Friday, September 21, 2012

Grassley: Justice Department Fails to Answer Questions about Alleged Threats to News Reporter

WASHINGTON -- Senator Chuck Grassley continues to press Attorney General Eric Holder for a complete accounting of a June incident in Louisiana where a senior civil rights lawyer for the department reportedly threatened a journalist.  Grassley initially asked the Attorney General about the incident in July.

Grassley said he was disappointed in the response from the department which failed to answer the vast majority of his questions and to produce the documents requested.  The alleged incident occurred at a meeting advertised as a public event to address the employment practices of a local fire department.

"I'm very concerned about what allegedly occurred in New Iberia.  If the news reports are accurate, the conduct by the Justice Department would strike at the very heart of a free press.  The department's failure to answer questions and to produce relevant documents is unacceptable on a subject so fundamental to this country's founding," Grassley said

Grassley said he expected complete answers to his letter by September 28.

Here's a copy of the text of the letter.  A signed copy can be found here.  Grassley's July 17 letter can be found here and the department's response can be found here.

September 20, 2012

Via Electronic Transmission

The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr.                           

Attorney General                       

U.S. Department of Justice                       

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.                          

Washington, DC 20530                         

Dear Attorney General Holder:

I write regarding the Department of Justice's letter dated September 4, 2012 from Acting Assistant Attorney General Judith Appelbaum.  Ms. Appelbaum was responding to my July 17, 2012 letter to you.

In my letter, I expressed my concern about reports of an incident at a public meeting in New Iberia, Louisiana involving a Senior Trial Attorney in the Civil Rights Division.[1] A letter from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press summarized the reports on the incident as follows:

It is our understanding that on [June 12, 2012], Ms. [Rachel] Hranitzky arrived at the meeting and immediately asked if any journalists were present. When a Daily Iberian reporter attending the meeting responded in the affirmative, she informed him that he could neither record the meeting nor quote her statements. According to other attendees, the meeting had been advertised as a public meeting intended to address concerns with the city fire department's hiring and promotion process.  However, citing 'special rules' of the Department of Justice for agency attorneys, Ms. Hranitzky instructed that her statements be neither recorded nor quoted. When the reporter questioned this instruction on the basis that Ms. Hranitzky was speaking at a public meeting, she apparently threatened him with the possibility that the DOJ could call his editors and publisher, and warned that he would not 'want to get on the Department of Justice's bad side.' Furthermore, it is our understanding that Ms. Hranitzky demanded the reporter leave the meeting, although?after making his objection known but agreeing not to quote her?he was ultimately allowed to remain.

The reports about the incident in New Iberia and the existence of a DOJ policy or "special rules" which were the cause of the incident are troubling.  Consequently, I wrote you and asked several direct questions and made requests for documents.

The September 4 response letter ignores the vast majority of my questions and does not provide all of the documents I requested.  Accordingly, I am attaching a copy my July 17 letter and ask that you directly answer all of my questions and produce all of the documents that I requested.

Also, the September 4 response letter raises a new question.  The letter states that "the [Civil Rights] Division has taken steps to ensure that its employees are fully aware of the Department's consistent policy that public meetings are open to the public, including the press."  Describe in detail each of the "steps" taken.

I ask that you provide written answers and documents by September 28, 2012.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley

Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee

Cc: Hon. Patrick J. Leahy, Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee

Patty Cockrell and I are sisters and best friends, and we wrote a children's book series, "Tukie Tales: A New Beginning for a Better Tomorrow,'' (www.tukietales.com), after seeing way too many sad things on the evening news.

The terrible things happening around the world distressed both of us. It was very sad to see the way people bullied each other and we realized it was harming so many people.

After a particularly tragic event -- the death of a small child in England at the hands of two boys not much older than him on Feb. 12, 1993 -- we were devastated. We knew we had to try to do something to change what we saw happening. We didn't know what to do or how; we just knew we had to do something.

We want all children to be safe, to have honest values, and care about the world we live in. We decided that we needed to start with very young children. Since we read to our children when they were young, we thought the best way we could help was to write stories for children with full, color illustrations so they can enjoy looking at the pictures while the story is being read to them.

We started to write our stories on Feb. 15, 1993. It has been a long journey to complete the books, get them illustrated, and published, but we're finally there! The first in the series, "Lost!", is available as a free e-book at TukieTales.com because we believe its message can save young lives. The second, "I Can Do It!", is available for purchase on the site, and the entire series of five will be available on or about Thanksgiving Day.

