Is Medea Benjamin A Foreign Agent?

Sweetness & Light ^ | January 25, 2006 | N/A

[Sam Hill]

Medea Benjamin's organizations Code Pink and Global Exchange have enjoyed a long and peculiar relationship with both Castro's Cuba and Hugo Chavez's Venezuela.

The question is, how peculiar? And specifically, is she working as a foreign agent as defined by the United States Code?

From the US Department of Justice, Foreign Agents Registration Act Q & A:

United States Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)

Q. What constitutes an agent?

A. An agent of a Foreign principal is any individual or organization which acts at the order, request, or under the direction or control of a foreign principal, or whose activities are directed by a foreign principal who:

1. engages in political activities, or

2. acts in a public relations capacity for a foreign principal, or

3. solicits or dispenses any thing of value within the United States for a foreign principal, or

4. who represents the interests of a foreign principal before any agency or official of the U.S. government.

The term "agent" does not include an American owned and operated newspaper meeting certain requirements.

From the Center for Public Integrity:

Venezuela Head Polishes Image With Oil Dollars

President Hugo Chavez takes his case to America's streets

By Kevin Bogardus

WASHINGTON, September 22, 2004 — Using Venezuela's oil wealth to fund his social programs, President Hugo Chavez has divided his country largely along class lines, resulting in protests, strikes, and even a coup since his 1998 election.

Yet Chavez not only secured enough support in his home country to win this past August's recall election, but also found friends here in the United States—grassroots activists who have opposed the White House and now promote Chavez's cause.

The Latin American nation's welfare policies have reverberated with American organizers. "Venezuela, under Chavez, is using its oil resources to improve the lives of the poor," said Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of Global Exchange, a San Francisco, Calif., international human rights organization. "We here are obviously very excited about that."

Chavez has spent more than $1.6 million from mid-2003 through June 2004 on lobbying the federal government in Washington. The country also created its own Washington mouthpiece called the Venezuela Information Office in July 2003 and soon after hired a top U.S. protest organizer as its executive director.

The VIO tapped into a major U.S. activist network by contacting Global Exchange in early September 2003. The group has helped organize some of the world's largest protests, including demonstrations against Seattle's 1999 World Trade Organization summit and the 2004 Republican National Convention.

"We have been very careful to make sure we remain separate in our work," said Deborah James, the VIO's executive director, referring to Global Exchange. "I have not met with their people down there [in Venezuela]."

Yet the activist group and the VIO together posted an action alert online in May 2004 to voice concern over an editorial in The Washington Post.

"The Venezuela Information Office and Global Exchange is asking people to write publishable letters to the editor of The Washington Post, in order to provide factual information about recent events in Venezuela and point out the factual inaccuracies contained in the Post's editorial,"

Global Exchange has been involved with Venezuela before. The group has also coordinated so-called "reality tours" of the Latin American country.

"We have been taking a lot of groups to visit Venezuela," said Benjamin. "They learn a lot about the social programs, which are run by the government."

Isn't Code Pink acting "in a public relations capacity for a foreign principal"?

The Venezuela Information Office and Global Exchange is asking people to write publishable letters to the editor of The Washington Post, in order to provide factual information about recent events in Venezuela and point out the factual inaccuracies contained in the Post's editorial.

Regarding Global Exchange's "reality tours," here is an advertisement for the one currently underway. In fact, it is part and parcel of Code Pink's reported organization of the "US Delegation" to Hugo Chavez's "World Social" forum.

From Medea Benjamin's site CommonDreams.org:

A Global Exchange Reality Tour to Venezuela, co-sponsored by CODEPINK!

Friendship Delegation to Venezuela

Price (of $1350) Includes:

Double-room accommodations; two meals per day; transportation to and from all programmed activities; guides and translators; a qualified trip leader; all program activities; and reading materials.

NOT INCLUDED: International airfare, lunches, airport departure taxes, tips, and personal expenses are not included. Single rooms are available for an additional $200.

We must receive your application and a non-refundable deposit of $200 two months before departure. A late fee of $50 will be applied to late applications. Payments by Mastercard or Visa are welcome.

This trip will be as diverse as possible in terms of race, age and life experiences. We strongly urge people of color to apply. In some cases, a limited number of partial scholarships are available for low-income applicants.

Who are the co-sponsors that the Code Pink advertisement mentions? Who is paying for the "scholarships" for low-income applicants?

Could it be Chavez's government?

Many of these reports detailing Code Pink organizing the US Delegation to Venezuela included Benjamin's close friend and client, Cindy Sheehan as among the group. (Mother Sheehan is one of Medea Benjamin's Global Exchange and its stable of speakers for hire.)

But Cindy Sheehan has subsequently announced that her attendance at the forum was paid for by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry.

Isn't it very likely that Code Pink is "dispensing a thing of value? Such as a subsidized trip to Venezuela? And not just to Mother Sheehan, but others?

So how is it that Medea Benjamin and her comrades at Code Pink and Global exchange are not acting as foreign agents under the terms of the Foreign Agents Act?

If she is and has not registered as such, then the following portion of the US Code may apply:

TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 45 > § 951

§ 951. Agents of foreign governments

(a) Whoever, other than a diplomatic or consular officer or attache, acts in the United States as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General if required in subsection (b), shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

[Sam Hill]

Maybe she is registered. But I doubt it.

[Sam Hill]

Foreign Agent ping.

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

"I'm not questioning your patriotism, I'm answering your treason."


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1537346/posts?page=7#7

[nutmeg]

pinko ping!

[Just A Nobody]

Stinko Ping

[Sam Hill]

"I'm not questioning your patriotism, I'm answering your treason."

Good one!

[Sam Hill]

If a post like this is hidden away in the bloggers section, I guess I just don't understand why there is an "activism" forum.

[Enchante]

Good find!! These scumbags need to be examined under microscope..... there are probably all kinds of violations of our laws going on as they promote their loony-left anti-American agenda together.

[Doctor Raoul]

Maybe she is registered. But I doubt it.

She's certifiable. And I don't doubt it.

[Doctor Raoul]

Helter Skelter...Helter Skelter...
Sex with Charles Mason made me see God...

[Deb]

All your stuff should be running on Frontpagemagazine. Definitely.

[AppyPappy]

He certainly has the mojo goin'.

I wonder if the Zionist orgs are registered.

[Sam Hill]

Thanks, Princess.

That's a real compliment given the quality of their work over there.

Hey, this was moved to the news/activism section.

So somebody saw the light.

Whoever it was, thanks.

[Deb]

Part one: Absolutely!

Part two: Huh?

[AppyPappy]

Some of the Zionist groups that lobby for Israel fit the same description. I bet they have to register.

[Deb]

You have been moved? Good deal. Everyone needs to see what the Sheehan army of badly-dressed, Marxist scum is up to on a daily basis.

[Deb]

Oh, right. Those darn Zionists!

[Sam Hill]

Upon further investigation, one finds that Global Exchange’s income is much higher than previously reported.

According to their 2004 IRS Form 990, provided by Guidestar here:

GuideStar - Search Results - Report Page - Global Exchange
http://www.guidestar.org/pqShowGsReport.do?npoId=566330

Global Exchange has grossed close to SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS over each of the last several years.

They have netted more than FOUR MILLION DOLLAR for each of the last several years.

That is a helluva lot of money.

And I find it almost impossible to believe that it all came from “membership” donations and "book sales."

[Sam Hill]

Sorry, meant to include this image of the first page of Global Exchange's 22 page Form 990:

[VOA]

http://discoverthenetwork.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=626