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Justice to provide only limited testimony at FALN hearingBy Terry Frieden/CNN
September 20, 1999 WASHINGTON -- Three Justice Department officials subpoenaed by Congress to testify on clemency for Puerto Rican prisoners plan to provide only limited testimony to a House panel Tuesday, citing executive privilege. Acting Assistant Attorney General Jon Jennings, FBI Assistant Director Neal Gallagher, and Bureau of Prisons Assistant Director Michael Cooksey will appear before the House Government Reform Committee headed by Rep. Dan Burton (R-Indiana).
"They will not testify on anything relating to executive privilege," said Justice Department spokeswoman Gina Talamona. President Bill Clinton invoked executive privilege last week to shield internal administration documents and deliberations on the process that culminated in his decision to grant clemency to 16 members of the sometimes violent Puerto Rican independence group, FALN. "This is not a national security situation," said Burton spokesman Mark Corrallo. "Either they have something to hide, or else invoking executive privilege is simply rank arrogance." The Capitol Hill faceoff takes place exactly one week after the Justice Department refused to allow Gallagher to testify voluntarily at a Senate hearing on the same subject. Justice Department officials say the three witnesses will be allowed to provide background information on the Puerto Rican independence organization FALN, and its deadly bombing campaign in the United States, but not on the discussions or recommendations to grant clemency. Republicans have seized on the president's clemency decision as a sign the administration is not tough on terrorists. Nearly all law enforcement officials, including the FBI and the Bureau of Prisons, have privately made clear their strong opposition to the president's clemency decision. As the government officials prepared to testify, the Justice Department Monday shipped to Burton's committee staff boxes of FALN-related documents subpoenaed by the panel. A committee official said staffers were just beginning to sift through the documents, hoping the material included relevant prison records on the released FALN members. In addition to the government witnesses, Burton has also called victims of FALN bombings to testify Tuesday. At least one policeman injured by an FALN bomb in New York City, the widow of another policeman killed and the son of a civilian killed by the group are expected to criticize the clemency decision at the hearing. MORE STORIES:Monday, September 20, 1999
• Change comes to Congressional Black Caucus • Justice to provide only limited testimony at FALN hearing •White House responds on subpoena dispute • Analysis: GOP congressional leaders hold fort, wait for Bush • Hill leaders want to restore money for F-22 fighter • Buchanan says his writings about World War II misinterpreted • Justice Ginsburg recovering from cancer surgery • Bradley, Gore deadlocked in second New York poll • Vietnam protest trial spawned circus in courtroom, chaos in streets | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
