Posted on 07/24/2006 10:16:33 PM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
As supporters of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, we were disheartened to read Jerry Seper's front-page article Thursday about questions and criticisms of President Chris Simcox's management of the organization. According to the article, the volunteer group has not made any financial statements or fundraising records public since April 2005 -- circumstances that have strained relations between Mr. Simcox and several of his top employees, some of whom have resigned in protest.
Mr. Simcox must resolve these problems quickly. Failure to do so would only encourage the organization's critics -- who have made no secret of their desire to see the Minuteman volunteers arrested for vigilantism. But more importantly, according to Mr. Simcox's estimate, Americans have donated $1.6 million to the corps because they believe in their mission to secure the southern border. In return, the least they should expect is transparency and the assurance that their donations went to help the volunteers in the field. But the truth is that no one except Mr. Simcox knows how much money has been donated and what it has been used for.
So far, Mr. Simcox has been unable to come up with a good explanation -- at least one that can be independently verified. And while he insists the money went to help field operations, workers at these locations tell a different story. For instance, Vern Kilburn, who resigned earlier this year as director of operations for the organization's northern Texas sector, told The Washington Times that only two checks for $1,000 came from Minuteman headquarters in October and that other directors across the country "are having similar problems." Some volunteers said that money promised by Mr. Simcox for food and supplies never arrived. "An awful lot of equipment I saw was donated," said Mike Gaddy,...."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
In that post on FR, click on the first link (to a blog that catholicfreeper was quoting en masse). At that blog, you will see that it was THAT blogger who added the language about Kristinn Taylor.
Catholicfreeper tried to explain this to you here.
"If you don't find this characterization to be accurate..."
I don't know because I have no idea who you are talking about. There have been a lot of people on ths thread, could you please be specific?
Ahhh. I missed his reply to me. CF, my apologies for accusing you of that. That said, it's apparent that that blog was trying to smear kristinn, so perhaps in the future you should be careful not to use anti-FR sites to make your point.
Before that happened, the complaint was that only FROBLs (a dishonest term) were pushing this story. Now that the likes of Malkin, WashTimes, etc., are questioning it, the complaint is what, exactly, . . . that only FROBLs were pushing this story first?
The question remains, if Satan himself pushed this story, would there be any merit to the story or not? Only Simcox knows, and he ain't telling.
Ultimately it matters not one whit who is asking the questions, if those questions are grounded in some kind of reasonable suspicion, if there is a public interest in the information, and if the suspicions prove accurate.
No problem lol. I can see the confusion. I would say though I don't think that blogger is anti FR. I don't think she met to focus on FR. It seems to me that that blogger post a great deal here and at that Biker whatever room where Ifond the link to this when I did google. Maybe I am confusing people here but I think the poster is aunt polly or auntb or something like that. Well let me check.
"..can you honestly tell me that the majority of the folks on this thread have not been against the Minutemen and the border security movement in general long before this alleged scandal?"
Once again, what people are you talking abou? For the people on this thread that I know, I can say "yes".
I don't understand how mentioning that someone may be part of a PR team is tantamount to slander. Can you explain this?
If Kristinn does work with Hair and the MM, then well, he works with Hair and the MM. So what?
Ok now now I see. When I saw that post she was quoting I thought that poster auntb at lp was also some poster here that is quite prolific here. She has no love of my position by the way lol on this immigration issue. Well I can't find this auntb in the user list on FR so it appears that I was mistaken that this auntb at lp, this blogger, and whoever I am thinking about are all the same person If you look in the presidents immigrations sppech thread she had a pretty funny post regarding me and DANE. So I guess that was in part how I didnt think that was a anti fr blog
off to lunch no problem on any thing . I am glad the confusion was cleared up
I typically don't like to makes lists of people since it seems so Nazi-ish, but I'll make an exception. Before I do, allow me to state that I don't intend to be personally attacking these people. I find the majority of them to be good people, and I've enjoyed freeping with them on several other topics over the years. That said, the majority of the folks who keep these threads alive such as texasforever, catholicfreeper, dane, mo1, howlin, americaunited, prnd21, nopardons, PDR, mikefromohio, rex anderson have all been against the mainstream border security movement for some time now. Their comments in the past regarding Tom Tancredo, the Minutemen, James Sensebrenner and opponents of President Bush's immigration proposals make it clear that these folks are truly hoping that these accusations are true. If they would simply admit this upfront and not feign concern, my intelligence would not be offended and I probably wouldn't even be on these threads, as I'm not a hard-core border zealot. In fact, I agree with a bunch of the afore-mentioned freepers that the Mike Pence comprimise could be acceptable.