We wrote our stories in honor of all victims of violence. We wrote them with compassion and love in our hearts for all of our world's children in the hope of making a positive difference.

We created our characters knowing we first had to capture the young child's imagination. They needed to be fun and different. So, the Tukies are from another planet and they have special powers that humans don't have -- telepathy, telekinesis and invisibility. They use these to help others - well, most of the time! The youngest Tukie is very mischievous and likes to play little tricks on his friends, much to the delight of young children.

Each book is a complete story using positive reinforcement to teach children important life lessons. The stories give valuable insight that doing good makes us feel good, and they help enable children to build their life on a secure, solid foundation of safety, positive values and caring about nature. All the stories leave the child feeling empowered and eager to repeat the positive values.

We believe today's parents are ready for something different, and "Tukie Tales" is ready to deliver. Imagine a world where people treat each other with respect, kindness, and care about other living things. Some may say this ideal is not possible in today's world. We believe it is.

Humanity can achieve great things when we all strive to make it happen. Children hunger for knowledge and acceptance. We need to be proactive and uplift them to give them the tools they need to succeed. Having strong, positive values is so important. Together, we can all make a difference for our children's future. Join us on our mission to make a better world for them.

About Debbie Burns & Patty Cockrell

Debbie Burns and Patty Cockrell were determined to instill honest and wholesome values in their children after establishing their families. Deeply affected by the bad news of the world, they decided to promote a better experience for children. The "Tukie Tales: A New Beginning for a Better Tomorrow" series is written with compassion and love for all of the world's children in the hope of making a positive difference.

Because technology is moving so quickly, it's easy to miss out on gadgets that may impact one's life.

"Anyone with a cell phone knows how accessible taking pictures and shooting footage is nowadays, but with a minimum of investment, movie fans can tell their own stories with the same professional hardware that legends are using today," says seasoned filmmaker Kerstin Karlhuber.

She completed her latest project, "Tides of the Heart" (www.silentgiantproductions.com), in collaboration with partner and renowned songwriter Daniel Jay Paul.

"It's a feature-length music video - there's no dialogue. The story is told completely through the music and Kerstin's direction," says Paul, whose latest album, "Clean Getaway" (www.danieljaypaul.com), not only makes up much of the score for the film, but also structures the plot.

"With the technology available today, you can really afford to experiment and innovate. That's what keeps pushing the artistry to the next level," he says.

Karlhuber and Paul offer suggestions for creative-minded individuals who have been kicking around ideas, but haven't yet pulled the trigger on a project:

• The Canon EOS 5D Mark III: Canon v. Nikon ... who cares? The point is that the big dogs in the film business, from James Cameron to Neill Blomkamp of indie-film success story, "District 9," are using digital gear that can be purchased by the average movie fan. The sharpest, crispest picture in the history of images can tell your story for a few thousand dollars.

• Adobe, CyberLink, Final Cut Pro, etc.: Film editing software, more than ever, is cheap, user-friendly and easy to acquire. There are several tutorial demonstrations available online, and if you need to come up with ideas for a project brainstorm with friends or family. That's half the fun.

• Getting started: Sadly, most of the failure of creative projects - whether film, music, art or writing - involves work-ethic issues, or lack of confidence. Ask the following questions: How long have I been thinking about my idea? Is my vision doable? What's keeping me from pursuing it? ... And, perhaps the most insightful question - Why not?

• A little help from your friends: Chances are that if you're a creative person, you have a few creative buddies who can help you troubleshoot concepts and technical issues. Lean on your artistic friends for moral support - they understand the struggle of the creative process. The same people may be a good source for constructive criticism, too, when the project is nearing completion.

• Consider trends: Karlhuber's film has no dialogue and relies solely on Paul's songs for sound. The most recent Oscar winner for best picture, "The Artist," also features no dialogue, relying on old-school Hollywood visual drama. While this is a coincidence, Karlhuber says it has helped her film gain attention. "If your creative ideas happen to line up with a trending topic, there's no reason why you shouldn't take advantage of the public's zeitgeist," she says.

About Kerstin Karlhuber & Daniel Jay Paul

Kerstin Karlhuber is an award-winning filmmaker and director. Her work in the arts has been seen around the world, from off-Broadway to Cannes, the Arclight Theater in Los Angeles to a segment on "Good Morning America." She is the founder and director of the film production company Silent Giant Productions based in New York City.

Daniel Jay Paul is a songwriter who recently released "Clean Getaway" on the Sunlight Communication Arts label. His songs have been described by Music Express' Marcus Wright as "music you hear with your heart ...." Paul is the author of the novel "The Last Sunset."