He's Hoping Nobody Noticed?

Watchdog Asks Kerry To Keep His Word To American Public

WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 2, 2005 – Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today asked Sen. John F. Kerry to keep his word to the American public and sign a Standard Form 180 (SF 180), “Request Pertaining to Military Records.” On Sunday, Jan. 30, 2005, during an appearance on the NBC News show “Meet the Press,” moderator Tim Russert asked Sen. Kerry (three times) if he would sign an SF 180 and release all of his military records. On the third attempt Sen. Kerry answered Mr. Russert plainly:

MR. RUSSERT: Would you sign Form 180?

SEN. KERRY: Yes, I will.

In a letter hand delivered to Sen. Kerry’s Capitol Hill office, Judicial Watch asked him to execute the SF 180 immediately and thereby put to rest the controversies surrounding his service as a U.S. Navy officer.

Judicial Watch requested Aug. 2, 2004, release of Sen. Kerry’s military service records under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. Navy Personnel Command withheld 31 pages of documents because Sen. Kerry refused to sign an SF 180, releasing them to the public. The records pertained to: “Personnel service jackets and service records; and correspondence and records in both automated and non-automated form concerning classification, assignment, distribution, promotion, advancement, performance, recruiting, retention, reenlistment, separation, training, education, morale, personal affairs, benefits, entitlements, discipline and administration of naval personnel.”

Much of the information concerning Sen. Kerry’s questionable awards for valor and allegations concerning his actions both on active duty and as an inactive Naval Reserve officer was detailed in the best-selling book Unfit for Command, by John E. O’Neill and Jerome R. Corsi, PhD.

“Sen. Kerry has yet to come clean with the American people,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “We hope he will finally keep his promise to release his military records.”

[To read the "Meet the Press" transcript, click here. To view the letter from Judicial Watch, click here (for html version, click here).]

Judicial Watch is a non-partisan, educational foundation that advocates transparency, integrity and accountability in all aspects of government, politics and the law.