Why don't you do what I did? Start doing your own research and seeing for yourself that there are some very disturbing inconsistencies and unsavory elements in how Simcox is running the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.
The John Gibson Show
FOXNews.com
GUEST: Chris Simcox
July 25, 2006
JOHN GIBSON, HOST: Chris Simcox joins us now. Chris Simcox, one of the founders of the--are you the, or one of the, founders of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, Chris?
CHRIS SIMCOX, FOUNDER, MINUTEMAN CIVIL DEFENSE CORPS: I’m the founder of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.
GIBSON: OK. So, tell me about this situation with the Washington Times demanding you open the books. What’s happening with the Minutemen books?
SIMCOX: Well, the books are in great hands and in great shape. Last year, when we first incorporated, we hired professional escrow caging companies, accountants, you know, to create insulation between leadership and to make sure that the funds were properly accounted for. We’ve hired very astute professionals to do that, and our books are in fine shape.
I find it interesting that somebody would demand that we have to file our books before we’re even required to by the federal government. We will meet all federal regulatory obligations on November 15th, just as all other non-profit organizations are required to do in this country.
GIBSON: Chris, how to you account, then, for people quitting the organization, citing as problems with disclosure of the financial situation?
SIMCOX: I’m very disappointed in the reporter, Jerry Seper, for the Washington Times, who quoted people who had not been with this organization, John, for over a year. Those quotes from those people were taken out of context, and they were taken over a year ago from people who originally wanted to be part of the national leadership team, did not agree with the direction we were taking, and either quit or in some cases were terminated for violating SOP.
Those comments were all taken from interviews over a year ago. If you asked every one of our national leadership team from all of our 49 different chapters around this country, every one has signed a pledge of confidence in this organization.
GIBSON: Chris, Americans have donated 1.6 million to keep your organization going. They believe in your mission to secure the southern border. Do you believe you owe them an accounting of that money?
SIMCOX: Oh, of course! And that accounting will come when we’re required to do that, and we will post all of that information on our website, as well as, you know, with the IRS.
Listen, John, of all people in this country, our volunteers certainly come first. But people have to realize that we’re not idiots, I mean, we’re not stupid. Our number one enemy in this is the federal government, and we have made sure that every penny is accounted for, every penny has gone in the right direction to build this national organization, and that we will meet all obligations of the IRS, who obviously will be watching us, and has been watching us, carefully. They would love for us to make a mistake. And I’ve hired the best people that I could find in this country to make sure that this organization is rock-solid and is accountable for everything--which we have been.
The most offensive part of that interview, or, article in the Washington Times was making, insinuating that our operations have never received equipment. My gosh, I’m sitting in an office full of equipment. We have on-the-ground operations in eight border states, on the northern border and southern border, who have thousands of dollars of radio equipment, night-vision equipment, thermal imaging devices, and are well-funded and well-equipped.
That reporter, Jerry Seper, hasn’t even been to those border watch operations and seen the amount of equipment that we provide--and I find that very offensive and misleading, and it’s terrible journalism.
GIBSON: Well, it isn’t just him. ABC has also gotten into the fray. This is part of an ABC report.
