Free Republic

SANTA ANA - A Superior Court judge on Thursday rejected Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist's request to be immediately returned sole control of the anti-illegal immigration group – a ruling that leaves the organization immobilized. Judge Randell Wilkinson also placed restrictions on the three directors tussling with Gilchrist, noting in his order that there were "serious issues concerning the credibility of the claims of both Jim Gilchrist and the defendants…" Gilchrist was ousted from the group in January by the vote of the three directors, who said they were concerned with sloppy accounting and possible fundraising improprieties. The three then...

SANTA ANA – An effort by Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist to regain full authority over his group today found a Superior Court judge encouraging the bickering sides to work out their differences. But Gilchrist of Aliso Viejo called the differences among the leaders of the anti-illegal immigration group "irreconcilable." Judge Randell Wilkinson is expected to rule within a week on whether control should be returned to Gilchrist until a full trial is held.[snip]... ...The three directors said they are still open to reaching an agreement with Gilchrist. But he made it clear such a deal wasn't going to happen,...

SANTA ANA, Calif. - It was a match made in activist heaven. Barbara Coe had toiled for more than a decade against illegal immigration, becoming the gritty grande dame of the movement. Just as progress was sputtering, along came Jim Gilchrist and his two-week Minuteman citizen border surveillance. [snip]....Today, the Gilchrist-Coe partnership lay in tatters. On the eve of congressional debate over legalizing those now in the country without documents - a proposal opposed by Gilchrist and Coe - the fiercest battle for the activists is among themselves.[snip] Internal conflicts began surfacing late last year. Gilchrist bounced a series of...

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...

"..With 1,200 volunteers accepting Gilchrist's call and a handful of closely-picked advisors assisting the MPP, Gilchrist spearheaded the largest minuteman assembly since our Founding Fathers in 1776. But unbeknownst to Gilchrist, there were some foxes in the hen house. Three of the MMP's advisors, and Gilchrist's close friends, decided that Gilchrist had overstayed his welcome as MMP's president. Last week, Marvin Stewart, Barbara Coe, and Debra Courtney, a.k.a. Debra Peterson voted to remove Gilchrist from the post he has served since MMP came into existence and transfer authority of the MMP's bank accounts, email lists, Web site and letterhead to...

SANTA ANA - The Minuteman Project shot into the national spotlight shortly after it was formed two years ago, but now a bitter dispute over its leadership threatens to tear the anti-illegal immigration group apart. Minuteman founder Jim Gilchrist filed a lawsuit in Orange County Superior Court last week after the group's board of directors fired him and his executive director over allegations of mismanagement and fraud. Gilchrist alleges in the lawsuit that the firings were illegal and that board members also illegally spent Minuteman money, seized its Web site and stole 20,000 pieces of letterhead.For their part, the board...

Jim Gilchrist, the Orange County accountant who gained national recognition as the co-founder of a citizen border patrol group, will ask a judge this afternoon to issue a restraining order in order to regain control of the Minuteman Project. Earlier this month, Gilchrist was removed by his board of directors, which accused the charismatic anti-illegal-immigrant figure of abusing his power. Minuteman Project officials said they will detail their allegations at a press conference later this afternoon. The rift, Gilchrist said, "could very well bring an end to the entire Minuteman Project. There are groups around the country with the name,...

A behind-the-scenes power struggle over control of the Minuteman Project spilled into an Orange County courtroom Monday with ousted co-founder Jim Gilchrist asking a judge to give him back control of the citizen border patrol group. Superior Court Judge Randell L. Wilkinson said he would issue a ruling within a few days. Gilchrist, 58, a national figure in the fight against illegal immigration, was removed as president of the Minuteman Project this month by its board of directors, which accused him of abusing his power and leaving more than $400,000 of the organization's money unaccounted for. Gilchrist, a retired accountant...

. Contact: Robert Vasquez, Media coordinator 208-989-4260 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MINUTEMAN PROJECT, Inc., CHANGES LEADERSHIP FEBRUARY 24, 2007 "The MINUTEMAN PROJECT, Inc.," (MMP) was a concept created to defend the sovereignty of the United States of America. The organization created sought to empower American citizens in the exercise of their constitutional rights to demand redress of grievances from the government's failure to enforce United States Immigration law. While "The MINUTEMAN PROJECT, Inc.," recognizes the efforts and contributions made by Mr. Jim Gilchrist at the inception of the organization, the MMP Board of Directors has determined that a change of leadership...

Eileen Garcia didn't plan to spend her retirement this way, but, nonetheless, she has become a thorn in the side of the city of Laguna Beach, which she contends is misusing taxpayers' money by running the controversial day labor center. The Laguna Beach resident, who is a well-known anti-illegal immigration activist and member of the controversial Minuteman Project group, recently agreed to an interview with Coastline Pilot Editor Tony Dodero to discuss what is driving her on this crusade and why she believes the press and some members of the public have painted an inaccurate picture of her and those...

