frankenlies.com
#24: Blurry "20/20" Vision on Saipan
On pages 177-179 of Truth, Al Franken references a March 18, 1998, ABC 20/20 episode hosted by Brian Ross. A close examination of this episode raises more questions than it answers, and the segment raises several issues. (Sorry, folks. There's a lot to this one.)
I.
Brian Ross explicitly reported that he found that many Saipan factory workers were "forbidden to participate in any religious or political activity."1
... Why didn't Ross interview Kok Hiong Pang, pastor of the Chinese Christian Church, the largest Chinese church in Saipan? In an April 1998 story in World magazine, Pang told the publication "that in six years of ministry to Chinese workers on the island, he had never experienced or heard of instances where the freedom to worship or practice religion had been hampered. Mr. Pang holds four weekly services at his church. Average attendance at each is well over 300."2
... The same World magazine article cited Andrea Sheldon, of the conservative Traditional Values Coalition, who went to Saipan with a video camera expecting to find abuses. Rather (emphasis mine),
"[Sheldon] told WORLD she was surprised to find clean and pleasant working conditions and immigrant employees who seemed more than content with their lot. At one factory, she spotted a Chinese woman wearing a "Jesus Loves You" T-shirt, a small but not insignificant clue, she said, that there was more religious freedom there than she had been led to believe." 3
... Ross did interview a man named Eric Gregoire, a "human rights worker" inside Chalan Kanoa, a diocese of the Catholic Church.4 If workers were in fact forbidden from religious practice, why did Ross call on a man like Gregoire, a worker with the Catholic Church, as someone with so much knowledge of garment workers and the garment industry? Interviewing Gregoire would seem to contradict Ross' earlier claim that religious practice was forbidden!
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II.
In the story, Ross interviewed Allen P. Stayman, a Department of the Interior official during the Clinton administration. (By the way, Franken misspells Mr. Stayman's first name as "Allan.")
... What viewers (and Ross as well, probably) did not know was that partisan political motivations may have been at play when Stayman was being interviewed, and Stayman's interview might have been part of illegal political activity. It has been reported that Stayman, in conjunction with an associate, David North, sent an October 6, 1997, memo to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) urging Democrats to attack politicians who opposed narrowing regulations on Saipan.5 When Stayman appeared on TV in front of Ross months after the memo, he appeared to be playing a role in doing just that!
... Stayman eventually was the subject of an investigation by the Office of Special Counsel for violation of the Hatch Act, which forbids federal officials from campaign or lobbying activity. Stayman's memo to the DCCC, reportedly sent on official letterhead,6 appeared clearly illegal to many observers. Also, a 2000 report alleged that Stayman committed perjury in his testimony during the investigation.7
... In addition, David North was accused of illegal political lobbying activity related to Saipan and the Mariana Islands. Earl E. Devaney, Inspector General for the Department of the Interior, testified that North's improper activities were "the most egregious example I've seen" in 30 years of law enforcement.8 Also (emphasis mine),
"Inspector General Devaney testified that North conducted political activity from his federal office during work hours against Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX), Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-TX), and U.S. Reps. Phil English (R-PA), Brian Bilbray (R-CA) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA). In addition, Devaney testified that North sought to assist Democrat Congressional candidates and had contact with the Democrat National Committee and the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee."9
Also (emphasis mine),
"The inspector general's report shows Mr. North drafted press releases for Democratic candidates [and] provided derogatory information about Republican members to campaigns and reporters."10
Did any of those "reporters" include Brian Ross or the staff at ABC's 20/20? It's a fair question.
Inspector General Devaney concluded, "[Allen] Stayman clearly understood what North was doing."11 Mr. Devaney recommended that North be prosecuted, but Janet Reno's Justice Department refused.12
In other words, a serious case can be made that these attacks on Rep. DeLay about Saipan were part of a larger political scheme to sully Republican politicians who disagreed with policy regarding the Mariana Islands (CNMI). Reports seriously allege that Stayman and North broke the law by performing nasty, on-the-job campaigning against Republicans who opposed them.
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III.
The 20/20 story also reported that Congressman DeLay was "just one of more than 80 influential Congressmen and Congressional staff members who [were] brought out to Saipan."
... "More than 80 influential Congressmen and Congressional staff members"? Why the laser-beam focus only on DeLay? Hmmm. Did any of 80+ others have a (D) after their name? Ross and ABC News didn't tell us.
[Special note: If you wish to write to me regarding this post, please read this first. Thank you.]
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Notes:
1 A partial transcript and video can be found at the far-left Democracy Now web site. "Forced Abortions & Sweatshops: A Look at Jack Abramoff's Ties to the South Pacific Island of Saipan & How Tom DeLay Became An Advocate for Sweatshop Factory Owners," Democracy Now, January 4, 2006. http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/04/1524256. Accessed January 20, 2006. [Also: In his original report, Ross acknowledged that these agreements were basically illegal. However in the Democracy Now interview, Ross claimed otherwise. Ugh. This writer's research concluded that Ross was right the first time.]
2 Mindy Belz, "Micromanaging Micronesia? Playing politics with persecution," World magazine, April 18, 1998. http://www.worldmag.com/displayarticle.cfm?id=1948.
3 Ibid.
4 Margot Patterson, "American dream lures Saipan workers," National Catholic Reporter, September 7, 2001. http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/archives/090701/090701a.htm.
5 Sam Dealey, "Senate hires controversial Dem staffer," The Hill, July 8, 2003. http://www.hillnews.com/news/070803/staffer.aspx. See also: Lindablue F. Romero, "Report: Stayman's involved in on-job politics, too," Saipan Tribune, August 18, 1999. http://saipantribune.com/archives/newsstorysearch.aspx?cat=1&newsID=3310&issID=194&archdte=8/18/1999 12:00:00 AM.
6 Sam Dealey, "Senate hires controversial Dem staffer," The Hill, July 8, 2003. http://www.hillnews.com/news/070803/staffer.aspx.
7 "Report says Stayman committed perjury," Saipan Tribune, July 28, 2000. http://saipantribune.com/archives/newsstorysearch.aspx?cat=1&newsID=8519&issID=440&archdte=7/28/2000 12:00:00 AM.
8 "Documents Outlining Improper Political & Lobbying Activity Now Available To Public," (Gov't release) http://66.216.68.23/access/news/pr_house_doilobby.htm. Accessed January 19, 2006.
9 Ibid.
10 Audrey Hudson, "Interior IG wanted ex-official charged: North broke law, House panel told," Washington Times, July 13, 2000, p. A4.
11 Ibid.
12 Ibid.