As a Washingtonian Restaurateur since the mid 1970's, coupled with my experience as a member, officer and Chairman of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, I frequently found myself fighting many industry battles with my colleagues on a variety of fronts. Consistently, over the last 10 years of very active involvement, these battles have included legislative issues from minimum wage to smoking. These battles took us to city hall, state capitals and capitol hill. We frequently felt these issues were life threatening, the very bloodline of our individual restaurants, as well as, our industry as a whole. At the end of the day, our real interest is simply to operate our respective businesses with minimal governmental interference. Unfortunately, now I find myself and my family fighting the government in what I thought was America. The kind of situation you only read about, not actively participate.

The fight is with Ken Starr. As stated by Larry Maddry of the Virginian Pilot  "Just in case you thought Ken Starr had cooled down and blown away .... say hello to Julie Hiatt Steele." (Yes, this is my sister.) "Julie, a single mother living in Richmond Virginia, is the first and only, person Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr seeks to put in prison for making false statements during his investigation into the president's sex life. Despite thousands of hours of testimony by the President, Monica Lewinsky, Vernon Jordan, Linda Tripp, Betty Currie, Kathleen Willey and a host of White House Lawyers and friends of Bill Clinton, she's the only "Monicagate" witness indicted."

On January 7, Ken Starr indicted my sister, for allegedly obstructing Paula Jones' lawsuit and his investigation by telling President Clinton's lawyer, the FBI, and the grand jury that Kathleen Willey asked her to lie about the president. For the record, this is not a political issue, Julie did not even vote in the last election. Julie told the lawyer, the FBI and the grand jury that she originally had agreed to lie to a reporter for Willey but, realizing her mistake, she retracted the Willey story before the reporter, Michael Isikoff, printed it in Newsweek in August 1997. After being vilified by Ms. Willey on "Sixty Minutes" in March of last year, Julie defended herself in the press including "Larry King Live". Starr's four-count indictment against her alleges, among other things, that this was obstruction of justice. Her trial is scheduled for March 30.

Further, says The Virginia Pilot "her testimony regarding sexual conduct by the president has been so tangential to the Paula Jones case that -- unlike most others appearing before one of Starr's grand juries -- her name is not yet a household word. Yet she faces a maximum of forty years in prison, a million dollar fine, has lost her job, and likely will spend years repaying expensive legal bills. And that's not all. She has also suffered the indignity and embarrassment of having Starr's agents roaming around her neighborhood in Richmond questioning the legality of her 8-year-old sons adoption."

What does my nephew's adoption have to do with Bill Clinton? He was adopted two years before Clinton went to the White House, legally by the way, both in Romania and the United States.

On Thursday March 25, I would like to request that you donate 2% of your daily revenue to the Julie Hiatt Steele Legal Defense Fund. See 'JulieHiattSteele.com' for more information. Julie's legal expenses are approaching $500,000. Much of the legal work is pro-bono, however, the out- of pocket expenses are outrageous. I understand giving up cash is never easy, particularly with today's tight margins. However, with single unit average contributions of $50 to $100 to $150, it will not prevent you from opening your doors on Friday March 26. Naturally, those of you with multiunit operations can have a significant impact but not drain any particular operation. However, in total these moneys will help my sister "FIGHT" a man who has an unlimited budget and who clearly has lost his focus. Mr. Starr is grasping at straws, trying desperately to win because he's had no "wins." Mr. Starr wants my sister to tell a lie and she is not going to do it. This case shows that Mr. Ken Starr is a bully and if you do not tell him what he wants to hear, he will attempt to put you in jail. Just, ask Susan McDouugal.

We anticipate providing this information by Thursday March 18, one week in advance.

Following the "event", we will make arrangements for a pick up. Hopefully, we will need an armored car service!!!!!

In summary, WE NEED MONEY AND WE NEED PRESS. Unfortunately, for my sister, the public is numb and tired of hearing about "Monicagate". She is the victim of this story, the one person being punished for telling the truth.

Please HELP. Enroll your neighbors and associates.

To sign up: Call Ben Hiatt at: 703-768-3454

Thank you in advance.
We need you or we would not be asking.

All Contributions will go to "The Julie Hiatt Steele Defense Fund "

for LEGAL EXPENSES ONLY.