Posted on 08/27/2011 6:58:18 AM PDT by PJ-Comix
Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar Corp., has responded to the August 24 raid of Gibson facilities in Nashville and Memphis by the Federal Government. In a press release, Juszkiewicz said: “Gibson is innocent and will fight to protect its rights. Gibson has complied with foreign laws and believes it is innocent of ANY wrong doing. We will fight aggressively to prove our innocence.”
The raids forced Gibson to cease manufacturing operations and send workers home for the day while armed agents executed the search warrants. “Agents seized wood that was Forest Stewardship Council controlled,” Juszkiewicz said. “Gibson has a long history of supporting sustainable and responsible sources of wood and has worked diligently with entities such as the Rainforest Alliance and Greenpeace to secure FSC-certified supplies. The wood seized on August 24 satisfied FSC standards.”
Juszkiewicz believes that the Justice Department is bullying Gibson without filing charges.
“The Federal Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. has suggested that the use of wood from India that is not finished by Indian workers is illegal, not because of U.S. law, but because it is the Justice Department’s interpretation of a law in India. (If the same wood from the same tree was finished by Indian workers, the material would be legal.) This action was taken without the support and consent of the government in India.”
To read the entire press release, click here.
The observation there is that one of Gibson's competitors, C.F. Martin & Co. also makes guitars from the same "East Indian Rosewood." The differences are: 1) C.F. Martin & Co has a factory in Nazareth, PA (not a right to work state), and 2) Mr. Chris Martin IV is a big donor to Democrats.
Where Gibson operates in Tennessee (a right to work state) and Henry Juszkiewicz donates to Republican candidates.
I am aware that if a search warrant is obtained then there are immunities granted to the police. However, if there were false representations, and the police KNEW they were false, then they can lose an immunity defense because lying in a search warrant is not within the scope of their duties.
I guess he figures better overseas than a red state.
ION (Impeach Obama Now)
I believe they are already suing to recover property confiscated in a previous incident.
Lest there be any doubt that government lawyers are the commissars of American-style Socialism!
This sort of action displays the evil naked heart of the modern State, and its dark desire to kill what it cannot control.
I think that there has been sufficient time for the Government to have filed charges regarding the prior incident. Having not done so, one would expect that Gibson’s lawyers would certainly ask that the case be dismissed, that the property be returned, and a return of the property in the latest raid, and that a restraining order against the DOJ be granted to Gibson preventing the DOJ from any further seizures unless the DOJ can clearly demonstrate that a prosecutable law has been violated.
.out of convenience, I picked your post to respond to
..........to bring maximum publicity to the communists running the justice department and their leader Obama, let’s promote Sarah holding a rally at the Gibson Plant.................or several...............she could talk to some of the laid off workers................
The sooner we throw all these federal goons out on their ears the better.
• Nearly two years later, no charges have been filedAgain, the sooner we clear from our government these goons, the better.
In 2009, more than a dozen agents with automatic weapons invaded the Gibson factory in Nashville. The Government seized guitars and a substantial amount of ebony fingerboard blanks from Madagascar. To date, 1 year and 9 months later, criminal charges have NOT been filed, yet the Government still holds Gibson’s property. Gibson has obtained sworn statements and documents from the Madagascar government and these materials, which have been filed in federal court, show that the wood seized in 2009 was legally exported under Madagascar law and that no law has been violated. Gibson is attempting to have its property returned in a civil proceeding that is pending in federal court.
The Justice Department has asked the judge to stop the court case indefinitely.
• Information sought in raid was already made available
Since 2009, Gibson has fully cooperated with the Government’s investigation of wood and has provided substantial documentation regarding Gibson’s wood-buying activities over the years. Yet, the Federal Government raided Gibson’s facilities on August 24, 2011, without warning or communication of any kind. Had the Government simply communicated with Gibson, Gibson would have cooperated without having to stop its production and send workers home.
• Not about illegal logging, not about conservation, not about the environment
The U.S. Lacey Act does not directly address conservation issues but is about obeying all laws of the countries from which wood products are procured. This law reads that you are guilty if you did not observe a law even though you had no knowledge of that law in a foreign country. The U.S. Lacey Act is only applicable when a foreign law has been violated.
• Gibson is innocent and will fight to protect its rights
Gibson has complied with foreign laws and believes it is innocent of ANY wrong doing. We will fight aggressively to prove our innocence.
Oh man, if only. Before she did that though, she would need to get together with a top flight lawyer like Mark Levin and make certain all the information available points to a case of harassment. And then give them a broadside.
excellent point!
You might be surprised. Gibsons aren't cheap. Probably more of them in the hands of net tax payers as opposed to net tax receivers.
Yes, that’s one of the main angles on the Breitbart sites. His competitor, CF Martin, has a CEO who gives heavily to Democrats, uses the same wood, and has not been raided.
Les Paul Custom has an ebony fingerboard, Les Paul Standard has rosewood fingerboard. Both have holly headstock veneer. My custom is all mahogany. The standard has the maple cap. The two are very different and being a good rocker I felt it was my duty to own both. (And a ‘56 wraptail Jr.)
I would have more confidence if we had accomplished more the last time “We” were in charge.
Instead spending and regulation exploded as if the D’s had won.
So now I’m truly cynical, guess my age and experience are showing.
Your correct....agree. GOP side has squandered to many opportunities to fix what is still broke.
Stay safe ....hope yer well.
Got wood?
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