Judicial Watch

Deputy Atty. Gen. Larry D. Thompson, head of a Bush administration task force on corporate crime, was accused in a lawsuit filed Wednesday of taking part in an alleged securities fraud while a director at Providian Financial Corp.

WASHINGTON - Disputing allegations by some Republican lawmakers, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta denied Wednesday that any classified information or material was given to the Hollywood producers of a planned film about the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan last year. Panetta, who previously headed the CIA, told the defense subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee that director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal were given the same kind of access as other Americans who seek help from the Pentagon.

He thinks of himself as a conservative Ralph Nader and terms his nonprofit organization the American Civil Liberties Union of the right. Administration officials prefer to ignore him. But his propensity for taking them to court often means they can't. Washington lawyer Larry Klayman, founder of the group Judicial Watch, is all the more troublesome to President Clinton and other foes because he is seemingly undeterred by either criticism or setbacks.

WASHINGTON - Some Republican lawmakers were outraged when federal records released last week showed that the White House, CIA and Defense Department granted high-level access last year to a pair of acclaimed filmmakers researching an action thriller about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The documents tell "a damning story of extremely close, unprecedented, and potentially dangerous collaboration" between the filmmakers and the Obama administration, fumed New York Rep. Peter T. King, GOP chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

WASHINGTON - Some Republican lawmakers were outraged when federal records released last week showed that the White House, CIA and Defense Department granted high-level access last year to a pair of acclaimed filmmakers researching an action thriller about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The documents tell "a damning story of extremely close, unprecedented, and potentially dangerous collaboration" between the filmmakers and the Obama administration, fumed New York Rep. Peter T. King, GOP chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

Pursuing an all-but-forgotten loose end of the Monica S. Lewinsky investigation, a conservative legal group is taking pains to prove in court that the Clinton administration deliberately smeared Linda Tripp early last year and then lied about its action, which could constitute a crime. The conservative organization, Judicial Watch, is getting support from a federal judge who believes the matter is "cause for concern" and has said there are signs of "potential misconduct."

Judicial Watch, a conservative group that gained prominence by repeatedly suing the Clinton administration, is taking legal action against House Republican Leader Tom DeLay of Texas over allegations he tried to raise political donations by promising meetings with Bush administration officials. "It is improper and illegal to sell official public office for political campaign contributions," said Judicial Watch chairman and general counsel Larry Klayman.

The Senate Judiciary Committee announced Wednesday that had it found no credible evidence linking U.S. Assistant Atty. Gen. Michael Chertoff to alleged misuse of government informants. The panel's top Republican and Democrat said a bipartisan staff probe had effectively cleared Chertoff, whom President Bush wants to put on the federal court bench. The allegations were made by Judicial Watch, a public watchdog group, on the eve of the panel's vote last month on Chertoff for a seat on the U.S.

In asking a federal court to force the National Archives to release papers from Hillary Rodham Clinton's time as first lady, the public interest group Judicial Watch has opened itself to the charge that it's on a fishing expedition. Maybe so, but the group is fishing with a license -- the Freedom of Information Act. That law allows citizens to inspect public documents after deletions are made for privilege or national security.

The Democratic National Committee, bowing to pressure from a federal judge, on Friday ordered a controversial fund-raiser who dropped from public view in recent days to appear for questioning in a civil lawsuit investigating foreign contributions to the party. Democratic fund-raiser John Huang of Los Angeles is to arrive at committee headquarters Monday morning and accept a subpoena for his testimony from Judicial Watch, a nonprofit public service organization with conservative ties.

WASHINGTON - In the months after the U.S. militarymission that killed Osama bin Laden, Pentagon officials met with Hollywood filmmakers and gave them special access in an effort to influence the creation of a film about the operation, newly released documents show. Emails and meeting transcripts obtained from the Pentagon and CIA through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch suggest that officials went out of their way to assist the filmmakers, while trying to keep their cooperation from becoming public.

WASHINGTON -- In the months after the U.S. military mission that killed Osama bin Laden, Pentagon officials met with Hollywood filmmakers and gave them special access in an effort to influence the creation of a film about the operation, newly released documents show. Emails and meeting transcripts obtained from the Pentagon and CIA through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by the watchdog group Judicial Watch suggest that officials went out of their way to assist the filmmakers, while trying to avoid the public learning of their cooperation.

WASHINGTON -- The head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau acknowledged there is a slim chance his controversial recess appointment could be overturned, according to an email obtained by a government watchdog group. "There is a chance (a minor chance in my view, though everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion) that the appointment would be invalidated by a court," Richard Cordray wrote to the agency's staff in a Feb. 6 email titled "Weekly Message. " The email came a little more than a month after President Obama installed Cordray as director with a recess appointment.

In asking a federal court to force the National Archives to release papers from Hillary Rodham Clinton's time as first lady, the public interest group Judicial Watch has opened itself to the charge that it's on a fishing expedition. Maybe so, but the group is fishing with a license -- the Freedom of Information Act. That law allows citizens to inspect public documents after deletions are made for privilege or national security.

The Senate Judiciary Committee announced Wednesday that had it found no credible evidence linking U.S. Assistant Atty. Gen. Michael Chertoff to alleged misuse of government informants. The panel's top Republican and Democrat said a bipartisan staff probe had effectively cleared Chertoff, whom President Bush wants to put on the federal court bench. The allegations were made by Judicial Watch, a public watchdog group, on the eve of the panel's vote last month on Chertoff for a seat on the U.S.

Deputy Atty. Gen. Larry D. Thompson, head of a Bush administration task force on corporate crime, was accused in a lawsuit filed Wednesday of taking part in an alleged securities fraud while a director at Providian Financial Corp.

WASHINGTON -- In the months after the U.S. military mission that killed Osama bin Laden, Pentagon officials met with Hollywood filmmakers and gave them special access in an effort to influence the creation of a film about the operation, newly released documents show. Emails and meeting transcripts obtained from the Pentagon and CIA through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by the watchdog group Judicial Watch suggest that officials went out of their way to assist the filmmakers, while trying to avoid the public learning of their cooperation.

WASHINGTON - In the months after the U.S. militarymission that killed Osama bin Laden, Pentagon officials met with Hollywood filmmakers and gave them special access in an effort to influence the creation of a film about the operation, newly released documents show. Emails and meeting transcripts obtained from the Pentagon and CIA through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch suggest that officials went out of their way to assist the filmmakers, while trying to keep their cooperation from becoming public.

Judicial Watch, a conservative group that gained prominence by repeatedly suing the Clinton administration, is taking legal action against House Republican Leader Tom DeLay of Texas over allegations he tried to raise political donations by promising meetings with Bush administration officials. "It is improper and illegal to sell official public office for political campaign contributions," said Judicial Watch chairman and general counsel Larry Klayman.

Pursuing an all-but-forgotten loose end of the Monica S. Lewinsky investigation, a conservative legal group is taking pains to prove in court that the Clinton administration deliberately smeared Linda Tripp early last year and then lied about its action, which could constitute a crime. The conservative organization, Judicial Watch, is getting support from a federal judge who believes the matter is "cause for concern" and has said there are signs of "potential misconduct."