruby Ridge, Idaho. Kahoe, former chief of the FBI's violent crime section, was ordered to prepare a critique of the Ruby Ridge incident. Prosecutors in this case allege that Kahoe withheld the critique from the Weaver prosecution team, destroyed his copies of the critique, and ordered a subordinate official to destroy all copies of the critique and to make it appear as if the critique never existed.
Perot Sues FEC & Presidential Debate Commission
After Ross Perot was excluded from the presidential debates, the Reform Party filed
suit September 23, 1996 against the Federal Elections Commission and the Commission
on Presidential Debates demanding that Perot be allowed to participate. According to the
suit, the exclusion of Perot and his running mate will result in "incalculable damage to
their campaign." Perot argues, "Declaring the election essentially over for all
candidates but two before a single debate takes place will only deepen the nation's
cynicism about government." The suit also claims that the Commission on Presidential
Debates failed to use an objective standard in deciding Perot could not participate.
Class Action Suit Over FBI Files
Earlier this year, the White House was accused of improperly obtaining background files from the FBI on hundreds of former Republican administration officials. In a class action suit filed September 12, 1996 on behalf of some 700 former Republican officials , the plaintiffs charge the White House, the FBI, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and former White House employees Bernard Nussbaum, Craig Livingstone, and Anthony Marceca with improperly obtaining confidential FBI files in violation of the Privacy Act of 1974. The suit also alleges individual liability for invasion of privacy by the First Lady and the former White House staffers.
Federal Election Commission Sues Christian Coalition
The Federal Election Commission filed this suit against the Christian Coalition, accusing the group of committing numerous violations of election laws in recent years. The coalition, found by evangelist Pat Roberston, is accused of improperly aided the campaigns of several Republican candidates including former President George Bush and House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Coalition director Ralph Reed called the lawsuit "totally baseless."
Hopwood v. Texas
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to overturn a ruling that allowed the University of Texas School of Law to consider race when evaluating applicants. The Fifth Circuit determined that the school did not offer sufficient evidence that the Fourteenth Amendment allowed them to consider race in favor of Hispanics and African-Americans to the detriment of white applicants.
Same Sex Marriages Bill
U.S. Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia's Seventh District sponsored this bill that defines in strictly heterosexual terms the words "marriage" and "spouse" and provides that no state shall be required to give effect to a law with respect to same-sex "marriage." The bill, introduced on May 7, 1996, is in direct response to Hawaii's consideration of same-sex marriage as explained in the analysis preceding the text of the bill.
New Ethics Complaint Filed Against Gingrich
Representative George Miller of California filed this new ethics complaint against House Speaker Newt Gingrich on April 22, 1996. Miller wants to reopen the investigation into the work done in Gingrich's office by Donald Jones, a Wisconsin businessman. Jones, who has extensive cable television holdings, served as an unpaid adviser during work on the telecommunications bill passed earlier this year by Congress.
The Chief Justice on Judicial Independence
Following the controversy over President Clinton's public pressure on U.S. District Judge Harold Baer, Chief Justice of the United States William Rehnquist delivered a speech at American University in Washington, D.C. on the importance of an independent judiciary. Here is the text of that April 9, 1996 speech.
Forbes Wins Spot on NY Ballot
This Feb. 29, 1996 federal appeals court order allows Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes' name to be placed on primary ballots across New York. Forbes' spot on the ballot was contested by the New York state Republican party committee.
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Ruling
In this March 29, 1996 decision, a U.S. District Court grants summary judgment to a California Army National Guard lieutenant who claimed his discharge under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was unconstitutional. The court ruled that the policy violated the plaintiff's rights to equal protection and free speech
and ordered him reinstated.
Federal Election Commission v. GOPAC
In this Nov. 28, 1995 motion, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) moves for summary judgment on two counts of its complaint against GOPAC, the political action committee that has supported Republican candidates for Congress over the last several years.
The commission alleges that GOPAC sought to circumvent federal election laws by representing the candidates as primarily interested in local elections. The Memorandum supporting the motion details the relationship between GOPAC and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. The relationship included paying several political consultants to "help Newt think."
The aid provided to Gingrich's consultants included travel costs (estimated at $250,000 for 1990) and other expenses. According to an audio tape of a GOPAC meeting, "If Newt decides he's got a Saturday free in Georgia, he wants people a[r]ound him. And GOPAC pays those bills. I mean we pay for them to fly down there. We pay for them to stay at the Buckhead Ritz Carlton."
California Proposition 187 Ruling
In this Nov. 20, 1995 ruling, a U.S. District Court decision strikes down portions of California's Proposition 187, which would have denied certain public services from undocumented immigrants. The state cannot supplement federal immigration law, Central District of California Judge Mariana Pfaelzer ruled.
New York Adoption Ruling
In this Nov. 2, 1995 ruling, New York's highest court ruled by a 4-3 vote that a couple, homosexual or heterosexual, does not have to be married to adopt a child.
