July 31, 2007

Judicial Watch expresses an interest in the Montebello summit ...





Well, folks!  Here we go! The first really BIG assault on SPP secrecy and the henchmen for the 3 amigos.

Today, the Canadians have put out the calls to APPROVE the media "contracts" that they will approve.  Carpooling is to be a necessity, but details on that will come at a later date.  Hmm . .. umhmmmmmmmmm.

Now why would Judicial Watch be concerned when two unelected Presidents and a minority Prime Minister (who is very iron-fisted and prone to have his Ministers say nothing at all) meet with 30 handpicked corporate types in secrecy ....?

SOURCE: Judicial Watch












 





Jul 31, 2007 12:30 ET





Judicial Watch Seeks Access to North

 American Competitiveness Council

 Meetings Under Federal Open

 Meetings Law



Commerce
Secretary Gutierrez Urged to Comply

 With Federal Open Meetings Law
During August

 20 and 21 Security & Prosperity Partnership

 Meetings
in Montebello, Quebec









WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - July 31, 2007) - Judicial Watch, the public interest group
that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today filed a
notice with Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez that it is seeking access
to the meetings and records of the North American Competitiveness Council
(NACC) under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) --
the federal open meetings law (5 U.S.C App. 2 §3(2)). Specifically,
Judicial Watch seeks to attend and/or participate in meetings of the NACC
and its U.S. component subcommittees, the next meeting of which is
reportedly scheduled for August 20, 2007 in Montebello, Quebec, Canada.


Secretary Gutierrez launched the NACC, with his Mexican and Canadian
counterparts, in June 2006. The NACC met on August 15, 2006 in Washington
and again on February 23, 2007 in Ottawa, Canada. The NACC has provided
over fifty (50) recommendations for action to Secretary Gutierrez and the
Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP).


To further its public interest mission, Judicial Watch previously submitted
a request to attend NACC meeting with the organization designated by the
Commerce Department as the "Secretariat" of the NACC comprised of the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce (jointly with the Council of the Americas). The
Secretariat informed Judicial Watch that as a not-for-profit educational
foundation, it was not eligible to participate in NACC meetings.


Judicial Watch's notice to Secretary Gutierrez stresses the legal
requirement for the NACC, and any U.S. component subcommittee(s), to obey
the federal open meetings law and file a charter, publish timely notice of
meetings in the Federal Register, allow interested parties to attend and
participate in meetings, and provide access to committee records. Judicial
Watch believes the NACC has failed to satisfy any of these statutory
requirements.


Judicial Watch has also requested that Secretary Gutierrez make all records
of the NACC -- reports, transcripts, minutes, appendixes, working papers,
drafts, studies, agenda, etc. -- available to Judicial Watch in accordance
with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. §552).


"Our goal is to open up this entire SPP process to the American public.
The North American Competitiveness Council is a federal advisory group that
cannot operate in secret -- especially during the important Quebec SPP
summit
next month," stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.








Contact:
Jill Farrell
202-646-5188















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