Saturday, December 24, 2016

PELTIER: REALLY? GARBUS & DUNNE ET.AL.

Dear Supporters: [i]

Within days the final crossroad of the Peltier saga will be reached by January 20th and there’s no surprise that the Peltierite rhetoric has been ratcheted to vacuous levels.

Fact remains though that The List is growing, and according to the President’s plan for commutations, does not include unrepentant cold-blooded murders.

Recently, in The Guardian, the latest round of Peltier attorneys, Martin Garbus and Cynthia K. Dunne make another feckless attempt to justify Peltier’s criminal acts with  their own misplaced sympathies. [ii]

Their not so clever move to publicize Peltier’s clemency petition—a document filled with the same decades-long myths, folklores and outright fabrications (a polite way of saying they have no issue with continuing to spread the lies), continues unabated.[iii]

They erroneously claim, again for perhaps the ten-thousandth time in the Peltier narrative, “He remains in jail today primarily because of an “accomplice” theory of liability which was included in the written charges but not argued to the jury, that he allegedly assisted someone in an unidentified way.”

Really? Perhaps Marty and Cynthia missed this; the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals stated in 1993:

"Peltier's arguments fail because their underlying premises are fatally flawed. (A) The Government tried the case on the alternative theories; it asserted that Peltier personally killed the agents at point blank range, but that if he had not done so, then he was equally guilty of their murder as an aider and abettor." [iv]

Exactly what part of “fatally flawed” are Garbus and Dunne (and Nadler) incapable of understanding that this baseless argument failed before, as it does now. Peltier and his attorneys can repeat this claim a thousand more times and it will never be true.

They also offer some obvious, perhaps unrecognized, contradictions:

“Under the FBI’s exclusive jurisdiction for the prosecution of major crimes…” and, “On 26 June that year two FBI agents entered private property in unmarked cars and gunfire erupted. By the end of the incident, Agents Coler and Williams died, as did Native American Joseph Stuntz, although no charges were brought against anyone for his death.”

It’s alarming how dense some tunnel-visioned attorneys can be.

Yes, the FBI has exclusive jurisdiction, and in pursuit of a suspected felon Jack and Ron did follow, not Jimmy Eagle as they thought, but Leonard Peltier (along with Norman Charles and Joe Stuntz), driving Sam Loud Hawk’s red and white suburban off Highway 18 onto what turned out to be the Jumping Bull property. No incident then occurred, but a deliberate attack on two federal agents. We know this because of an eyewitness. Ron Williams was on the Bureau radio telling those near enough—exactly—what was happening—before the first shot was fired, at them. It was common knowledge on the Reservation that white guys in civilian clothes driving late model sedans with antennas, were the Feds. (And really, when is the last time Garbus and Dunne saw a ‘marked’ FBI vehicle?) Besides, Peltier knew he was wanted for the attempted murder of a Milwaukee police officer and naively (wrongly) thought they were coming for him.  As for Stuntz, the same person quoted by Peltier, “I seen Joe when he pulled it out of the trunk and I looked at him when he put it on, and he gave me a smile.”[v]

As Stuntz smiles two dead and mutilated human beings (who had been moved by the way—rolled over to face the ground, and they hadn’t just “died” but were murdered), he steals and puts on Jack Coler’s FBI raid jacket and then proceeded to shoot at responding agents and officers. For that felonious act, Stuntz was shot and killed and no charges needed to be brought against officers defending themselves and responding appropriately to deadly force. Fact remains, Stuntz’s blood is on Peltier’s hands.[vi]

Marty and Cynthia also offer, “Federal agents…deliberately withheld critical ballistic reports in order to gain an unfair advantage at trial.”

Standing alone, this out-of-context and oft-repeated fallacy has been another focal point of the Peltier myth.

