Source:
Press Release/Mark Crispin MillerNational Press Club, Washington, DC
U.S. Department of Justice Political Misconduct & Selective Prosecutions U.S. Representative John Conyers
Chairman, House Committee on the Judiciary
June 26 at National Press Club, Washington, DC (8:00am to 11:00am)
Agenda: www.politicalprosecutions.org
No link yet.
*For immediate release:*
Washington, DC
Ilene Proctor PR
1-(310) 858-6643
Washington, D.C. -- Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers is
scheduled to keynote an unprecedented conference about political
prosecutions by the Bush DOJ on June 26 from 8am-11am at the National
Press Club.
Experts from Congress and federal courts along with defendants and
legal commentators will discuss evidence before the Judiciary
Committee that the Bush administration targeted defendants on the
basis of political party. Elected Democrats were seven times more
likely to be investigated than GOP officials, according to a leading
study.
Former Democratic Georgia State Sen. Majority Leader Charles Walker's
prosecution is one topic of the forum. Last month, his trial judge
recused himself after Walker proved an appearance of bias. Earlier,
DOJ forced the resignation of his first prosecutor for misconduct.
At the conference, Walker's son Charles plans to announce a national
campaign to protest mistreatment of similar defendants around the
nation. "These cases must be investigated," says Walker, a former
congressional candidate. "The biggest scandal in American politics
is prosecution misconduct against Democrats, which is just as
indefensible as racial bias."
Confirmed speakers:
Alabama's former Gov. Don Siegelman, a Democrat who was convicted on
corruption charges during a second trial in 2006. The next year, a
Republican whistleblower provided evidence of a conspiracy to
eliminate Siegelman from politics.
Retired Chief U.S. District Judge U.W. Clemon of Birmingham will
discuss his recent letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder saying
that Siegelman's first prosecution was "the most unfounded criminal
case over which I presided during my entire judicial career" of
nearly 30 years.
Law professor and Harper's columnist Scott Horton, will discuss his
vehement criticism of the political prosecutions.
Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA), chair of Judiciary's crime and
competition subcommittee.
Former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz, twice acquitted
in prosecutions that imprisoned trial lawyer Paul Minor.
Puerto Rico State Senate Minority Whip Eduardo Bhatia, representing
acquitted former Gov. Anibal Acevedo.
Also, Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron, Project Save Justice
Executive Director Gail Sistrunk, discussing the group's video, "The
Political Prosecutions of Karl Rove"; Investigative reporter Andrew
Kreig; and McClendon Group President John Hurley.
Sponsors include civil rights groups as Alliance for Justice, Project
Save Justice, and Velvet Revolution. Speakers will be available for
interviews.
Source: www.velvetrevolution.us <
http://www.velvetrevoluton.us>