April 25 2005 -New Gannon Documents Create More Questions: Reps. Slaughter & Conyers Renew Call on.. |
New Gannon Documents Create More Questions: Reps. Slaughter & Conyers Renew Call on White House for Answers Washington, DC - Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY-28), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, and Rep. John Conyers (D-MI-14), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee today released a letter written to White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan The letter was written after a review of documents released to Rep. Slaughter & Conyers by the Department of Homeland Security in response to their Freedom of Information Act request for materials related to White House media credentialing procedure and discredited conservative "reporter" Jeff Gannon. LETTER TO SCOTT McCLELLAN:
April 25, 2005 Scott McClellan Assistant to the President and Press Secretary The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. McClellan, We write to ask you to identify who in your office, or in the White House generally, gave Mr. James Guckert a.k.a. "Jeff Gannon" virtually unfettered access to the White House. In reviewing the response to our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to the Department of Homeland Security several of our specific concerns were validated. While your office and the White House have claimed Gannon was treated as just another reporter, the records we have obtained affirm that Gannon was granted access to the White House which appears to be unusual for any reporter. Out of concern for not only security, but also avoiding White House dissemination of propaganda, we request an explanation to the following:
These records appear to confirm our concern that Gannon was treated in a manner that deviated from standard White House procedure for determining who receives press credentials, and to what degree members of the press and public are granted access to the White House complex. In fact, these entry and exit records only raise more questions, as your office has issued conflicting statements about his activities and apparently abused the press pass policy to avoid a full-fledged background investigation and allow Republican propaganda to be disseminated through a counterfeit media operation and a fake reporter.
Mr. McClellan, we have yet to receive any direct communication from your office in response to our repeated requests for information. The American people deserve to know what is happening in the White House Briefing room. It is unacceptable that you continue to deny them this information. Rep. Louise Slaughter Rep. John Conyers, Jr. Ranking Member Ranking Member House Rules Committee House Judiciary Committee |