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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release January 11, 1999

        PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES THOMAS BAER, ELIZABETH HOLTZMAN 
               AND RICHARD BEN-VENISTE AS MEMBERS OF THE
          NAZI WAR CRIMINAL RECORDS INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP

The President announced today his intent to appoint Thomas H. Baer, Elizabeth Holtzman and Richard Ben-Veniste as members of the Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group.

Mr. Thomas H. Baer, of Los Angeles, California, is a Partner of Steinhardt Baer Pictures Company, a motion picture and television production and finance company, and Dalrymple Productions, a producer of Emmy and Ace Award winning TV specials. Mr. Baer became President of Kings Road Productions in 1984. Previously, he was a partner in the New York law firm of Baer & McGoldrick from 1966 to 1983, and an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1961 to 1966. Mr. Baer received his B.A. from Tufts University and his LL.B. from Yale University.

Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman, of Brooklyn, New York, is currently Counsel with Herrick, Feinstein LLP in New York City. Previously, she served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1973 to 1981, as District Attorney of Kings County (Brooklyn) from 1982 to 1990, and as Comptroller of the City of New York from 1990 to 1993. While serving in the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Holtzman was a member of the House Budget Committee, the House Judiciary Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and International Law. Among the legislation which she sponsored was the Holtzman Amendment authorizing the deportation of Nazi War Criminals. Ms. Holtzman has also served as a Member of the Helsinki Watch Committee. She received her A.B. from Radcliffe College in 1962 and her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1965.

Mr. Richard Ben-Veniste, of Washington, DC, is a Member of the Washington law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. Previously, he was Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District, New York from 1968 to 1973, which included service as Chief of the Special Prosecution Section from 1971 to 1973. Mr. Ben-Veniste was Chief of the Watergate Task Force, U.S. Department of Justice from 1973 to 1975 and Special Outside Counsel, Senate Committee on Government Operations from 1976 to 1977. He again returned to government service as Special Counsel (Minority), Senate Whitewater Committee, from May 1995 to June 1996. Mr. Ben-Veniste received an A.B. from Muhlenberg College in 1964, an LL.B. from Columbia University in 1967, and an LL.M. from Northwestern University in 1968.

The Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group was established, with bipartisan support, to locate, identify, inventory, recommend for declassification, and make available to the public at the National Archives and Records Administration, all classified Nazi war criminal records of the United States. In addition to the public members named above, the President will also appoint individuals from government agencies, as he deems appropriate, to effectively execute the mission of the Working Group.

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