Senators Feinstein, Leahy & Grassley Call On
Attorney General Ashcroft To Provide Wen Ho Lee
Report To Judiciary Committee

            Washington DC (Tues., July 8) -- U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Charles Grassley (R-IA), today urged Attorney General John Ashcroft to reverse his department's refusal and provide the Judiciary Committee with a report on the FBI's handling of the Wen Ho Lee espionage case.

            The request by the three Senators, including Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Leahy, was made in a letter to the Attorney General after Justice Department staff refused to turn over a report recently completed by the Department of Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

            "The Senate Judiciary Committee has exercised close oversight over the Wen Ho Lee case, including holding three hearings while you were still a member of the committee," the Senators wrote. " Members of the committee would like to continue our oversight role over the Wen Ho Lee case by examining the OPR report.  

            When OPR began investigating the Wen Ho Lee case in 2000, the intent was clearly to make its report available to the Congress and the American people.  For example, Presidential Press Secretary Joe Lockhart stated on September 22, 2000, with regard to the OPR report, that the President, Congress, and the American public 'should look forward to an accounting there and I think that will be done.'  

            However, there can be no such accounting unless the report - at a minimum - is provided to members of relevant Congressional oversight committees.  We would also note that the Department of Justice has made OPR reports available to the Judiciary Committee in other instances, including oversight hearings involving alleged misconduct at Ruby Ridge.  We greatly appreciate your assistance with this matter, and look forward to your prompt response."

            A complete copy of the Senators' letter is available here. [PDF FILE]

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