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Peltier Support Letter Demand an Investigation! |
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URGENT!!!!!!!!!!
MAY 16, 2001
URGENT PELTIER ACTION - STRIKE WHILE THE IRON
IS HOT - DEMAND INVESTIGATIONS
Dear Friends,
Recent revelations of FBI misconduct have prompted
Senator Charles Schumer
of New York and Senator Charles Grassley of
Iowa to call for "top to bottom"
investigations of the FBI. (Grassley
is a strong critic of the FBI). Let's
voice our support for investigations and push
for the inclusion of the
Peltier case.
Write and call your local Representative and
your two Senators, and cc your
letters to Senator Schumer and Senator Grassley.
To find out who your Rep.
and Senators are, and how to contact them,
look them up on these sites:
www.senate.gov www.house.gov
or call the switch board: 202-224-3121.
Below is a sample letter. (If you
are in New York or in Iowa, and either Schumer
or Grassley is one of your
Senators, adapt the letter by thanking them,
encouraging them, and urging
them to include Peltier in any push for investigations.)
Here are the addresses to cc your letters to:
Senator Charles Schumer
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Senator Charles Grassley
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator/Congressman ADDRESSES, FAX, PHONE HERE_
I am writing to express my firm support
for "top to bottom" investigations
of the FBI as called for by both Senator Schumer
and Senator Grassley.
There is an obvious pattern of FBI misconduct
involving the withholding of
evidence and obstruction of justice which
must be examined and halted. Such
conduct puts in jeopardy our nation's concepts
of democracy, open
government, and equal justice.
I am especially concerned with the FBI's treatment
of Leonard Peltier, the
Native American rights activist who Amnesty
International calls a "political
prisoner" who should be "immediately and unconditionally
released." Mr.
Peltier has been imprisoned for over twenty-five
years, following his highly
controversial conviction of the 1975 murders
of two FBI agents. During Mr.
Peltier's trial, the FBI and U.S. Prosecutors
emphatically swore that every
FBI document had been handed over to the defense.
Yet, years later a
Freedom of Information Act lawsuit would force
the release of over 12,000
FBI documents which had in fact been withheld.
Had the jury been able to
consider much of this evidence at trial, I
have no doubt that Mr. Peltier
would be free today.
Among the documents was a formerly concealed
ballistic test, which proved
that the fatal bullets could not have come
from the gun tied to Mr. Peltier
at trial. The exposure of the test prompted
the U.S. Prosecutor to admit
during subsequent oral arguments, "we can't
prove who shot those agents".
Yet, a new trial was denied on technical grounds,
even though the court
found that, "There is a possibility that the
jury would have acquitted
Leonard Peltier had the records and data improperly
withheld from the
defense been available to him in order to
better exploit and reinforce the
inconsistencies casting strong doubts upon
the government's case." The
judge who authored the denial now supports
Mr. Peltier's release.
To make matters worse, the FBI continues to
withhold over 6000 documents
pertaining to the Peltier case today.
We are convinced that these files
contain even more critical information.
We also note that Mr. Peltier's conviction
is deeply rooted in the Pine
Ridge "Reign of Terror." During this
period, the FBI cooperated with
vigilantes who killed over 60 members and
supporters of the American Indian
Movement and terrorized, assaulted and battered
scores of others.
Given all of the above, I am asking you to
press for a thorough and
bi-partisan investigation of the FBI, which
will include a comprehensive
examination of the Peltier case, including
the subpoena of 6000 FBI
documents still withheld today.
Thank you for your time and consideration to this matter.
Sincerely,
__________
c.c. Senator Grassley; Senator Schumer
Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
PO Box 583
Lawrence, KS 66044
785-842-5774
www.freepeltier.org
To subscribe, send a blank message to
< lpdc-on@mail-list.com >
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To : United States Senator ______or Representative_____
United States Congress
Washington D.C.
From : NAME AND ADDRESS
Dear _________________,
I am writing to express my shock and outrage over the recent denial
of
clemency to Mr. Leonard Peltier. I am also writing to ask for your
help and
support in this tragic case.
As you know, Mr. Peltier is a Native American citizen of this country
who
has now been incarcerated for twenty-five years, following his highly
controversial conviction of the 1975 murders of two FBI agents.
He has never
received the benefit of a fair trial, despite worldwide outcry from
human
rights and religious leaders. Although disturbing evidence proves
that
vengeful FBI officials coerced witnesses, utilized false testimonies
and
withheld a key ballistics test reflecting his innocence, Mr. Peltier
was
denied a new trial on technical grounds. Today even the United States
Attorney admits that no one knows who fired the fatal shots. The
Judge who
denied the new trial has written to firmly support Mr. Peltier's
release. Meanwhile, Mr. Peltier himself is long overdue for parole and
is in failing health. This case is an embarrassment to our nation.
To make matters worse, Mr. Peltier's highly controversial conviction
is
deeply rooted in the Pine Ridge "Reign of Terror", when FBI-backed
vigilantes killed over 60 AIM members and supporters, and terrorized,
assaulted and battered scores of others. There has never been any
adequate
investigation or redress of this grim chapter of civil rights history.
For
all of these reasons, Mr. Peltier has become a symbol of ongoing
U.S.
repression against the first citizens of this country.
Given all of the above, I am asking for the following :
1. Please press for a thorough and bi-partisan investigation of this
case,
together with the FBI abuses which occurred during the Reign of
Terror on
Pine Ridge Reservation, 1973-1976.
2. Please press for a Congressional Act declassifying all of the
FBI and
related files in Mr. Peltier's case. Some 6000 documents, remain
in secret
files, despite the fact that twenty five years have passed and the
investigation and court proceedings ended long ago. Given that some
of the
files released earlier contained the critical and exculpatory ballistics
test which the FBI had concealed from the defense, we are convinced
that
these secret files contain critical information.
3. Please urge the United States Parole Commission to release
Mr. Peltier.
Although Mr. Peltier is nine years overdue for parole, according
to Parole
Commission guidelines, the Commission has arbitrarily and capriciously
denied his release, despite his failing health and his impressive
record of
human rights work from prison.
4. The Parole Commission's abolishment date is set for next year.
Before
granting another extension, please review the Parole Commission's
treatment
of Leonard Peltier's case and others like it. According to
the
Comprehensive Crime Control Act passed by Congress in 1984, Mr.
Peltier
should have been given his probative release date over fifteen years
ago.
Yet, Mr. Peltier and multitudes of others have never received this
date, and
many more have been denied parole without justification. It
appears the
Parole Commission is denying due process to prisoners in order to
remain in
power. Meanwhile, taxpayer's money is being used to fund a
government
agency who is failing to fulfill its purpose.
We thank you for your time and consideration to these matters.
Sincerely,
BY E-MAIL {REMEMBER..SNAIL MAIL IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD}
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THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING LEONARD! |
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