Posted on 05/24/2007 2:08:58 PM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
The top leaders of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps have been terminated by the group's president, Chris Simcox, for requesting a meeting to discuss a lack of financial accountability by the organization's leadership.
The purge was ordered by Mr. Simcox, who came under fire last year over questions about how much money the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps (MCDC) had raised and where it had gone, and included several top lieutenants, most of whom have been with the organization since its April 2005 founding......[snip]
[snip].. The committee also asked for a "full explanation" of the relationship between MCDC and other groups, including a Herndon-based tax-exempt charitable organization known as Declaration Alliance, founded and chaired by former presidential candidate Alan Keyes. It also sought information on MCDC's ties to the Declaration Alliance Minuteman Civil Defense Corps Political Action Committee, the donation-driven Minuteman Border Fence effort and "any other organization that MCDC has agreements with or intends on interacting with." ..[snip]
......[snip] Last year, many of the group's most senior members also had questions about MCDC finances and why it was being funneled through Declaration Alliance, saying requests to Mr. Simcox for a financial accounting were ignored. Gary Cole, MCDC's former national director of operations, and Mike Gaddy, who helped organize the April 2005 border watch as field coordinator, were among the first to raise questions about finances. Both were fired.
In November, in its first Internal Revenue Service Form 990 filing as a 501(c)4 tax-exempt charitable trust, MCDC said it spent $450,000 in 2005 for volunteers to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border, about $31,000 more than it collected in donations and registration fees -- significantly less than the $1.6 million Mr. Simcox told The Times in July that the group had collected in donations since its April 2005 creation......
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
ping
When folks don't agree and don't like how things are going .. purge them ... it's one way to shut them up
I’ve heard it can work that way.
Referring to anything specific there?
These guys had a great thing going — for America. It’s a shame they couldn’t manage it.
Uh oh. Callin’ all angels...callin’ all angels
I’ve only been following this on the periphery and have no direct knowledge but when I see repeated requests for basic financial info being ignored, well I get a bit suspicious. This seems to be coming from multiple sources and seem to have credibility or at least that’s what I’m inferring. Presidents for life generally don’t get my vote or my cash.
What a sad mess.
Bump!
THE TRUTH BEHIND THIS IS NOT IN THE NEWS.
Minuteman Civil Defense Corps Board of Directors
6501 Greenway Parkway Suite 103-640 Scottsdale, AZ 85254 :: Phone (520) 829-3112
Minuteman Civil Defense Corps Replaces Volunteer Administrators
The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps (MCDC), the country’s largest volunteer grassroots border security advocacy group with more than 350,000 volunteers and supporters has become the standard bearer for the secure borders movement. MCDC is the largest National Citizens Neighborhood Watch – Securing the American Border.
With our borders wide open and the Senate seeking to give away citizenship to illegal aliens, we find this letter a regrettable but necessary diversion to make you aware of actions recently taken by the MCDC Board that are essential for the continued health of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.
MCDC remains structurally and financially strong as the largest grassroots organization in America dedicated to securing the border. You are invited to review our financial statements for 2005 and IRS 990 filings publicly available since November 2006 that MCDC is required to submit to the federal government, and is pleased to make publicly available at:
http://www.minutemanhq.com/hq/article.php?sid=161
These documents represent not only our Form 990 but also independently audited disclosures that detail MCDC receipts and expenditures. The same level of public disclosure fully compliant with federal regulation of non-profit civic organizations for the calendar year 2006 will be filed and available in the fall of 2007 and will be posted in similar fashion to year 2005 on the front page of the website at www.minutemanhq.com/hq
MCDC donations have been used wisely and effectively, and have focused the nation on illegal immigration. The public disclosure by MCDC of the Form 990 and financial statements is a fulfillment of our promise and commitment to expend donations on working to solve the vital problem of border security.
Routinely, internal organizational matters are addressed by the MCDC Board and Executive Director on a regular basis, to answer questions and address concerns by loyal volunteers. These have always been welcome and are always answered fully. We cannot however accept responsibility for conspiratorial, disruptive, and inappropriate speculations about MCDC organizational process and finances, nor will we waste precious time or resources upon those who refuse to accept the IRS non-profit organization financial accountability standards.
The Board of Directors and volunteer leaders of MCDC are hard at work all across the nation fighting to stop the backroom deal for the Bush-Kennedy Instant Amnesty Bill being forced through the U.S. Senate this week. A powerful coalition combines MCDC border watch efforts, the building of the Minuteman Border Fence, MCDC PAC, MinutemanPAC, College Campus Forums, a network of local State Chapters and support from well-established, like-minded civic organizations such as the Declaration Alliance, RightMarch and other border security advocates.
MCDC Board Members and the Executive Director are doing countless media interviews and speaking all across the nation, as well as working in Washington, DC leading a team of Minutemen and going office to office speaking to Senators and urging them to vote NO to AMNESTY. This full-court press is coupled with the more than 70 local chapter efforts on-going in highly visible states like CA, AZ, WA, IA, GA, NM, TX and all the other states. This work is led by registered Minuteman volunteers, is supported and guided by resources from the national MCDC organization, and has made illegal immigration the most important domestic issue to conservatives according to recent polls.
