Holder In Hot Water With Irish American Organizations

Holder In Hot Water With Irish American Organizations
IRISH AMERICAN LEADERS CRITICAL OF JUDGES’ DECISION TO GIVE BRITISH RECORDS; APPEAL AGAIN TO HOLDER
ANCIENT ORDER OF HIBERNIANS * IRISH AMERICAN UNITY CONFERENCE
December 18, 2011

Philadelphia, PA & Denver, CO – The National Presidents of the nation’s two largest Irish American groups expressed their disappointment with the decision by Judge Young in the British government’s attempt to get records held in the Burns Archives of Boston College. Britain made the request through Attorney General Eric Holder pursuant to a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) in February and requested the subpoena be sealed.

“The Judge not only ignored Boston College’s arguments,” stated National AOH President Seamus Boyle, “but he refused to listen to the arguments of Eamonn Dornan that the British were misusing the MLAT treaty for political purposes.” Dornan sought to act as an intervener for Ed Moloney & Anthony McIntyre, two principals in the Oral History project. Dornan also asked the Judge to take note of the history of the Extradition/MLAT treaty ratification and Britain’s attempts to deceive U. S. Senator Kerry and others.

National IAUC President Thomas Burke registered his objection to providing the British government any records of the conflict until they meet three simple requests far more serious than the taped recollections of a dissident of the Irish peace process.

“How can Attorney General Holder,” stated Burke, “the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, turn over records to the British since it has failed to respond to requests or produce records of the murder of lawyer Patrick Finucane; a murder in which they collaborated; it has failed to respond to the unanimous Declaration of the Irish Government for British records of the mass murder of the Dublin/Monaghan bombings, and it imprisons Gerry McGough in defiance of the intent of the 1998 Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement?”

Ned McGinley, former National AOH President, commented that Attorney General Holder has failed to give any substantive response to letters from the Presidents of the AOH, IAUC & the Brehon Law Society seeking his rejection of the British request.

IAUC Board member, Mike Cummings, noted that AG Holder & Secretary of State Clinton have solid grounds for rejecting the British request which are spelled out in the Treaty documents. “To respond to this request is potentially disruptive of the peace process and their request is not related to a legitimate criminal investigation. It is not possible for the United States to turn over these records to a government that has political prisoners, juryless courts and a record of corruption and murder in Northern Ireland that gets a new chapter with every passing month.”

The parties are to decide on an appeal shortly.