08/19/99 -- Judge Quits Confederate Case Amid Corruption Charges
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 19 -- D.C. Superior Court Judge John H. Bayly Jr. recused himself just weeks before a jury trial is scheduled in a case that closed the only Confederate museum in the nation's capital.
John Edward Hurley, president of the Confederate Memorial Association which owned and operated the century-old facility, had accused Judge Bayly of numerous conflicts of interest and covering up government intelligence involvement in prosecuting the lawsuit.
Hurley said that Judg e Bayly had ordered him to pay over $40,000 in legal costs without allowing him to see the details of the billing, including the dates of client contacts. This is important, Hurley said, because it would show that the telephone contacts were with governm ent intelligence agencies, and not with the individual plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit eleven years ago.
Referring to the General Accounting Office's current investigation of the D.C. court system, Hurley said that opposing legal counsel had arra nged for pro bono legal representation to defend the D.C. court system before Congress, while conspiring to deny legal counsel for Hurley and the other CMA defendants by freezing the funds of the association.
In one instance Hurley cited as clearl y corrupt, Judge Bayly had jailed him for refusing to pay a $30,000 assessment by the court, only to have $22,000 returned to Hurley with no explanation. As another example, Hurley said that th e transcripts of the last four hearings in his case have been withheld.
"This lawsuit is being driven by national security operatives," Hurley said. He identified Vicki Heilig of Fuentez Systems Concepts and Richard Hines, executive vice pres ident of WIN Laboratories, both minority contractors for top security agencies of the U.S. government. WIN is a Chinese firm.
Hines is also a $550,000 registered foreign agent, according to Justice Department records. His registration indicates that he was hired to influence Congress on behalf of the current Cambodian government, an ally of both China and Vietnam.
"I asked Judge Bayly to recuse himself five years ago," Hurley said. "Now, without being asked, Judge Bayly bails out because I am finally getting a jury who I am confidant will take exception to intelligence agencies attempting to use museums as fronts."
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