Conference of Presidents Urgent Appeal to Clinton

Justice4JP Release - December 10, 2000

CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS
OF MAJOR AMERICAN JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS

December 4, 2000

Mr. William Jefferson Clinton
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President,

We have raised the case of Jonathan Pollard with you in correspondence and meetings numerous times over the past eight years. We do so again with added urgency.

While they represent a broad spectrum of views the fifty-four member organizations unanimously authorized us to communicate this appeal that you grant clemency to Mr. Pollard. From the beginning we made clear our condemnation of his actions. But we believe that as he completes his fifteenth year in jail Mr. Pollard has paid for his crime.

In our earlier discussions we raised questions related to the violation of his plea agreement as well as charges that appeared to be unsubstantiated. In September 2000, Mr. Pollard's new attorneys filed a motion for resentencing in the U.S. District court for the District of Columbia. In these papers, serious issues are raised regarding government misconduct. By virtue of the failure of his previous attorney to file a notice of appeal, Mr. Pollard was denied direct appellate review of his sentence and, thus, left to serve out his life sentence.

We hope you will take these legal briefs into account as part of your current review. Mr. President, we respectfully urge you to use this last opportunity to bring this tragic chapter to an end and to grant clemency on humanitarian grounds.

Sincerely yours,
(signed)

Ronald S. Lauder
Chairman

Seymour D. Reich
Co-Chairman

Malcolm Hoenlein
Executive Vice Chairman

Phillip Baum
Co-Chairman