Trade Mission Data Withheld, Official Says Washington Post By George Lardner Jr. Tuesday , July 11, 2000 ; A09 A veteran Commerce Department official said in an affidavit yesterday that records concerning contributions to the Democratic Party by participants in trade missions and other documents were wrongfully withheld despite Freedom of Information Act requests and litigation demanding their production. The official, Sonya Stewart, said lawyers in the Office of General Counsel (OGC) at Commerce "improperly assumed and exercised the final authority" to withhold or release documents, at times in consultation with the White House. Stewart, whose 15-page affidavit was filed as part of a lawsuit brought by Judicial Watch, said she was in charge of all FOIA matters in the department until recently as director of executive budgeting and assistance management in the Office of the Secretary of Commerce. Stewart, now with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said the FOIA staff's efforts to comply with the law were "thwarted and obstructed" by Commerce Department officials including the former head of the Office of Business Liaison. Stewart said the general counsel's office claimed to have "lost" some documents that were later found in the OGC safe. Stewart also said she was told by a career official from the Office of Business Liaison, George Grafeld, that he had seen diskettes labeled "contributions/trade missions" that were never turned over to Judicial Watch and that he was aware of "fundraising letters" sent to trade mission participants by the then-director of the office. U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth concluded in a 1998 ruling that Commerce officials systematically concealed and destroyed documents that might have shed light on whether seats on overseas trade missions were used as rewards for Democratic Party contributions. Stewart said she made efforts to ensure that a "second search" for records after the judge's ruling was conducted properly but was thwarted again. ================================================================= Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT FROM THE DESK OF: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> *Mike Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ~~~~~~~~ <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends Shalom, A Salaam Aleikum, and to all, A Good Day. ================================================================= <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om