Attorneys Garbus and Dunne would dare not proffer the rest of the story fearing that anyone could understand that this statement is not only false, but also without foundation:

Simplified: Peltier is convicted. Later, through a Freedom of Information Act request, Peltier is provided with an October 2, 1975 FBI teletype; Peltier moves for a new trail, which is denied by the District Court and he then again appeals to the 8th Circuit; The 8th Circuit (including Judge Gerald Heaney) remands the case back to the District Court for an evidentiary (ballistics) hearing. A three-day hearing is held. Not entitled to relief, Peltier appeals yet again to the 8th Circuit (that includes Judge Gerald Heaney) authoring a decision that concluded:

“When all is said and done, however, a few simple but very important facts remain. The casing introduced into evidence had in fact been extracted from the Wichita AR-15. This point was not disputed; although the defense had it’s own ballistics expert, it offered no contrary evidence.” [vii] (Judge Heaney then rules against Peltier based on the law.)

It’s bewildering that practicing attorneys can become so unmoored from the facts.

Garbus and Dunne repeat another tired refrain, “Mr. Peltier is old, ill and a threat to no one.”

As to being a physical threat to anyone is arguable. Certainly the bloated figure I sat next to at USP Lewisburg would have a hard time getting out of his own way. But the central point is that he owes a debt for his crimes that has not been fully repaid.[viii] As to his age and ill health, then ask the important question: Would Jack Coler and Ron Williams prefer to be seventy today facing the aging process that we all must endure at some point? Ask their families about the years they missed with Jack and Ron since Peltier robbed them of that in 1975.

Curiously, they quote Peltier, “I did not wake up ... planning to injure or shoot federal agents, and did not gain anything from participating in the incident … “ (The ellipses are theirs, for whatever the gaps contained, as Peltier provides a shallow explanation we’ve heard countless times before.)

But offering this Peltier quote as they do, it becomes tantamount to another admission of guilt; whether planning to or not, Peltier was there and participated in the murder of two federal agents.  (They all need to wake up to that reality.)

There is little for the President to consider. Peltier is not a prospect for commutation. Once carefully reviewed, the Peltier record speaks for itself. However, Peltier’s own words speak louder and he is the last person deserving of consideration.

Peltier has been hiding behind the veil of the mistreatment of Native Americans but his actions that June day in 1975 had nothing to do with that history but instead the actions of a merciless killer and we need only look to his recent public statements for definitive proof.

Dear President Obama:

If you consider Peltier’s petition at all, please consider the following:

“The direct and circumstantial evidence of Peltier’s guilt was strong…”
(8th Circuit Court of Appeals)[ix]

“And really, if necessary, I’d do it all over again, because it was the right thing to do.”
(Leonard Peltier, February 2010)

“I don’t regret any of this for a minute.” (Leonard Peltier, August 2014)

Peltier does not fit into the category of those who received excessive sentences for relatively minor drug offenses, but remains a remorseless and unrepentant cold-blooded murderer.

“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods



[i] To all those on the NPPA lists: Thank you for your continued support over the past nearly seventeen years. There are a number of Peltier supporters on the lists as well (while they block NPPA access to their online postings, we do not block them). But for everyone; all the best for the holidays and a healthy and happy New Year. We collectively continue this battle from opposing sides. But, that will end, one way or the other, by January 20th. No matter what the outcome, honoring the memory and sacrifice in the line of duty of Jack Coler and Ron Williams will continue.
[iii] http://wwwnoparolepeltiercom-justice.blogspot.com/2016/06/peltier-clemency-application-part-3.html The Garbus/Dunne piece states “The clemency petition does not reargue the verdict, but rather, it sets forth the facts and is supported by the FBI’s own records.” Not even close, please also see Parts 1 & 2 for a review of a hopelessly defective document.
[v] Peter Matthiessen, In the Spirit of Crazy Horse (New York: Penguin Books, 1991) 552. Throughout his extensive research, Matthiessen had the benefit of being able to interview most of those involved in this incident. It is reasonable to assume from his reporting that Agent Williams' attempt to surrender ("Perhaps he waved it [his shirt] as a white flag of surrender…") was related to him during at least some of those interviews. Had this not been the case, noting that Matthiessen reported most of what he was told, it would not have been included within the text. It is reasonable to conclude that this-waving of the shirt, did, in fact, happen. This was not a random inclusion of prose by Matthiessen, it had a purpose. For a further discussion of the initial shooting, please see:http://www.noparolepeltier.com/flag.html
      To demonstrate that even Matthiessen had his doubts about Peltier’s version of events, this is offered: Matthiessen, In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, p.544. "On the other hand, the evidence suggests - to me at least - that Coler and Williams had indeed been chasing one or more vehicles, and that whether or not those being pursued stopped at the Y-fork above the junked cars (not wishing, apparently, to lead the FBI cars either down toward the camp or up into the compound), the agents pulled up in that vulnerable place down in the pasture because they heard a warning shot or came under fire; if there is another persuasive explanation of the location and position of their cars, I cannot find it."

