Obstruction of Justice: Exposing the Inslaw Scandal and Related Crimes by Karen Bixman – Media Bypass Magazine "I think in a perverse way, I was... slow to catch a software company called Hadron on. I feel silly... I wasn't paranoid enough," Incorporated. As Inslaw sought refuge in Inslaw President Bill Hamilton said. Chapter 11, Justice Department officials pressured the IRS to force Inslaw into Chapter Hamilton's remarks referred to the bankrupting 7 liquidation. of his computer firm, known as Inslaw, and subsequent theft, by high officials within the Through his influence with Meese, Brian sought Justice Department, of his PROMIS software. to obtain the rights to Inslaw's PROMIS During the late 1960s, Hamilton, who was an software and the government contract. Hadron intelligence analyst with the National Security Chairman Dominic Laiti had previously Agency (NSA), assigned to the research and attempted to purchase the software from Inslaw, development unit, began developing a computer but Hamilton had refused the offer. Brian, who database program which would interface with was linked to covert operations with the United other computers. This program had the ability to States and Israeli intelligence communities, and track the movement of individuals on a who reportedly worked for the CIA, was given worldwide scale. the leased software by officials within the Justice Department. Former Israeli intelligence agent Realizing the potential of his development, he Ari Ben-Menashe, claims that Brain contacted resigned from the NSA and, three years later, Rafi Eitan, a former Mossad agent and counter formed Inslaw Incorporated. Believing the terrorism adviser to Israel with the intent that program could be a highly effective tool in the software be sold to intelligence agencies tracking criminals, Hamilton copyrighted his around the world. Ben-Menashe further claims PROMIS software (which stands for that it was Rafi Eitan who initiated the idea of Prosecutors Management Information Systems) installing a "trap door" into the software, which and offered to lease the rights for its use to the would permit the Mossad to secretly enter the Justice Department. In 1982, the Justice database after it was sold, thus allowing them to Department signed a $10 million contract with spy on countries that purchased the program. Inslaw to install PROMIS into the offices of 42 Deciding that the trap door be installed outside U.S. attorneys. Israel, Ben- Manashe contacted Yehuda Ben-Hanan, who owned Software and Obtaining a loan, and thus incurring heavy debt Engineering Consultants based in Chatsworth, to complete the contract, Inslaw installed California, and for a fee of $5,000 contracted PROMIS, but by February 1985, the him for the job. government had withheld payments on $1.77 million in costs and fees and Inslaw was forced With the trap door in place, Brian, representing into bankruptcy. Hadron Incorporated, sold the software to the Jordanian government, whereby a team of Earl Brian, a close friend of then Attorney Hadron computer experts set up the software General Edwin Meese, and owner of United for Jordanian military intelligence. Press International, owned controlling interest in Now assured that the program was operational, Shortly thereafter, while in the troughs of the CIA, working with Justice Department Chapter 11 court proceedings, Inslaw's attorney, officials, and Earl Brian, crafted a plan to former Attorney General Elliot Richardson, filed develop their own version of PROMIS, also a civil action suit claiming that Inslaw had been equipped with a trap door. This alteration of the the victim of a conspiracy by the Justice software was carried out by Michael Department. Riconosciuto, who was director of Research for Wakenhut Corporation, a security firm based in U.S. Bankruptcy Judge George Bason, who Coral Gables, Florida, that also has ties to the ruled in favor of Inslaw in the civil trial awarded CIA and intelligence communities. It was on the Hamilton $6.8 million and found in September Cabazon Indian Reservation, outside Indio, 1987, that Justice Department officials, "took, California, where Riconosciuto installed the trap converted and stole" PROMIS through door on PROMIS. "trickery, fraud and deceit." Judge Bason's ruling, however, had a direct effect on his career In a signed affidavit, dated March 21, 1991, when his reappointment to the bench was Riconosciuto stated, "In connection with my denied. "Very soon after I rendered those work for Wakenhut, I engaged in some software opinions, my application for reappointment was development and modification work in 1983 and turned down," Bason said. "One of the Justice 1984 on the proprietary PROMIS computer Department attorneys who argued the Inslaw software product. The copy of PROMIS on case before me was appointed in my stead. which I worked came from the U.S. Department Although over 90 percent of the incumbent of Justice. Earl W. Brian made it available to me bankruptcy judges who sought reappointment through Wakenhut after acquiring it from