Unsurprisingly, the liberal media is ignoring Hillary Clinton's role in the campaign finance violations that led to the indictment of her 2000 Senate campaign finance director, David Rosen.
Through Judicial Watch's work, Rosen was indicted - the indictment was "unsealed" Feb. 7 - for causing false reports to be filed with the Federal Election Commission.

He grossly underreported the cost of the August 12, 2000, Hollywood tribute to then-President Bill Clinton, which also served as a fundraiser for Hillary's Senate bid. The star-studded gala was produced and underwritten by our client Peter Paul at a cost of more than $1.2 million.

The concert portion of the gala, which featured such entertainers as Diana Ross and Cher, cost $800,000 alone.

Hillary personally called her friend Gary Smith, who produced the concert portion, to negotiate that price, and she and Bill personally called Peter to thank him for paying for the gala. (In all, Peter spent nearly $2 million on the event.)

Howard Wolfson, Hillary's 2000 campaign spokesman, admitted in an Aug. 17, 2000, Washington Post story that the gala cost more than $1 million. Yet Rosen reported to the FEC a cost of just $425,000, and Hillary's campaign reported only a $2,000 contribution from Peter in 2000. Peter alerted Hillary to the false reports in his lawsuit, filed in June 2000, and in a July 16, 2001, letter to her. She had a duty to correct those reports (and certainly not to allow the filing of false reports).

Few in the press have reported these facts, although, somewhat ironically, former Clinton crony Dick Morris has written a piece that touches on Hillary's involvement in this latest scandal.

We'll keep pressuring the Justice Department and the media to dig further into this Clinton mess.

Today is Inauguration Day, and I want to again extend congratulations to President Bush on his reelection. I hope that in his speech the president mentions the need for his administration to uphold the principles of accountability, integrity and transparency. He can start by tearing down the stone wall that the administration has erected around documents and information Judicial Watch is seeking from the Cheney Energy Task Force.

We're set to argue our case in this matter before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit next Thursday.

Internet users joined Judicial Watch Director of Investigations and Research Chris Farrell in our "Full Disclosure" chat room on Tuesday to discuss a variety of topics, including the recent indictment of Hillary Clinton's former campaign finance director.

Our next Internet chat will take place Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. EST. I hope you will join this lively forum. Just click on the "Full Disclosure" link on the Judicial Watch Internet site at www.judicialwatch.org.

Tom Fitton
President