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

PELTIER: NPPA INTERVIEW, PART 1

Dear Supporters:

The No Parole Peltier Association was recently contacted by a reporter from South Dakota Public Broadcasting requesting an interview regarding Leonard Peltier’s pending clemency petition.

Several emails were exchanged providing Peltier background and answering some questions. A date was arranged and there were no qualifications or restrictions on the questions to be asked by the reporter. The reporter advised that he had already interviewed Peltier’s attorney(s).

What follows is the transcript of Ed Woods’ portion of the interview (Part 1). Part 2, responding to the comments made by Peltier’s attorney(s), will be the subject of a subsequent blog.

* * *

Interviewer: Can you give me your name again, title in relation to the Leonard Peltier case?

Ed Woods: It’s Ed Woods and I’m the founder and creator of the No Parole Peltier Association and the associated website that was launched on April 30, 2000.

Interviewer: And can you give me your thoughts on a potential clemency
/compassionate release, push for Mr. Peltier?

EW: Well based on the past sixteen and a half years of reviewing the Peltier matter in great detail, Leonard Peltier isn’t qualified for any compassion under the President’s current program and I agree with the President’s program that the war on drugs and the sentencing guidelines back in the eighty’s were very extreme, so I recognize that. His program does not include cold-blooded convicted murderers, unrepentant convicted murderers, for commutation.

As far as a compassionate release because of his health, I’d say that I would be 100% accurate thinking that Jack Coler and Ron Williams wouldn’t mind being seventy years old today and facing whatever life brings them in terms of health, and of course, being robbed of the opportunity to spend the rest of their lives with their family and grandchildren. So, from the health perspective that’s just a matter of the aging process, and whether Leonard Peltier was in USP Coleman or out in the street. If you read his book he wanted to become an artist and he’s been doing that in prison. Maybe he would have been successful doing something else, but the fact of the matter remains that we all get old, we all have to face those issues. He has to face them where he is.

Interviewer: The last time this sort of came up was during the Clinton administration and 500 FBI agents marched around the White House, as that was being contemplated do you foresee anything like this happening if Obama would consider a Peltier release? 

EW: Quite frankly, as a matter of fact it was closer to 700 agents and I was there that day, December 15, 2000, and it wasn’t a march around the White House. We gathered at the law enforcement memorial, we had a collective prayer, we read the names of those who were killed in the line of duty and it was a very dignified. I wouldn’t call it a march, a procession to the White House to express our collective request of the President that he not consider clemency or commutation for Peltier. And the president of the FBI Agent’s Association was allowed into the White House, and gave them well over 10,000 signed petitions. Now, to answer your question, no, I don’t believe there would be another gathering like that this time.

Interviewer: Certainly, certainly, I have one more question, just based on a lot of things I’ve heard, I’ve been down to Pine Ridge and stuff like that, Amnesty International has called Leonard Peltier a political prisoner, I think various other groups have as well, and they say he’s been in prison for longer than Nelson Mandela, and that he should be let go, and that he is no longer a harm to society and that sort of thing. Could you, could you, respond to some of those statements that people are saying around here?

