NATIONAL LEGAL AND POLICY CENTER
"Promoting Ethics in Government"
1309 Vincent Place, Suite 1000
McLean, Virginia 22101
703-847-3088, Fax 703-847-6969
www.nlpc.org, nlpc@nlpc.org

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 14, 2000
CONTACT: Dan Rene, 703-847-3088 or drene@nlpc.org
 
Judge in Recount Case Should Have Recused Himself
Gave Donations to Gore
 
Please attribute the following statement to National Legal and Policy Center President Peter Flaherty:

U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks of the Southern District of Florida has given over $19,000 to Democrats including $1,000 to Al Gore.  Given these political donations, he should have recuse himself and allowed one of his colleagues on bench to hear the hand-recount case.  Judges must adhere to high standards of ethics and integrity--even more so when the judge is required to effectively pick the next President of the United States.  This Judge failed to meet these standards.

The following is a chronological list of Judge Middlebrooks' political donations since January 1, 1979, according to the Federal Election Commission.  Note that 98.72% of the $19,480 went to Democratic candidates and committees.  Note further that his only Republican donation, $250 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, occurred the year before the Republican-controlled Senate confirmed his appointment by Bill Clinton to the federal bench in 1997.
 

Federal Political Dondations of Donald M. Middlebrooks
Date
Donation
Candidate / Committee
05/03/96
$250
 NRSC 
04/27/96
$500
 Bob Graham (D-Fla.-Senate)
09/25/95
$500
 Clinton/Gore ‘96
06/14/95
$500
 Clinton/Gore ‘96
05/31/95
$250
 DSCC 
08/19/93
$250
 DSCC 
06/30/92
$500
 Jim Bacchus (D-Fla.-House)
02/28/92
$250
 Robert Kerrey (D-President) 
01/30/92
$250
 Robert Kerrey (D-President) 
12/18/91
$250
 Bill Clinton (D-President) 
10/16/90
$250
 Jim Bacchus (D-Fla.-House) 
08/07/90
$250
 Jim Bacchus (D-Fla.-House)
02/20/90
$250
 Carl Levin (D-Mich.-Senate) 
08/04/89
$500
 Gerald Richman (D-Fla.-House) 
07/06/89
$1,000
 Gerald Richman (D-Fla.-House) 
04/10/89
$250
 Rosario Kennedy (D-Fla.-House) 
02/24/89
$250
 Jim Bacchus (D-Fla.-House) 
10/28/88
$500
 DNC 
10/25/88
$1,000
 Harry Johnston (D-Fla.-House) 
09/30/88
$1,000
 Buddy MacKay (D-Fla.-Senate) 
06/30/88
$1,000
 Buddy MacKay (D-Fla.-Senate) 
06/21/88
($320)
 Reubin Askew (D-Fla.-Senate) 
06/01/88
$1,000
 Harry Johnston, Jr. (D-Fla.-House) 
03/18/88
$1,000
 Reubin Askew (D-Fla.-Senate) 
06/22/87
$500
 Joseph Biden (D-President)
09/18/86
$1,000
 Bob Graham (D-Fla.-Senate) 
08/20/85
$1,000
 Bob Graham (D-Fla.-Senate)
09/30/82
$1,400
 Reubin Askew (D-President)
06/30/82
$1,550
 Reubin Askew (D-President) 
03/31/82
$1,600
 Reubin Askew (D-President)
08/19/81
$750
 Reubin Askew (D-President)
11/01/79
$250
 Edward Kennedy (D-President) 
TOTAL
$19,480
 
 Source: Federal Election Commission
NLPC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit foundation promoting ethics and accountability in government through research, education and legal action. For more information, see <http://www.nlpc.org>
#  #  #

Return to Media Release Page