Investigation into selection of judges in cases involving Clinton friends
By Bob Franken/CNN
March 31, 2000
Web posted at: 3:51 p.m. EST (2051 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- After months of complaints by conservatives, four
appellate court judges have been appointed to investigate why judges appointed
by President Bill Clinton were assigned to preside in many cases involving
associates of the president.
Under normal circumstances, Chief Judge Norma Holloway Johnson relies on
a computer system to randomly select case assignments for judges. But in
prosecutions involving Webster Hubbell, fund-raiser Charlie Trie and a
fund-raiser tied to Vice President Al Gore, Holloway bypassed this system and selected Clinton appointees.
The conservative legal group Judicial Watch filed a complaint against
Judge Johnson, and sources close to then-Independent Counsel Ken Starr
repeatedly said they were not pleased with the selections by Johnson, who was
appointed to the bench by Lyndon Johnson.
Judicial Watch was notified Friday that the four-judge panel will launch
the inquiry.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton would only tell CNN, "We hope the
special committee conducts a thorough investigation of this serious matter."
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