EW: Well, they’re entitled to their, their opinions obviously, but, and I’ve been through this many times, I would throw back, or offer back to them, look at the record. Look at what’s happened. I’ve read every word of testimony, all the appeals. If a man was truly innocent, he’s not a political prisoner. He was captured and convicted, went through dozens of appeals for the cold-blooded murder of two already wounded FBI agents. So, they’re entitled to their opinion. Peltier isn’t a political prisoner, although that’s the route that he’s gone down and quite frankly that’s his only defense. And a truly innocent person wouldn’t change his story about what happened that day a half a dozen times. He wouldn’t also, for the better part of twenty years, claim his only alibi was Mr. X. That somebody else who was delivering dynamite to the AIM camp that day, was followed by the agents, shot the agents, killed them and drove off. That was proven to be a lie, and yet, if you look at Redford’s movie where Robert Robideau goes on for six and half minutes and describes this elaborate chase and the shooting, and Mr. X drives off into the distance. And in the very next frame, Leonard Peltier says, “This story is true.” Well, it wasn’t true and we know it wasn’t true because Dino Butler, one of the other AIM members, came out publicly in 1995, I believe, and said it was a lie.

So there’s no politics involved here. It was a straight up criminal conviction of somebody who, I wouldn’t call it an ambush; I think Peltier just over-reacted because he knew he was wanted for the attempted murder of a Milwaukee police officer and at that moment probably felt, and he shouldn’t have, that the agents were coming for him when they were actually looking for Jimmy Eagle. So, and then you come down to the final part of that, you have two wounded agents, and the final killing shots, I would say, I would almost call that an assassination. I’ve taken the position that maybe in Peltier’s mind, maybe he panicked, I don’t know, but certainly he may have thought that dead men make poor witnesses.            

And to go back to the actual events of that day, we know what happened. There was no, there was no secret because there was an eye witness that was telling everybody on the radio, that was Ron Williams, exactly what was about to happen before any of the shooting started. And I’ve been through Peltier’s 44 page petition for clemency and I’m still shocked to this day that Martin Garbus, Cynthia Dunne and Carl Nadler would actually put this stuff in writing, things that have been totally disproven over the years. So I know that’s a long answer to your question, but no, this is a criminal case. Peltier was—even Judge Heaney, said that Peltier got a fair trial, not a perfect trial, because those kinds of trials are very difficult, you don’t have DNA evidence, you don’t have video, but even Judge Heaney said—and Judge Heaney never even implied for a moment that Peltier was innocent in that letter. But he did in that 60-Minutes interview say that Peltier got a fair trial, not a perfect trial, but a fair trial. And he’s where he belongs.

From where I stand, Peltier should finish out the remainder of his two consecutive life sentences, which, if you go back historically, were averaging 30 years each, plus the seven consecutive years he got for the armed escape from Lompoc Penitentiary where guards were shot at. So, there was no politics involved here, it’s a straight adulteration of an otherwise proud Native culture where Leonard Peltier and the American Indian Movement did absolutely nothing to help their own people.

Interviewer: Ed, thank you very much for answering my questions. And I know you’re really busy, but I did, I was wondering out of curiosity what got you involved in this, on the Peltier case?

EW: There is only one place on the website that I talk about myself and it’s an editorial essay called Pilgrimage to Pine Ridge and I just give my background and what prompted this was I just coincidentally met Jack Coler’s youngest son. Jack had two sons when he was murdered, one was three the other was one and a half. And in—on April 1st 2000, I just happened to meet Jack Coler’s youngest son.[i] And based on that meeting I did a search of the Internet that night, saw what was out there, and quite frankly—and I was in the FBI for 29 years, and I had no idea the kind of stuff that was out there. I read through it all, I downloaded every page in the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee website. I read it, they said “read the book,” I mean, “watch the film” Incident at Oglala, I rented it; they said “read the book,” In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, by Peter Matthiessen, I also got Peltier’s book, Prison Writings, and I went through all of it. And as I went through it I saw all the lies, the myths and the folklore that have been following Peltier and that’s what prompted me launching, 27 days, 29 days later, the website.

