From: "LPDC"
Subject: Final Response to the "No Parole Peltier Association"

MAY 31, 2000

LPDC FINAL RESPONSE TO NPPA ALLEGATIONS:

In order to dispute the new allegations made by the "No Parole Peltier Association ," (www.noparolepeltier.com) we would simply like to provide the following quotes from both Court and Parole Commission records as listed below.  We would also like to point out that the NPPA's claim that Leonard Peltier called President Clinton a sleaze bag, when in fact he was referring to politicians in general when they do not fulfill promises they make to the very voters who elect them, proof that the NPPA is grasping for straws, and in doing so, feels the need to distort the truth.  Also, the NPPA's allegations that Peter Matthiessen and the late William Kunstler thought Leonard Peltier was guilty, is pure silliness.  After witnessing the latest infantile allegations on which the NPPA bases its claims, we have decided that this will be our last response to them, so not to waste effort on already transparent propaganda.  However, if anyone would like our reply to any future allegations made by the NPPA or other FBI agents, we will be happy to provide one.  Just give us a call or an email.  Thank you.
http://www.freeleonardpeltier.org
---Leonard Peltier Defense Committee

Quotes in Response to the NPPA's misunderstanding of the Myrtle Poor Bear Episode:

Judge Rodgers of the Eighth Circuit Appeals said the following during oral arguments in 1978 in regard to the FBI's use of the Myrtle Poor Bear affidavits: "What happened happened in such a way that it gives some credence to the claim of the Indian people that the United States is willing to resort to any tactic in order to bring somebody back to the United States from Canada.  And if they are willing to do that, they must be willing to fabricate other evidence.  And it's no wonder that they are unhappy and disbelieve the things that happen in our courts when things like this happen."

In it's 1978 decision the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals made the following remark: "The use of the affidavits of Myrtle Poor Bear in the extradition proceedings was, to say the least, a clear abuse of the investigative process by the F.B.I."


Quotes In Response to the NPPA's denial that the government does not know who killed the agents:

"we can't prove who shot those agents" (Eight Circuit, Oral Arguments 1985)

"We had a murder, we had numerous shooters, we do not know who specifically fired what killing shots.  We knew who participated, we knew who was murdered, but we did not know quote unquote who shot the agents." (Eighth Circuit, 1992)

"What I mean is we did not, we did not have any direct evidence that one individual, as opposed to another one pulled the trigger. . .and did the coup-de-grace" (Eighth Circuit 1992)

"We tried the case with the facts available.  The facts available did not give us direct evidence as to who did the coup-de-grace.  They simply didn't. . .  We argued inferences and we certainly argued that strongly.  But that's not the same thing as saying that we had direct evidence by any one witness that Mr. Peltier was the one that squeezed off the final rounds."
(Eighth Circuit 1992)

"The Commission recognizes that the prosecution has conceded the lack of any direct evidence that you [Leonard Peltier] personally participated in the executions of the two FBI agents." (United States Parole Commission, 1996)

After Prosecutor Crooks was asked by Judge Heaney who Peltier would have been aiding and abetting, if in fact he was aiding and abetting anyone, he made the following statement: "Aiding and abetting whoever did the final shooting.  Perhaps aiding and abetting himself."  (Eighth Circuit, Oral Arguments, 1986)



Quotes regarding blatant contradictions from the government regarding how the case was tried:

"we proved that he went down to the bodies and executed these two young men at point blank range."  (Trial, closing arguments, 1977)

"The record as a whole leaves no doubt that the jury accepted the government's theory that Peltier had personally killed the two agents, after they were seriously wounded, by shooting them at point blank range with an AR-15 rifle." (Eighth Circuit, 1985)

"Insofar as the United States was concerned this case was tried on an aiding and abetting theory.  It was argued that way it was tried that way." (Eighth Circuit, 1985)

Quote in Response to the NPPA's insistence that Leonard Peltier's situation is not tied to his Native heritage:

"I realize that you are what is often called a Native American who is also called an Indian. . . . but the facts of this case are that someone killed these individuals, that they are dead, that they were in fact murdered, and someone from that Nation, someone present on that date, that appears to have been a part of your nation committed these crimes. . . .unfortunately you, Mr. Peltier, are the one and only person who was convicted in this matter .
. . ."  May 1998, Parole Examiner Essex





Call the White House Comments Line Today
Demand Justice for Leonard Peltier! 202-456-1111

Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
PO Box 583
Lawrence, KS 66044
785-842-5774
http://www.freeleonardpeltier.org

Last updated 04/06/2004