The success of this 5-year effort that started with Chris Simcox and Carmen Mercer doing a local neighborhood watch in Tombstone, AZ is self evident, as even the mainstream national media is reporting about the debate over the negative effects of amnesty for illegal aliens in the U.S. Chris Simcox has been quoted, “It’s been worth all the sacrifice and effort to bring this important issue to the forefront, to wake up the American public and start to get this government to do its job and secure the border.”
Regrettably, in the last several days, after reports to national headquarters from state and chapter directors around the country it became clear that a very small group of volunteer administrators within the organization had become ambitious of power, ineffective and distracted from our primary mission, and were in fact determined to attempt to defame and oust the MCDC Board of Directors and Al Garza, MCDC Executive Director. Local leader reports, intercepted emails and phone calls revealed plans to attempt to install their own Board and to take over the organization that Chris and Carmen founded and have dedicated themselves to building.
Five principal “organizers” created an unauthorized “State Directors and National Leadership Ad Hoc Committee” and calling a “State Directors Meeting,” they violated the official corporate By-Laws of MCDC, Inc. regarding legal authority for conducting business and affairs for the corporation. Further, such activity is a violation of the spirit and the letter of the MCDC Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
These and subsequent actions resulted in the termination or resignation of ten members of MCDC, five of whom served as national administrator volunteers. None were part of the national Board or executive leadership of MCDC.
We realize that some volunteers may have been misled by the intent of the “Ad Hoc Committee” and they may be offered by the Board a later opportunity to return in good standing as MCDC volunteers.
In respect to the service of those terminated or resigned, MCDC offers our sincere thanks for their past service, dedication and sacrifice to the goals and mission of MCDC. They have helped make the issue of the illegal alien invasion a national concern. We regret that they have chosen to end their MCDC affiliation as a volunteer and wish them well in the future.
As MCDC moves forward, unsolicited applications have already been presented and reviewed to fill the volunteer positions vacated at the national and state levels, and we are pleased to announce we are expanding our volunteer staff to include a national director position as Law Enforcement/DHS liaison and a national director of Community Service.
MCDC continues the Mission: To secure the United States borders and coastal boundaries against the unlawful and unauthorized entry of all individuals, contraband, and foreign military.
As always, we have only the best wishes for those no longer fighting with us side by side, and hope they will continue so seek to secure the border now and for our children and grandchildren in the future.
Sincerely,
Minuteman Civil Defense Corps
Chris Simcox – President – MCDC Board Member
Carmen Mercer – Vice President – MCDC Board Member
John Acer – Secretary – MCDC Board Member
Al Garza – Executive Director
I don't think so or Simcox and crew would not have to keep making new Press releases to explain why members of the organization who are dissatisfied are also disloyal and worthy of firing. This has happened since the beginning with several unrelated groups within his organization with members being fired for asking questions.
That’s very funny, Nurse. Chris Simcox has done more for this nation’s illegal immigration problem than most anyone else.
What have you done besides poke fun at sucessful people?
I stand on the border with the Minutemen every month, and I can tell you, Simcox is not the problem behind this story.
I've done plenty, thanks for asking. If "Simcox is not the problem behind the story," then who is?
Why did Simcox state last summer that MCDC had received $1.6 Million in donations, when the 2005 tax form states a paltry $418,493? Those figures aren't in the same ballpark, heck--they aren't even in the same city.
Why does the income statement only name Alan Keyes as the sole cash donor to MCDC?
$280,920 Program Services is a black hole where 62.47% of total expenditures fell into unexplained "Miscellaneous field expenses not falling under other categories."
$145,399 Fundraising expenses were 32.34% of total expenses.
$426,319 94.81% of total expenditures
I have been anxious for someone to explain these figures. I look forward to your reply.
http://www.minutemanhq.com/hq/article.php?sid=161
PROGRAM SERVICES & FUNDRAISING ARE BROKEN DOWN HERE IN DETAIL.
These are audited financial statements.
http://www.minutemanhq.com/~video/MCDC_2005_FS.pdf
The 1.6 million in donations were not received over the same period covered by these statements ( CALENDAR YEAR 2005 )
Shouting at me in ALL CAPS, and directing me to data I already examined does not provide the answers.
The details are there for all to read.
I’m not an accountant, I’m a Minuteman. If you want to know where the money contributed in 2006 went, you’ll just have to wait until the next financials are filed this fall.
Until then, there are a few very important issues out there that you could spend your time helping on.
Go report some illegals to I.C.E.
I’m sure you have plenty getting free healthcare wherever you work.
Amen!
No, the devil is in the lack of details in MCDC financial statements. To that end, many people sent their hard earned money to support the Minutemen, and the money fell into a hole (or wallets).
I am not an accountant. However, I can assure you that if my financial statements looked as bad as what I've seen with MCDC, my own clients wouldn't trust me either.
The fact that you don't care how Management treats honest inquiry about financial accounting of volunteer contributions speaks volumes. That you are so non-chalant and flippant, telling me to wait for the 2006 financials is unconscionable.
You just don’t get it. The financial statements is not what this dust up was all about!
Go start up your own 501(c)3 and see what your first year statements look like.
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