Interviewer: Very nice. Well, I don’t want to keep you or anything, and I wish you a happy retirement.

EW: All right, thank you, and best for the holidays and if you have any other follow-up please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Interviewer: That email would be the best?

EW: Yes.

Interviewer: OK, perfect, thank you very much.

EW: Have a good day.

Interviewer: OK, you too.

EW: Bye.

Interviewer: Bye.

* * *

“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods



[i] The actual date of meeting Jack Coler’s younger son, was April 3, 2000. The NPPA website was launched 27 days later on April 30th.

Saturday, November 26, 2016

PELTIER: COMPELLING REASONS...

Dear Supporters:  

There are at least twelve compelling reasons why Leonard Peltier would be the last person the President should consider for commutation of his sentence:

Officer Collin Rose, November 23, 2016, Detroit, Michigan

Detective Benjamin Marconi, November 20, 2016, San Antonio, Texas

U.S. Marshal Patrick Carothers, November 18, 2016, Ludowici, Georgia

Deputy Dennis Wallace, November 13, 2016, Modesto, California

Officer Scott Bashioum, November 10, 2016, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania

Deputy Daryl Smallwood, November 8, 2016, Byron, Georgia [i]

Officer Darrin Reed, November 8, 2016, Show Low, Arizona

Officer Cody Brotherson, November 6, 2016, West Valley, Utah [ii]

Sergeant Patrick Sondron, November 6, 2016, Byron, Georgia

Sergeant Paul Tuozzolo, November 4, 2016, Bronx, New York [iii]

Sergeant Anthony Beminio, November 2, 2016, Des Moines, Iowa

Officer Justin Martin, November 2, 2016, Des Moines, Iowa

This was just November, and the month’s not over yet.

These officers died in the line of duty as a result of adversarial gunfire. Several though, weren’t just killed, but like Jack Coler and Ron Williams at the hand of Leonard Peltier, were brutally assassinated.

Our thoughts and prayers are with these brave men, their families, friends and fellow officers as they reached their End of Watch.[iv]

Planned for December 4th – 10th in Washington, D.C., a number of mindless Peltier sycophants will gather in ragtag groups to march and demonstrate; chanting, beating drums and carrying signs calling for Peltier’s freedom.

Contrast this, and other Peltier demonstrations, with December 15, 2000 when hundreds of professionally attired FBI Agents and fellow law enforcement gathered at the Law Enforcement Memorial on that crisp, clear morning. Beginning with a prayer for the fallen, we made our way in a dignified procession to the White House.[v] There were no chants or outbursts and the long line was preceded by a single white banner proclaiming their respect for the sacrifice in the line of duty and large photographs of Special Agents Jack R. Coler and Ronald A. Williams.

Agents wouldn’t conduct a counter-demonstration to Peltierites in D.C., but if they did we could suggest several appropriate signs to display in front of the White House and for the media:

“Mr. X was a Lie”
(Peltier’s only alibi)

“Politicians are sleazebags”
(Leonard Peltier, March 2000)

“It was the right thing to do”
(Leonard Peltier, February 2010)

“I’d do it all over again”
(Leonard Peltier, February 2010)

“I don’t regret any of this for a minute”
(Leonard Peltier, August 2014)

“The direct and circumstantial evidence of Peltier’s guilt is STRONG”
(8th Circuit Court of Appeals)

There could be others as well if Peltier detractors chose to get in the gutter with the Peltierites. But these would be redundant and only reinforce that Peltier remains a remorseless, cold-blooded murderer who has perpetuated years of lies and fabrications amounting to nothing more than myth and folklore. Those falsehoods collapse under their own weight with even the slightest scrutiny.[vi] Peltier has diminished an otherwise proud native heritage and within mainstream Native America will be relegated to a pitiable footnote, and for those unwilling or unable to see the truth, little more than a garage sale T-shirt.  

