PELTIER CLEMENCY CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES FOR 2000

Friends,

As you may know, Attorney Jennifer Harbury filed an Ethics Complaint with the Justice Department asking for an official investigation of FBI misconduct starting with the Pine Ridge reign of terror and finishing with the FBI's current campaign of disinformation against Leonard Peltier.  You can find it on our website: http://www.freepeltier.org/ethics_complaint1.htm#top   We know that the FBI has submitted the "res murs" which is the FBI's version of the Peltier case, wrought with misinformation, to every member of the House and Senate. Please help counter this by sending a copy of the complaint with a cover letter to each of your Senators and Representatives (also include the Statement of Facts by attorny Jennifer Harbury which is on our web site). Below is a sample letter you can use if needed.  It would help if a group of consituents signed off on the cover letter in order to show that there is substantial local concern over the issue. Additionally, when making calls to Janet Reno, please mention the complaint and let her know you support an investigation.

We are currently firming up strategies for the rest of the year with the collaboration of our advisory committees and in the next few weeks we will be releasing new plans of action.  This is a critical time in the clemency campaign and we want to move forward quickly but with well planned and strategic strategies.  Meanwhile, please keep up the telephone banking to the White House Comments Line, Members of Congress, and the Justice Department.  Here are the regional call in days and numbers:

White House: 202-456-1111, Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121, and Justice Department: 202-514-2007/fax 202-514-5331

The northeast people call on Mondays. The southeast call on Tuesdays, the mid-west and international call on Wednesdays, the northwest call on Thursdays and the southwest call on Fridays.

Thank you for your continued support and help.  Let's make the rest of this year really count!

In Solidarity, The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee

SAMPLE LETTER TO CONGRESS

The Honorable (full name) US Senate or US House of Representatives Room No. and Building Washinton DC + zip

Dear Senator/Congressman (last name),

As concerned citizens of the state of (state), we are writing to express our grave concerns about the case of Leonard Peltier, a Native American leader deemed by Amnesty International to be a "political prisoner who should be immediately and unconditionally released."  Mr. Peltier has spent over 24 years in prison for the murders of two FBI agents.  Despite clear indications that his conviction was a result of FBI misconduct including the coercion of witnesses, the withholding of exculpatory evidence, and the manufacturing of evidence, he has been denied a new trial.

After being faced with formerly withheld exculpatory evidence on appeal, the government admitted, and has since established, that they do not know who killed the agents and yet Mr. Peltier remains behind bars. The judge who denied this appeal on a technicality, has since recommended that Leonard Peltier be released through Executive Clemency.  Also calling for Mr. Peltier's freedom is the Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights, the National Council of Churches, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and the Dalai Lama among others.

We are particulary disquieted by the FBI's current efforts to obstruct justice in the Peltier case.  The FBI's concern over the deaths of their agents is understandable, however personalized veangence that impels officials to act above the law and outside of their jurisdiction cannot be tolerated. The FBI have collectively undertaken a political campaign to stop Mr. Peltier from being released, and in doing so have dissimentated substantial misinformation to both government officials and the American people.   For this reason, Mr. Peltier's attorney has filed an Ethics Complaint with the Department of Justice asking for an official investigation of the FBI's activities.  Enclosed is a copy for your review.

It is crucial that we understand the true facts of this case and all of the implications that they entail. Soon it will be too late for justice for Mr. Peltier.  Mr. Peltier suffers from serious health problems that put him at risk for stroke, heart disease, blindness, and kidney failure.  Should Mr. Peltier become disabled or die in prison, the damage to our relations with our Native American citizens will be irreversible.  We ask that urgent action be taken to set Mr. Peltier free.  We urge you to voice your concern and support for Mr. Peltier and to inform President Clinton that a number of your consituents feel very strongly that he be released.  We also ask that Congressional hearings into this case and the related situation on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation be conducted so that truth and reconciliation may finally bring closure to what was a disturbing chapter in our recent history.

Should you need more information and documentation about the case, you can contact the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee: 785-842-5774.  We would like to thank you in advance for your time, consideration, and attention.

Sincerely,

Call the White House Comments Line Today
Demand Justice for Leonard Peltier! 202-456-1111
Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
PO Box 583
Lawrence, KS 66044
785-842-5774
www.freepeltier.org

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