Reply #23: email received today

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http://letsibeledmondsspeak.blogspot.com/

Sibel Edmonds Needs Your Support

Urge Congressman Waxman to prompt hearings on the case of FBI Whistleblower
Sibel Edmonds


This week, more than 30 'good government' groups sent a petition to the
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform urging prompt hearings on
the case of FBI Whistleblower Sibel Edmonds. The list of organizations
includes the American Civil Liberties Union, Citizen Outreach, OMB Watch,
Electronic Privacy Information Center, Government Accountability Project,
Electronic Freedom Foundation, and the National Coalition against the
Censorship.

We have had solid indications that the Chairman of the committee, Henry
Waxman, is ready and willing to hold public, open hearings into Sibel
Edmonds' case; however, we need to give him a final push and get him to
publicly commit to a date.

Sibel Edmonds is the most gagged person in American history. The government
has repeatedly invoked the State Secrets Privilege in her case - not for
reasons of national security, but to cover up criminal activity. Of course,
if they can get away with that in Edmonds' case, they have a blank check to
do it again and again.

Please send the following petition to Congressman Waxman; give him a call.

Waxman Contact Details:

In Washington, D.C.
2204 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
[phone] (phone)
[phone] (fax)

In Los Angeles
8436 West Third Street, Suite 600
Los Angeles, CA 90048
[phone] (phone)
[phone] (phone)
[phone] (fax)

Further information is provided on a website dedicated to this Action
Campaign http://letsibeledmondsspeak.blogspot.com/

To: The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

A Petition to require public hearings by the House Committee on Oversight
and Government Reform into confirmed reports by FBI Whistleblower Sibel
Edmonds of wrongdoing, criminal activities, cover-ups against the security
and interests of the United States and its citizenry, and the erroneous use
of the State Secrets Privilege to shut down all court proceedings in her
case.

In March 2002 the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General
(DOJ-IG) began its investigation of Ms. Edmonds' reports.

In June 2002, in at least two unclassified Senate briefings, FBI officials
confirmed the validity of Ms. Edmonds reports; however, in May 2004 Attorney
General John Ashcroft retroactively classified information from these
briefings and gagged the Congress, preventing further investigation.

In October 2002 Attorney General Ashcroft invoked the 'State Secrets
Privilege' to block all court proceedings in Edmonds' case.

In July 2004 the DOJ-IG investigation into Edmonds' dismissal was completed
but was entirely classified.

In January 2005 the DOJ-IG released an unclassified summary report on
Edmonds' case which concluded that Edmonds was fired for reporting serious
security breaches and misconduct in the agency's translation program, and
that many of her allegations were supported by other witnesses and
documents.

The issues that were reported by Ms. Edmonds include:

* Cases of espionage activities within the FBI, DOD, and the Department of
State.

* Cases of cover-up of information and leads pre and post 9/11, under the
excuse of protecting certain diplomatic relations.

* Cases of intentional blocking and mistranslation of crucial intelligence
by FBI translators and management.

* Cases of foreign entities bribing certain government officials and elected
representatives.

Edmonds filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the Department of Justice, but
the government successfully argued that the state secrets privilege was an
absolute bar to her suit going forward. She was even barred from the
courtroom during the argument of her appeal! The Supreme Court declined to
review the case. The government's invocation of the state secrets privilege
in a motion to dismiss her case contradicts the core idea of judicial review
and essentially allows the Executive Branch to dictate to the federal courts
what cases they can and can't hear.

Invoking the State Secrets Privilege is a tactic frequently used by the
Executive Branch to stop potentially embarrassing lawsuits against the
government. Many of these suits are brought by government employees, such as
Ms. Edmonds, who allege fraud, mismanagement, or other unlawful conduct, and
the state secrets privilege has successfully been invoked by the government
to silence them. The state secrets provision has been used too frequently
and with too little public protection.

Given the seriousness of Ms. Edmonds' reports and in the best interests of
the security of the country, it is incumbent upon the Congress to exercise
its oversight responsibilities and authority as representatives of the
people of the United States, therefore:

We, the undersigned, now call upon the House Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform in Congress to hold public hearings into the case of FBI
Whistleblower Sibel Edmonds, and the erroneous use of the State Secrets
Privilege to shut down all court proceedings in her case.

Signatories:

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
Anthony Romero, National Director

National Coalition against Censorship
Joan E. Bertin, Executive Director

Bill of Rights Defense Committee (BORDC)
Nancy Talanian, Director

OMB Watch
Sean Moulton, Director

Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
Marc Rotenberg, Executive Director

National Security Whistleblowers Coalition
Bill Weaver, Board Member

Liberty Coalition
Michael Ostrolenk, Co-founder & Director

National Whistleblower Center
Steve Kohn, Chair

Open the Government .Org
Patrice McDermott, Executive Director

U.S.-Armenia Public Affairs Committee (USAPAC)
Ross Vartian, Executive Director

Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington (CREW)
Melanie Sloan, Director

Citizen Outreach
Doug Bandow, Vice President of Policy

Concerned Foreign Service Officers
Daniel Hirsch, Board Member

People for the American Way
Ralph Neas, President

Fairfax County Privacy Council
Mike Stollenwerk, Director

Federal Hispanic Law Enforcement Officers Association
Sandalio Gonzalez, Director

Government Accountability Project (GAP)
Tom Devine, Legal Director

National Air Disaster Alliance/Foundation
Gail Dunham, President

Ohio Taxpayers Association & OTA Foundation
Scott Pullins, Chairman & CEO

Project on Government Oversight (POGO)
Danielle Brian, Executive Director

September 11th Advocates
Mindy Kleinberg, Director

Veterans Affairs Whistleblowers Coalition (VAWBC)
Dr. Jeffrey Fudin, President

Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
Aram Hamparian, Executive Director

U.S. Bill of Rights Foundation (USBOR)
Dane Von Breichenruchardt, President

Center for Financial Privacy & Human Rights
J. Bradley, Jansen, Director

Consumer Action
Linda Sherry, Director

Privacy Activism
Linda Ackerman, Staff Counsel

The Multiracial Activists,
James Landrith, Founder

The New Grady Coalition
Ron Marshall, Director

Doctors for Open Government
Dr. Jim Murtagh, Director

Georgian for Open Government
Gwen Marshall, Director

Ethics in Government Group (EGG)
George Anderson, Director

DemocracyRising.US
Kevin Zeese, Executive Director