“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods




[i] Deputy Smallwood died two days after he and Sergeant Sondron were shot.
[ii] Vehicular homicide: Officer Brotherson was deliberately run down by a fleeing felon.
[iii] NYPD, Sergeant Tuozzolo’s mass was held in a church I attended in the town where I grew up.
[v] The president of the FBI Agents Association (a non-governmental fraternal organization) was allowed into the White House where he delivered thousands of petitions asking the President not to commute Peltier’s consecutive life sentences and the additional seven consecutive years for his armed escape from Lompoc Penitentiary.

Monday, November 14, 2016

PELTIER: 11/8/16, THE LIST & Pearl Harbor

Dear Supporters:

Election day was a revelation to many people, mostly divided into two broad categories, those who are excited and those who are disappointed.[i]

Leonard Peltier must be included in the latter.

As January 20th approaches and The List gets longer and doesn’t include his name there was probably the lingering hope that if Hilary Clinton was elected he may have had one more opportunity for clemency consideration. There was a time, when then President Clinton was leaving office that Peltier was on the short-list for release. It didn’t obviously happen but that’s a story for another day. The Clinton’s were publicly criticized for not releasing Peltier as they allegedly had promised. In any case, and as a reminder to remaining Peltierites, Peltier’s ingratitude was obvious and predictable, and even if President Obama may give any consideration to commuting his sentence we can simply repeat Peltier’s public pronouncement, “These politicians are such sleazebags that you just don’t know.” [ii]

The List

President Obama remains committed to commuting sentences of those who received long prison sentences for relatively minor drug offenses.  The reduction of sentences has been consistent and has not included murderers. It doesn’t include unrepentant cop killers.[iii]

Pearl Harbor

Since April 30, 2000 there have been only a few passing references of a personal nature; they are included in the Editorial Essays, Pilgrimage to Pine Ridge and Mission to Lewisburg.[iv] This was done because the purpose of the NPPA was, and remains, to honor the memory and sacrifice of two brave young FBI agents who were brutally murdered in the line of duty, as well as fostering public knowledge dispelling the myth and folklore surrounding their remorseless killer.  Peltier must also serve the remainder of his consecutive life sentences (plus seven years for the armed escape from USP Lompoc).

Recently celebrating our 50th anniversary, my wife and I went to Hawaii for two weeks, having a wonderful second honeymoon and visiting four islands, and of course, Pearl Harbor and the U.S.S. Arizona memorial. It was a moving experience, especially for a patriotic American and veteran to contemplate the historical significance, bravery and sacrifice on that fateful day.

The memorial included a video of the events leading up to and the attack on the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor. However, there was one comment during the short film that gave pause and seemed inappropriate.[v]

The film ended with, “They will never be forgotten.”

Certainly, those brave servicemen who made the ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Nor will Jack Coler and Ron Williams.

“In the Spirit…”
Ed Woods



[i] For those who demonstrated their disagreement with the election results, that is their right. For those lawless and destructive demonstrators, they deserve to be prosecuted. For those who burned the American flag they do that under the very freedom democracy provides and protects even if  an unquestionably lowly act for any citizen. They need to ask themselves a basic question and consider an alternative: Why is it that no one is trying to escape from the United States?  And, they are perfectly free to consider living in some other country. Looking back, if you recall, for those who said they would leave America if George Bush was elected, guess, what? They are still here.
[v] Although the narrator did mention Japan’s invasion and war with China and imperialist expansion into Southeast Asia, the U.S. oil embargo of Japan, and the decision to locate the Pacific Fleet to Hawaii, the commentary was that these developments gave Japan no option but to go to war. Within the context of the events leading up to the U.S. entry into WWII, I felt the “no option” statement was inappropriate. America was in a defensive posture, felt threatened while many countries tried to slow Japanese imperialist aggression. Japan did have an option but chose war instead.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

PELTIER: The List & the IRS

Dear Supporters:

The List:

October is coming to a close with mere weeks before President Obama leaves office.

The President continues his plan to grant pardons and clemency (commutation of sentence) to those who have received excessive sentences for some drug convictions.

