Posted on 03/01/2012 7:39:23 AM PST by SeekAndFind
“They…come in with weapons, they seized a half-million dollars worth of property, they shut our factory down, and they have not charged us with anything,” says Gibson Guitars CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, referring to the August 2011 raid on his Nashville and Memphis factories by agents from the Departments of Homeland Security and Fish & Wildlife.
The feds raided Gibson for using an inappropriate tariff code on wood from India, which is a violation of the anti-trafficking statute known as The Lacey Act. At issue is not whether the wood in question was endangered, but whether the wood was the correct level of thickness and finish before being exported from India. “India is wanting to ensure that raw wood is not exported without some labor content from India,” says Juskiewicz.
Andrea Johnson of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) counters that “it’s not up to Gibson to decide which laws…they want to respect.” She points out that Gibson had previously been raided under The Lacey Act for imports from Madagascar.
This much is clear: The government has yet to file any charges or allow Gibson a day in court to makes its case, much less retrieve its materials.
“This is not about responsible forestry and sustainable wood or illegal logging, this is about a bureaucratic law,” argues Juszkiewicz, who testified last year before a congressional hearing convened by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). It is, he says, ”a blank check for abuse.”
About 6 minutes. Written, produced, and narrated by Anthony L. Fisher; shot by Joshua Swain.
Music: “Improvisation: Fast Blues in A” by Rev. Gary Davis
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Andrew Breitbart, RIP
Which other guitar companies were raided? NONE! Since Gibson CEO leans right and the others lean left........... And let’s not forget those evil Koch brothers and the attack on them. Evil oil quadrillionaires. I’m glad just to be a thousandaire.
Who has the wood and equipment, workforce and orders?
RIP, Andrew Breitbart
‘They…come in with weapons, they seized a half-million dollars worth of property, they shut our factory down, and they have not charged us with anything,’
Sounds exactly like the ATFs MO. In the end IF you get your property back its not sellable. Basically, they have no case and knew it going in. The govt has endless amts of $ to litigate which almost always drives the defendant to bankruptcy. In the end the court never hears a word of testimony, the govt wins by default w/o any facts or legal merit.
~ RIP
Was Gibson able to re-open this particular plant or does it remain closed to this day? I haven’t heard or seen anything on this point. Anyone know?
If you want a new Gibson with an ebony fret board, better buy it now. Thanks to GovCo, it sounds like their stock of ebony is close to or already gone. I’ve heard Gibson has a new synthetic fret board material is in the works. Oh boy...
Recently scratched my mid-life crisis itch by buying a ES335, aLes Paul, and a Marshall amp. This oldie is rockin’ again.
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