Rights Group Claims White House Policy Illegally Silences Critics

According to a press release from the American Civil Liberties Union, the rights group has filed a lawsuit against a former White House Official. The group claims that Gregory Jenkins, former Director of the White House Office of Presidential Advance and a Deputy Assistant to President Bush, set the policy that illegally barred individuals thought to be critical of the President from events where he was present.

The ACLU obtained a manual called the Presidential Advance Manual from the United States Justice Department. The manual reportedly describes the policy in detail including numerous references to planning of presidential events including: " "the best method for preventing demonstrators," "deterring potential protestors from attending events," "designat[ing] a protest area . . . preferably not in view of the event site or motorcade route." The rights group also claims that the manual states: "if it is determined that the media will not see or hear" demonstrators, then event staff can ignore them.

Lead counsel in the case, Chris Hanson of the ACLU reportedly stated: "The White House has gone too far in its attempt to make dissent invisible. When taxpayers foot the bill for a public event, the president does not have the right to use a partisan litmus test to stack the audience with his political supporters."

The ACLU claims that Jenkin's policy has reulted in the illegal removal of and sometimes unjustified arrest of individuals critical to the Bush administration that attended public events where the President was present.

The rights group is suing Jenkins on behalf of: Jeff and Nicole Rank along with Alex Young and Leslie Weise.

The ACLU claims that Jeff and Nicole Rank were unjustifiably arressted for wearing t-shirts that had the word Bush printed on them while they attended a fourth of July appearance by the President. The word had a circle around it with a diagonal slash through it. White House staff requested that the couple remove or cover their shirts. The couple refused to do so, citing the other attendees who were allowed to wear pro-Bush paraphanelia. The white house staffers were unconvinced; they instructed police to arrest the couple. The couple was arrested and charged with trespassing.

The rights group claims that Nicole Rank was also improperly suspended from her job with the Federal Emergency Management Administration due to the arrest; city officials later apologized for their part in the arrest and jailing of Jeff and Nicole Rank.

Alex Young and Leslie Weise were allegedly improperly ejected from a town hall meeting on social security in Denver. White house officials reportedly had the pair ejected because Weise had a bumper sticker on her car that read: "No More Blood for Oil."

Weise and Young issued a statement regarding the case that included these comments: "Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of the American way of life and public forums are the place where this matters most. Peaceful expression, whatever the format, is vital to all of us. We believe this case is important for protecting the rights of all Americans."

The lawsuit detailed many other instances of individuals being ejected or otherwise banned from events for reasons such as bumper sticker and t-shirt slogans that made the wearer appear to be critical of President Bush, the Bush administration, or the war in Iraq.

Sources:
The American Civil Liberties Union