[START AUDIO CLIP, ABC15 KNXV-TV IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA]
ABC15 REPORTER: Remember, Simcox told us the majority of the donations are supposed to be used down at the border, not just for food . . .
SIMCOX: . . . it also goes to provide equipment, radio equipment, night vision scopes, thermal imagining scopes, port-a-potties.
ABC15 REPORTER, QUESTION TO MINUTMAN: Where’s the port-a-potty?
MINUTEMAN: Ah, we don’t have a port-a-potty out here.
[END CLIP]
GIBSON: Chris, apparently, you’re being held to account on a lack of port-a-potties.
SIMCOX: [laughs]
Well, and again, that hit-piece from ABC was taken out of context. The reporter who actually did that report actually used our port-a-potties. That interview, of course, clever editing, was way out in the middle of nowhere on a scouting expedition, where the reporter asked the volunteer where the port-a-potties were--and of course we don’t have portable port-a-potties that we take with us everywhere we go. It was a set-up, and it’s terrible.
We have photographs on our website, and you could ask all of our volunteers at our headquarters operations, where our volunteers congregate, there are port-a-potties.
GIBSON: Chris, if I’ve got this straight, then, because I hate putting on green eyeshades and becoming an accountant. I’m not very good at it, I don’t claim any expertise. But what you’re saying is, the criticism coming from ABC, from the Washington Times, even from Michele Malkin, is premature, that you’re going to file the very things they’re asking for, and if they were merely patient, they would see the information they’ve been demanding.
SIMCOX: Absolutely. That’s absolutely correct. And, again, we have hired professionals to make sure of that accounting, and that accounting will be addressed, as every other organization that’s required to do, on November 15th. We’ll walk down the street naked and show everybody exactly where every penny is.
And they just need to be patient. You know, these things take time. We’ve even now had to go, John, and spend more money to hire another auditor to try to come up with some answers for people, even before we’re required to. And I’ll make that effort, of course, be criticized for the spending money on it, I’m sure.
GIBSON: Chris, of course the radio audience that we serve and that we like to talk with every night has been very interested in your issue, very interested and supportive of your mission on the southern border, and I think many of them have probably sent money, and they’re curious that it is being used correctly.
Are you assuring them right now that there is not going to be an issue over the accounting of this money at the time that you are required to account for it?
SIMCOX: I pledge my reputation on this issue, that, again, every penny is accounted for, every penny has gone to build this national organization. If you donated to the fence, the fence will be built, and is being built. And if you donated to Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, you have helped us push this issue to the forefront of American consciousness, and that we have volunteers on that border every week using that equipment, assisting border patrol, and helping to secure our borders.
GIBSON: Now, Chris, you’ve got to remember. Bob, here, running the board never erases a single word spoken on this show. These words will come back to haunt you, if they are not absolutely true.
SIMCOX: It’s one of the things I appreciate about radio, is that these live interviews, where you can tell the story and tell the truth, can’t be used out of context, as they can in print media or on television, to clever editing. You certainly can hold me accountable. I’ve been accountable for five years for this movement. We’ve been called everything, we’ve been attacked, and we’ve withstood the test of time, and we’ll withstand this challenge to our integrity and the credibility of this organization, and a lot of people are going to have egg on their face.
GIBSON: Chris Simcox.
http://www.foxnews.com/video2/player05.html?gibson/072506/072506_gibson_chris&John_Gibson_Audio&%22You%20have%20my%20word%22&acc&FOX%20News%20Talk&-1&new
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1672713/posts
I suspect that catholicfreeper is a retread. Strongly.
CF, have you ever used another screen name on Free Republic?
He also said, twice, that there were people in the MMDC who were there to make money, and nothing else.
Thank you for posting that. It deserves its own thread.
I'm simply going to wait until November when everything is released. I'm sure the IRS will be on him like flies on $hit if anything is amiss.
Could that not be said of any organization?
Jim Gilchrist is full of Sh*T
Thats coming from an original Minuteman. ME.
I won't throw mud even though I could!!
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