Thus far, some sentences have been reduced, while others have been released or will be in the near future. Not all though are just being set free. For example; Jefferson Levine, convicted in 2001 for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base had his life sentence reduced to 22 years, so he’ll be released sometime in 2023, or Charles Stokes, convicted in 1996 for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, sentenced to life but commuted to 360 months, with a release date in 2026.[i]

What The List does not contain is a convicted felon for a brutal double-murder of two already attacked and critically wounded (an attack in which he and other Cowards of Jumping Bull instigated), a felon involved in an armed escape from federal prison, one who has claimed to be a brave warrior and at the same time a pathetic victim, one who has adulterated an otherwise proud Native American culture, made many, even recent, public admissions that only serve to reinforce his guilt beyond all doubt, and in the process, scam unsuspecting or unknowing supporters into believing that he is in some perverse way entitled to any consideration of his clemency petition.[ii]

Leonard Peltier remains a remorseless and unrepentant cold-blooded killer who should be shown the same mercy he gave to FBI Agents Jack Coler and Ron Williams: And that would be none.                          

The IRS [iii]

 Anyone who has spent just a little time examining Leonard Peltier’s claims of charitable activities and fund raising and illegitimate (illegal) claims of “tax deductible” donations can easily see through the scam. Moreover, by the way, so has the IRS, (which was evident, although Peltier and the ILPDC would never admit it), as Peltier over the years has removed, then tried another scheme to claim in some groundless and distorted manner that he, of all people, is a charity case.

Please see this Editorial Essay for some background.[iv]

* * *
In response to a complaint to the IRS[v], the following was received:

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Tax Exempt and Government Entities
Exempt Organizations: Examinations
1100 Commerce Street
Dallas, TX 75242

                                                                        October 3, 2016

Dear Ed Woods:

Thank you for the information you submitted regarding the INTERNATIONAL LEONARD PELTIER DEFENSE COMMITTEE. The IRS has an ongoing audit program to ensure exempt organizations comply with applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (the Code). We’ll consider the information you submitted in this program.

Section 6103 of the Code requires that tax returns and return information shall be confidential…If you later have additional information you think is relevant to this matter, attach a copy of this letter to the information and send it to the address shown above.

We appreciate your bringing this matter to our attention. If you have questions, call IRS Customer Account Services at (867) 829-5500

                                                                        Sincerely,
                                                                        Margaret Von Lienen
                                                                        Margaret Von Lienen
                                                                        Director, Exempt Organizations
                                                                        Examinations

* * *
Peltier history demonstrates that this has been an ongoing issue, (finances and fundraising that is), as people within his own “committee” called for transparency.[vi]

Obviously, that never happened and has remained Peltier’s long-standing, dirty little secret.  

January 20, 2017 will come and go without effect for USP Coleman inmate #89637-132.

It will be interesting to see how the tax-deductible fundraising will continue after that point, providing the IRS doesn’t shut it down altogether and Peltier becomes what he is in reality, a footnote in the sordid history of the American Indian Movement.

“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods

Friday, September 16, 2016

PELTIER: ATTENTION I.R.S.

Edward Woods
8190 Beechmont Avenue #101
Cincinnati, Ohio 45255-6117
September 12, 2016

Director, E.O. Examinations
Internal Revenue Service
1100 Commerce St. MC 4910 DAL
Dallas, Texas 75242-1198

Re: E.O. Violation
International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee (ILPDC)
P.O. Box 24, Hillsboro, OR 97123

Dear E.O. Director:

Please find attached IRS complaint form #13909 to bring to your attention—once again, that Leonard Peltier is engaging in deceptive practices and violating Exempt Organizations regulations involving fraudulent, allegedly “tax deductible” activities.

Please reference my many previous communications dating back to August 2000 (former reference number 4426 12-2009) regarding Leonard Peltier’s and the ILPDC’s efforts to circumvent IRS laws.

Leonard Peltier is serving consecutive life sentences for the brutal murder of two FBI agents in 1975, had undergone over a dozen appeals and his conviction and sentence has never been altered.