Romer v. Evans: Amici Curiae Brief
The following is the brief of several states to the Supreme Court supporting Colorado's voter-approved ban on gay rights laws, known as Amendment 2. According to the argument set forth here, the Colorado Supreme Court abridged the voters' rights to self-governance when the Court overturned Amendment 2.
Romer v. Evans: State of Colorado Brief
In November 1992, Colorado passed by popular vote an amendment denying "protected status based on homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual orientation." In July 1993, the Colorado Supreme Court issued a preliminary injunction on the basis that the amendment violated the Fourteenth Amendment by denying homosexuals equal protection under the law. The injunction was upheld in October of 1994.
The Attorney General of Colorado filed this brief on behalf of Governor Roy Romer and state of Colorado, asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the decision, stating that "the extension of minority status or preference laws to include sexual orientation would be tantamount to granting special rights, which are not enjoyed by the public at large."
Colorado Gay Rights Decision
The following is the Colorado Supreme Court opinion overturning the state's constitutional amendment voiding all anti-discrimination laws against homosexuals.
United States v. Hubbell
The plea agreement and other information filed in federal court against former U.S. Associate Attorney General Webster Hubbell, who agreed to plead guilty to two felony charges.
The Two Sides of Orrin Hatch
In January, after 18 years in the Senate, Orrin Hatch of Utah became chairman of the Judiciary Committee. He has given liberals reason to resent him, with his harsh -- yet effective -- battles against the Equal Rights Amendment and his attacks on Anita Hill. At the same time, Hatch has forged an unlikely alliance with Democrat Ted Kennedy , while earning good marks with several right wingers for his positions on health and child care. This profile, appeared in the March issue of The American Lawyer, an affiliate publication of Court TV, was written by Naftali Bendavid.
Gays in the Military
A federal judge's ruling invalidating the government's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy regarding gays and lesbians in the military.
FBI Statement on Terrorism
The statement made by FBI director Louis J. Freeh, outlines the anti-terrorism steps he would like Congress to take, including increasing the powers of the Bureau.
Ethics Committee Report on Senator Packwood
This is the Senate Ethics Committee resolution regarding Senator Robert Packwood, who faces multiple charges that he sexually harassed female acquaintances and that he attempted to utilize lobbyists to provide financial support for his wife.
Trade Sanctions on Japanese Cars
The U.S. Trade Representative's May 16 statement on trade sanctions against Japanese car makers. The statement includes a chronology summarizing the history of Japan's closed auto market.
Anti-Terrorism Act
By a 91-8 margin, the U.S. Senate approved sweeping anti-terrorism legislation on June 7, 1995. The legislation gives expanded powers to government law enforcement officials, makes it easier to deport illegal aliens and limits most death row prisoners to one appeal in federal court.
Koog v US: Brief on Handgun Control
This is the brief of Handgun Control, Inc., arguing that the Brady Act (regulating the acquisition of firearms) is fully consistent with 10th amendment and corresponding principles of federalism. The Brady Act does not improperly intrude on the powers of states, claims the brief.
Civil Juries and Verdicts
A recent Department of Justice report analyzed 12,000 civil jury cases over a period in 1992 in 75 large counties. Among the report's findings: only 6% of successful suits result in punitive damages. Here's the press release announcing the report's findings.
U.S. v. Rostenkowski Opinion
In what was viewed as a victory for former Chicago Congressman Dan Rostenkowski, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that a trial court should reconsider whether 6 of 17 corruption charges against Rostenkowski should be thrown out. As a result of the ruling, it appears that at least four charges will be dismissed.
Here's the court's opinion, issued on July 18, 1995.
Interview: FCC Chairman Hundt
Juggling the deregulatory zeal of the Republican-dominated 104th Congress and the ongoing, massive convergence of telecommunications technologies and companies, Reed Hundt, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, faces an unusual balancing act.
In an interview with Legal Times, an affiliate publication of Court TV, Hundt, discusses the continued need for the FCC as a guardian of the public interest and a champion of competition in the communications sector. Here's the interview.
Senate Report on Packwood
In this report, the Senate Ethics Counsel details charges, including sexual misconduct, against Senator Bob Packwood. The Senate has not expelled one of its members since the the Civil War, but after the release of this report, the Ethics Committee recommended such punishment. On September 7, 1995, Packwood resigned.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This file is extremely large (600k+). You may download a compressed version of the file, for which you will require an unzipping utility.
Ruby Ridge Investigation
This is the Department of Justice report regarding the internal investigations of the shootout at Ruby Ridge, Idaho between white supremacist Randy Weaver and federal agents in which an FBI sniper shot and killed Weaver's wife, Vicky.
The incident led to an intense review of the investigation. The review concluded that the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team overreacted to the threat of violence and instituted a shoot-on-sight policy that violated bureau guidelines and Fourth Amendment restrictions on police power. Several FBI agents and employees, including Larry Potts, then the head of its criminal division and now its deputy director, were disciplined for their roles in the operation.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This file is extremely large (900k+). You may download a compressed version of the file, for which you will require an unzipping utility.
Contract With America
The text of the proposals for tort reform and criminal justice reforms contained in the Republican Party's "Contract With America."
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