Denver – Federal prosecutors have declined to file charges against a man who removed three people from an appearance by President Bush earlier this year because they arrived in a car with a bumper sticker reading “No more blood for oil,” and wearing T-shirts saying “stop the lies” under other clothes.
The Secret Service said in a letter to Sen. Ken Salazar and Reps. Mark Udall and Diana DeGette, all Democrats, that prosecutors would not file charges.
The Secret Service had been investigating to determine whether the man impersonated a Secret Service officer, and recently turned over its report to prosecutors.
U.S. Attorney Bill Leone said in a statement that he believes the Secret Service’s investigation was thorough, and that his office will not initiate federal prosecution in the case. “Criminal law is not an appropriate tool to resolve this dispute,” he wrote. “The normal give and take of the political system is the appropriate venue for resolution.”
Dan Recht, an attorney for Karen Bauer, Leslie Weise and Alex Young, said his clients plan to pursue a civil lawsuit against the person, accusing him of violating their free-speech rights and assaulting them.
“We don’t know who it was, but we’ll find out who it was and we’ll sue him,” Recht said. “I’m disappointed but not surprised charges won’t be filed, but it remains to be seen whether the Secret Service did a thorough investigation.” The three were thrown out of Bush’s March 21 appearance in a hangar at the former Lowry Air Force Base. Bush had traveled to Denver as part of a national tour to promote his proposals to reform the Social Security system.
In its letter, the Secret Service said it does not divulge the names of people who have not been charged with a crime. Recht said he plans to file a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain the Secret Service’s report.
Bauer, Weise and Young said a man wearing a dark suit, radio earpiece and lapel pin ordered them to leave the meeting, threatening them with arrest even though they had not caused a disruption or revealed their T-shirts.
The Secret Service has said the man was a host committee staffer but has declined further comment. The White House has acknowledged the man was a volunteer, but like the Secret Service, refused requests from Salazar, Udall and DeGette to identify him.
“Frankly, if the Secret Service and White House have nothing to hide, and if no law was broken, don’t the American people have a right to know the results of the investigation and who was responsible for (the ejections)?” Udall said in a statement.
“Hopefully the White House will put in place procedures for town meetings that allow all views to be heard and that respect all law-abiding individuals.”