The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, under fire for a lack of financial accountability, spent nearly $450,000 last year for volunteers to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border -- about $31,000 more than it collected in donations and registration fees -- according to a report released yesterday.[snip]... [snip].... While the IRS papers document MCDC collections and expenditures through Dec. 31, a reported donation total of $418,493 is significantly less than the $1.6 million MCDC President Chris Simcox told The Washington Times in July that the group had collected in donations since its April 2005 creation. That figure was said to include $1 million...

Students stormed the stage at Columbia University's Roone auditorium yesterday, knocking over chairs and tables and attacking Jim Gilchrist, the founder of the Minutemen, a group that patrols the border between America and Mexico.

Minutemen Project co-founder Jim Gilchrist spoke at Columbia University tonight. He tried to speak, that is. During his remarks, a mob of students stormed the stage and sabotaged the event. Every Columbia U. alum should be assailing the administration. Gilchrist is owed an apology. This is a disgrace. The staff of the Blue and White, a Columbia Univ. undergrad magazine liveblogged it at "The Bwog" and took photos. Here's one: A bit of their report: STUDENTS WITH A BIG YELLOW SIGN JUST CAME ONTO THE STAGE. The sign says, "There are no illegals." Students rise en masse from the audience...

On the evening of Wednesday, October 4th, join us in Roone Auditorium to see Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minutemen Project. The Minutemen will speak on the threat posed by illegal immigration, the current state of our open border and what needs to be done to secure our nation. As one of the nation's largest and most important grassroots organizations, it is truly our honor to host this event. Again, that's October 4th in Roone Aldridge. Doors will open ~7:45

All, My NG unit redeployed a couple of days ago from spending the summer augmenting the US Customs and Border Patrol in Arizona. We covered 160 miles of border from Nogales to Lukeville.Let me tell you that the immigration problem is quite a bit more considerable than the media has portrayed. When I deployed to the border, I was fairly ambivalent to the whole issue. However, within the first few days of being down there, I saw that undocumented aliens (UDA) and drug runners are causing significant problems, everything from trampling well-worn foot paths (literally thousands of these paths) in...

Graf Receives Wide Support from National GOP (Tucson, AZ) Randy Graf, the Republican nominee to replace retiring US Congressman Jim Kolbe, was pleased to announce that the national Republican Party and its leaders have come together to support his campaign. After winning the Republican Primary for the Eighth Congressional District of Arizona on September 12, 2006, Randy flew out to Washington, D.C. the following day to meet with national party leaders who have pledged their support and promised to help Randy’s campaign collect the needed resources in order to win the general election on November 7, 2006. Among those who...

A Minuteman Boosts Border Overhaul Reform An Arizona win puts immigration back in playBy Angie C. Marek Posted Sunday, September 17, 2006 DAVID BUTOW-REDUX FOR USN&WR Randy Graf's supporters in Tucson on primary night TUCSON, ARIZ.-A few weeks ago, it was became suddenly clear that the Republican free-for-all primary in the southeastern corner of Arizona was anything but ordinary. Randy Graf--a former golf pro, state representative and cowboy-boots-clad founding member of the Minutemen border group--had vaulted into the lead with his focus on fixing what he called the "security crisis" at the border. Opponents attacked him as extreme, and...

Welcome to the Minuteman Project The Minuteman Project and "Operation Sovereignty" by Jim Gilchrist, Founder of The Minuteman Project and Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D.From all over the nation, volunteers of The Minutemen Project are loading up their lawn chairs and binoculars, preparing to head to Laredo, Texas to join us on the border for Operation Sovereignty. From 9/11 until the November Election Day, The Minutemen Project plans to bring to national attention the threat to our national sovereignty that this massive invasion of illegal immigrants represents. As co-authors of Minutemen: the Battle to Secure America's Borders, we have sought to...

Anti-Immigration Movement Newspapers Inflated Minuteman Numbers, Report Finds Minuteman co-founder Chris Simcox made big promises but didn't deliver much. A new study of media coverage shows that a large number of daily newspapers wildly exaggerated the number of volunteers who actually took part in the Minuteman Project, a vigilante "citizens border patrol" operation that took place in southeastern Arizona over the month of April 2005. The report, "Creating the Minutemen," is based on an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) analysis of 581 articles and editorials printed in major U.S. newspapers between January 2005 and February 2006. The ACLU has been...

Committee talks border securityBy Jonathan Clark Herald/Review SIERRA VISTA — Three members of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee peppered a panel of local and regional law enforcement officials with questions about border security and surveillance during an open hearing on Thursday. What they heard was that Southern Arizona remains a hotspot for smuggling activity, and that while the potential exists for terrorists to penetrate the nation’s porous southern border, there is little evidence that they are doing do. During his opening remarks, ranking committee member Rep. Rick Renzi, a Republican from Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, told the audience that human-...