[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 139 (Tuesday, October 16, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1898-E1899]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING KAREN MATHEWS' RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY A. CONDIT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 16, 2001

  Mr. CONDIT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Karen Mathews on the 
occasion of her retirement.
  First elected Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder in 1990, her 
retirement on September 30, 2001, capped a 17-year career of dedicated 
public service. Perhaps most compelling is the price she paid for that 
public service.
  In 1994, tax protesters assaulted Karen in her home because of her 
refusal to file fraudulent tax liens against local officials. Earlier, 
she had been subjected to repeated threats of violence but not once, 
for one moment, did she succumb to these threats.
  Nine people were subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury, 
tried, and on May 1, 1997, convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of 
the Internal Revenue Service, assault on an elected official and 
federal racketeering. This trial signified the first prosecution of a 
sexual assault on an elected official by an anti-government splinter 
group. Sentencing ranged from six months in-home detainment, to 
approximately seven years in federal prison. On November 10, 1997, 
Roger Steiner, the assailant, was convicted and sentenced to 21 years, 
10 months in federal prison.
  Karen is the chairwoman of a special committee formed by the 
California State Recorder's Association to develop legislation to 
protect recorders dealing with threatening anti-government criminal 
extremists. Karen was instrumental in the passage of legislation, 
resulting in two California laws; one to protect public officials from 
general threats and harassment; and the other to expedite court 
resolution of frivolous documents.
  She has testified twice before congressional committees regarding 
domestic terrorism. She is now working to pass federal legislation 
protecting victims from frivolous lawsuits brought

[[Page E1899]]

by inmates. Over the past three years she has been featured on NBC 
Dateline, periodicals such as People, The New York Times, Klanwatch, 
and a soon to be published article in The Ladies Home Journal. With 
this exposure, she hopes to help educate America on the danger and 
cowardice of anti-government extremists.
  I want to commend and recognize Karen Mathews for her courage and 
outstanding service and dedication to the citizens of Stanislaus 
County. It is a privilege to call her my friend and I ask my colleagues 
to rise and join me in honoring her as she retires from public life.

                          ____________________