Posted on 03/12/2007 9:25:56 PM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
LOS ANGELES - The Minuteman Project, an anti-illegal-immigrant organization that has monitored the southern border, is embroiled in a nasty legal fight over accusations of financial improprieties that has splintered the group and will likely sideline it during the busiest time of the year for border crossing.
Former leaders of the Minuteman Project accuse founder Jim Gilchrist, 58, of using $300,000 of the group's money to support his pet causes, including promoting a book he co-authored and funding an unsuccessful run for Congress in a 2005 special election. Last month, saying they are the group's board of directors, they took over the Minuteman Project Web site and bank accounts, and fired Gilchrist as president.
Gilchrist fired back with a lawsuit accusing his former associates of defamation. He maintains they have no standing to fire him from the California-based organization. He also accuses them of hacking into the Minuteman Project's Web site, stealing a donor database and pilfering his personal stationery, all of which the organization relies on to raise funds.
"This crisis has put us in a tailspin," Gilchrist said in an interview. The organization had planned to mobilize members in coming weeks when Congress again takes up immigration legislation, Gilchrist said, but it has canceled its plans because he is busy dealing with legal issues.
The dispute centers on $750,000 in donations raised for the Minuteman Project by HSP Direct, a now-defunct Herndon, Va., direct-mail firm hired by Gilchrist. After the company deducted expenses, the project received about $100,000.
Deborah Courtney, a Minuteman Project employee until last month, said the group should have received about $300,000 more. She charges that Gilchrist spent the money on his own fund-raising activities or secreted it in bank accounts that the group members could not access......."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Ping.
It's a damn shame. They started out representing a righteous cause,but once any kind of real money comes into play there's always the danger of something like this happening.Well at least George Bush will be glad to have them out of the picture !!!
Why indeed. Seems like Gilchrist used a lot of money on his own pet projects --- or for his own personal use.
It depends on what happens at the hearing as to whether this survives or not.
That direct mail company looks like it charged huge rates and then folded. Somebody got the money.
If Gilchrist is guilty of this, he should be tarred and feathered by those of us who want our borders secured and those of us who had hopes for the Minuteman Project.
I doubt it was Gilchrist.
I'm thinking the same thing --- the direct mail company. I know their take is always huge ---
The details should come out at the trial.
site:www.Washingtonpost.com "air america" new york children club
I got seven hits. Only one looked like it might have the Air America story but it did not.
What does it mean if the Post spiked the Air America story? The Post spiked the Air America story.
It looks UGLY when you start getting down to the blogspots.
Caveat--be careful what you google! :-))
I'm sorry it all had to come to this -- but there's just too much money involved and that always breeds trouble.
FEC Filing Committee: JIM GILCHRIST FOR CONGRESS INC
Looks like they may still be in business. Strange the WP would get that wrong.
so how is that search coming ?
I would welcome some positive comments about anyone or anything, but all I see is Guilliani stinks comments.
I guess my $125.00 donation was a waste. One day I'll learn.
$$ TRAIL TO 'AIR AMERICA' KIDS CLUB
BOYS & GIRLS SCANDAL BIG IS LIB RADIO'S LENDIN' LENIN (known Commie in $875K Air America boondoggle)
I'm guessing there's more around here.
The links to the orginal stories at the NY Post have long been purged, probably the same as the site you searched.
Perhaps if the Feds did their effing jobs, all of this would be moot.
Isn't all this junk about the Minutemen's finances a pretty old story? Does anybody wonder about the finances of Code Pink or DailyKos?
Actually no. This latest dustup deals with problems with Gilchrists control of MMP and the story broke in late Feb. 2007. What you may be thinking of is all the controversy over
Chris Simcox's Minuteman Civil Defense Corp that went on before.
Oh oh...........................................
wasn't right then... isn't right now.
i wonder what, if any connection exists between bill greene and hsp?
Thank you for the links to the Air America stories.
Uncanny.
Yes, if Mr. Gilchrist is proved to have engaged in illegal acts.
In the beginning the Minutemen of Mr. Gilchrist and Mr. Simcox was branded a "hate" group. The group was virtually banned from FR talk.
OK so the "hate group" stuff was't true. So now it's more mundane stuff. I'll wait for a judgment.
Mean while, it's disturbing to read such things on the Web as this "Simcox also has a criminal record arising from his anti-immigrant activism. He was convicted on a federal weapons charge for carrying a handgun while allegedly tracking illegal immigrants in a National Park."
I remember that and notice the word "allegedly" -- the facts were as reported by the newspapers in the community federal authorities were following Mr. Simcox. Agents immediately pounced on Mr. Simcox when he entered the National Park.
He was charged with carrying a loaded weapon inside a national park and knowingly giving false information to a federal park ranger for telling the arresting officer that he was not carrying a weapon; at the trial every defense witness disputed the park ranger's version. The park ranger's allegation of "tracking illegal immigrants" was thrown out. Mr. Simcox got probation and a fine.
I emailed my Congressman and asked that he watch federal law enforcement, what were they up to? I did not want to see another Ruby Ridge or Waco. I also emailed the park ranger but I did not get a reply from her.
There's also the left's claims that Mr. Gildhrist is said to have uttered that Mexican would have no problem "slitting your throat and taking your money or selling drugs to your children. . . ." What is the source of that statement? I found it on several ultra-left site but nowhere else.
Also, you know for sure that you are effective against the enemies of America when the SPLC calls you a "hate" group in the company of groups like the KKK.
Worse of all is the clash of egos inside the anti-ILLEGAL alien groups themselves.
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Usual suspects.
Now, now, --- these things take time and lot of donations --- be patient.
For $5.00 guest membership fee I'm told I can get a tour of the "fence".
Yeah, right --- sure you do. FOTFL
OK, but I remain patient! LOL
Righto, Chief....lol.
First sign that the money has dried up --- number one defender is busy bashing GOP candidates who are not to his liking.
Chris Simcox's Minuteman Civil Defense Corp is the fence group, though it is interesting that both groups are having problems.
Understood, but we do have our fun lumping them together...lol.
Their problems are similar in nature. That's why I am having trouble distinguishing one group from the other. They also appear to be having trouble within the board (in the fallout of the Gilchrist matter), and Barbara Coe resigned on March 8th, as was reported in the Orange County Register's News Buzz blog.
If the court rules in Gilchrist's favor and he gets back control he is still a fool for letting them in. If he loses control it's worse. People have watched both groups and I bet
their donations are down. They deserve that.
Either way, their reputations are tarnished.
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