Peter were, in fact, reappointed, I was not among Videnieks, who was then a Department of them." Justice contracting official with responsibility for the PROMIS software. I performed the Two years later, Judge Bason's ruling was modification to PROMIS in Indio, California; appealed to the U.S. District Court where Judge Silver Springs, Maryland; and Miami, Florida. William Bryant upheld the decision. In May The purpose of the PROMIS software 1991, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington modifications that I made in 1983 and 1984 was D.C., reversed the findings, claiming that to support a plan for the implementation of bankruptcy courts lacked jurisdiction over the PROMIS in law enforcement and intelligence matter. Following the reversal, the Senate agencies worldwide. Earl W. Brian was Permanent Subcommittee on investigations spearheading the plan for this worldwide use of conducted a Congressional investigation into the the PROMIS computer software." theft of PROMIS. The Senate report stated its inquiry was hampered by the Justice Riconosciuto also stated that PROMIS had been Department's lack of cooperation and that it had implemented within two agencies of the found employees "who desired to speak to the Canadian government, and it was through this subcommittee but chose not to out of fear for unlawful sale of their software that Bill their jobs." Hamilton discovered the theft. Contacted by Canadian government personnel for information Ronald LeGrand, Chief Investigator for the on the software, Hamilton stated that Inslaw had Senate Judiciary Committee told Bill Hamilton not sold the software to any Canadian offices and his attorney that a trusted Justice and that authorization for its use was prohibited. Department source had confided that Inslaw was "a lot dirtier for the Department of Justice Development Finance Authority (ADFA) in the than Watergate had been, both in its breadth and amount of $2.75 million. He claimed these depth." The committee was forced to conclude weapons were for the Contras and were that the charges had no basis and no action was designed for the C130 transport planes that taken against any employees of the Justice were at the time carrying weapons and drugs in Department. and out of Mena, Ark. He further stated that he had supervised high-tech equipment transfers During this same time frame, an investigative and had developed computer software to help reporter by the name of Danny Casolaro began launder drug money emanating from the Mena running down leads on an operation he termed operation. the "Octopus." According to Danny Casolaro's brother, Dr. Anthony Casolaro, the Octopus Riconosciuto confirmed Casolaro's theory and was not a secret organization, but a group of asserted that all scandals overlapped, but amid individuals that participated in arms dealing and Casolaro's investigation a pattern of mysterious clandestine covert operations. "He didn't deaths was emerging. envision them as a group like the Mafia, but more as a network... they would overlap when Affiliated with the Cabazon Indian Reservation, their needs coincided," Dr. Casolaro said. Alfred Alvarez and two friends opposed the "Using the analogy, BCCI would be one arm of takeover of the reservation by Wakenhut it. The October Surprise, Danny said, was Corporation. They were murdered in July 1981. literally just another arm. Inslaw is yet another arm." Iran Contra was yet another tentacle in Paul Morasca was murdered in January 1982 in Casolaro's Octopus. the San Francisco condominium he shared with Michael Riconosciuto. Morasca had started to During Casolaro's investigation into Inslaw he expose CIA activities, which included Wakenhut met Michael Riconosciuto, who told Casolaro Corporation. about the Wakenhut Cabazon joint venture that maintained a close liaison with certain elements Private investigator Larry Guerrin, while of the United States government, including seeking information for Riconosciuto relating to representatives of intelligence, military and law the Inslaw case, was found dead in Mason enforcement agencies. County, Washington, in February 1987. Riconosciuto further stated that along with his San Francisco attorney David Meyer, who was modification on the PROMIS software that the to appear the following day in District Court, to Wakenhut Cabazon venture was to support the defend clients who were reportedly tied in with needs of foreign governments and forces CIA drug trafficking activates, died from a including Central America and the Middle East. gunshot wound on February 6, 1989. Meyer sought to expose links between the Justice He also claimed that he was involved with the Department, the CIA and Iran-Contra. development of chemical and biological weapons in a project connected with On August 14, 1990, attorney Dexter Jacobson Park-O-Meter (POM), the parking meter was found dead prior to a scheduled meeting company owned by Arkansas's Seth Ward. He with the FBI in regards to rampant Chapter 11 related that POM received the first loan granted judicial corruption.