Judicial Watch Urges Judiciary Committee to Reject Holder Appointment

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - January 14, 2009) - Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today its opposition to Barack Obama's appointment of Eric Holder to serve as Attorney General in the incoming Obama administration. The nonprofit watchdog organization sent a letter to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and published a full-page advertisement in The Washington Times raising questions about Holder's corrupt record in the Clinton administration's Justice Department. Holder's confirmation hearing is scheduled for Thursday, January 15th.

"Mr. Holder's record demonstrates a willingness to bend the law in order to protect his political patrons. On his watch at the Clinton Justice Department, the pardon process was upended and corrupted by a 'pay to play' mentality. This undermined, in the least, the appearance of the fair administration of justice by the Justice Department," Judicial Watch noted in its letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, dated January 13, 2009. "Mr. Holder is the wrong person to head the Department of Justice."

Judicial Watch's letter highlights Holder's participation in a number of Clinton-era scandals, including: Holder's support of pardons for unrepentant terrorists from FALN and the Weather Underground; his efforts to secure a pardon for fugitive financier Marc Rich; his participation in planning the violent raid to seize then-six-year-old Elian Gonzalez at gunpoint and returning him to Castro's Cuba; and his opposition to appointing an independent counsel to investigate fundraising controversies involving President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore.

Judicial Watch's advertisement challenges members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to "ask the tough questions" of Holder during his confirmation hearing related to these and other scandals. The ad will appear on January 14th and January 15th in The Washington Times.

"Judicial Watch, America's leading government watchdog organization, calls upon the members of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary to challenge Mr. Holder on... questions which relate to his fitness to serve as the nation's chief law enforcement officer," the advertisement states.

"Barack Obama made a terrible mistake in nominating Eric Holder. The Senate should reject this nomination," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

Visit www.JudicialWatch.org to read Judicial Watch's letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee and to view Judicial Watch's full-page advertisements.

Contact Information: Contact: Jill Farrell 202-646-5188