MICHAEL MOORE IN GOVERNMENT PROBE
Filmmaker Michael Moore, facing a U.S. government probe into a recent trip to Cuba, lashed out at the Bush administration on Friday, declaring he did nothing illegal by visiting the communist-ruled island."I have broken no laws, and I have nothing to hide," the maverick director wrote in a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson posted at the Daily Kos Web site. A day earlier, Moore, whose 2004 documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" skewered U.S. President George W. Bush for his actions following the Sept. 11 attacks, released a letter from the Treasury Department that warned Moore of its investigation. U.S. citizens are generally barred from traveling to the communist country unless approved by the government under a broad trade embargo imposed against Cuba since 1962.The Treasury letter implies Moore did not have authorization, asks for more information and warns of possible civil or criminal penalties. A Treasury spokeswoman has declined to comment on any specific investigation and noted the agency sends hundreds of letters each year seeking details about possible violations. Moore was in Cuba in March to film a segment for his new documentary "SiCKO," which seeks to "expose the health care industry's greed and control over America's political processes," the director wrote in his letter.
News reports have said Moore took volunteer rescue workers who suffered health problems after Sept. 11 to Cuba where they received better care than in the United States.
News reports have said Moore took volunteer rescue workers who suffered health problems after Sept. 11 to Cuba where they received better care than in the United States.
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