Prior complaints to your office have likely resulted in actions against Peltier’s fraudulent fund raising activities, because they have, several times, removed references to “tax- deductible donations,” however, Peltier has systematically reverted to repeated similar tactics, again, as in this instance.

The ILPDC states publicly:

 “Please make a tax deductible donation of $5.00 (or more) at (website[i]). If you prefer, send a check or money order made payable to the ILPDC to PO Box 24, Hillsboro, OR 97123.”

The below footnoted website states:

“Please make a tax-deductible donation. No amount is too small…The ILPDC is a project of the Indigenous Rights Center, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.”

The ‘director’ information for the Indigenous Rights Center, 202 Harvard Dr., SE #5, Albuquerque, NM, 87114 reveals the following:

Delaney Bruce, Peter Clark, Kari A. Boushee and Chauncey Peltier. 
Bruce, Clark and Boushee are longtime Peltier supporters, and Chauncey Peltier is Leonard Peltier’s son.

Essentially the same people who operate the ILPDC are operating the Indigenous Rights Center under the guise of a “project,” when in fact it is a mechanism to raise money on behalf, and for the benefit of, a convicted felon by deceiving people into believing their donations are indeed, tax deductible.

The Indigenous Rights center displayed the following copyright, which clearly linked the two organizations and Leonard Peltier:

©2016 ILPDC/Indigenous Rights Center LLC, 202 Harvard SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106[ii]

IRS regulations are very clear concerning tax-deductible donations;

“A section 501(c)(3) must not be organized or operated for the benefit of private interests, such as the creator or the creator’s family, shareholders of the organization, other designated individuals, or persons controlled directly or indirectly by such private interests. No part of the net earnings of the section 501(c)(3) organization may inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual. A private shareholder or individual is a person having a personal and private interest in the activities of the organization.”

Clearly, the directors of the Indigenous Rights Center (IRC), that include a family member, Chauncey Peltier and Leonard Peltier himself, have a vested personal and private interest in raising money by any means necessary by burying the reality of their claims to unsuspecting donors through deceptive layering of their fund raising.

The unrepentant, convicted double-murderer, Leonard Peltier, is not a charity case and it is evident that the IRC, its directors, including a Peltier family member, are once again, circumventing the law.

Sincerely,
Edw. Woods
Edward Woods




[ii] This copyright, however, has been removed since it was publically noted; please see the following for additional background: http://wwwnoparolepeltiercom-justice.blogspot.com/2016_04_01_archive.html

Monday, September 12, 2016

LEONARD PELTIER BIRTHDAY

Dear Supporters:

September 12, 2016: Leonard Peltier turns 72 today, but it’s a birthday without celebration considering 40 years of incarceration.

On January 12, 1975, Jack Coler, FBI Agent, former LAPD SWAT officer, husband, and father of two young sons, turned 28.

On July 30, 1975, Ron Williams, FBI Agent and Navy veteran had an upcoming birthday, but little did he know that a mere 34 days before his own 28th birthday both he and Jack would be cut down in their prime from a coward’s bullets.

At some point, Leonard Peltier will meet his Creator. There, no doubt, will be Jack Coler and Ron Williams who will watch and listen as Peltier finally makes his confession and admission for his crimes and their brutal and violent deaths. Leonard Peltier will then receive his final and permanent sentence.

Birthday wishes:

President Obama recognizes that a free Peltier will not atone in any way for the historical ill treatment of First Americans.

President Obama understands that a free Peltier would validate the murder and mayhem caused by the American Indian Movement and that AIM contributed nothing positive to Native American culture.

President Obama accepts that a free Peltier would be an affront to every dedicated law enforcement man and woman, past, present and future.

President Obama already knows that Leonard Peltier was lawfully extradited from Canada, had a fair trial, and through over a dozen appeals his conviction and sentence has been sustained and never altered.

And, President Obama can readily see that Leonard Peltier remains unrepentant for his heinous and unforgiveable crimes.

“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods


 (Context is everything)