FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: NO PAROLE PELTIER ASSOCIATION

http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#financial

#58 Financial Disclosure: No Parole Peltier Association

Dear Supporters:

Please see the following affidavit regarding the No Parole Peltier Association’s (NPPA) financial disclosure. The original notarized affidavit can be seen here. Copies of checks, invoices and receipts can be viewed here.*

It can be clearly seen that the NPPA’s goal and purpose has nothing to do with money or funding, only honoring the memory and sacrifice of Jack and Ron and dismantling the myth and folklore surrounding Leonard Peltier.

Peltier’s finances have been their dirty little secret since about March, 1977. “All proceeds benefit Leonard’s defense fund” (Betty Solano), and who else and how much?  Peltier’s trial and appellate attorneys were paid by the kindness of the American taxpayers. The vast majority of money raised and spent by Peltier and the LPDOC (LPDC) was on anything but defense costs and attorneys fees.

So, Leonard, now it’s your turn for a full financial disclosure.

“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”

Ed Woods

*A subsequent typo was noted in the following and attached original affidavit; the 3/18/11 donation to the FBI Memorial Scholarship Fund was listed as $25.00, but it was actually $50.00. Also, which should have been noted, none of the donations made in the name of the No Parole Peltier Association were claimed as tax deductible donations.

AFFIDAVIT

Affiant, Edward P. Woods, resident of Hamilton County, Ohio, founder of the No Parole Peltier Association (NPPA,), an unincorporated organization, and its website, www.noparolepeltier.com, under penalty of perjury, provides the following:

1) What follows is a complete accounting of all monies associated in any manner with the No Parole Peltier Association (NPPA) and related website since its inception on April 30, 2000.

2) Where indicated, “O-P” represents money spent “out-of-pocket” in support of the NPPA’s stated goals to honor the memory and sacrifice of Special Agents, Jack R. Coler and Ronald A. Williams, killed in the line-of-duty on June 26, 1975:

Source/Purpose                                                                                                Amount           

Miscellaneous expenses

Webmaster                                                                                                            No cost

The NPPA webmaster created the website, April 2000, updated it in August 2000 and has made numerous changes and updates adding some 70 Editorial Essays and additional features. The Webmaster has been a victim’s rights advocate for many years and has donated her time, talents and expertise to the NPPA’s efforts. Much gratitude is owed to

http://www.matschca.com/.

Web Hosting                                                                                                            $1,950.00

O-P hosting costs of $150/year for 13 years

Lapel Pins (Purchase)                                                                                                   $641.64

O-P 250 NPPA logo lapel pins including die charges from Business Innovations

Norcross, Georgia, 4/12/01

Lapel Pins (mailings)                                                                                                  $71.00

O-P padded envelopes and postage ($1 each)

NPPA Plaques                                                                                                            $238.50

O-P five at $47.70 each; NPPA appreciation plaques for organizers of

December 15, 2000, Washington D.C. procession to White House

Donations

SA Lenny Hatton Memorial Fund                                                                        $150.00

O-P donation, 10/3/01

FBI Agent’s Association Memorial Scholarship Fund                                    $750.00

10/4/01. Entire proceeds from the sale of NPPA lapel pins

Salvation Army in Memory of Lloyd Williams                                                $25.00

O-P donation; father of SA Ronald A. Williams, 10/29/01

Red Cloud Indian School, Pine Ridge, SD                                                            $ 555.00   

O-P total donations, 10/1/04, 12/8/04, 1/29/05, 2/24/05,

7/4/06, 1/21/07, 4/4/07, 1/15/08, 7/14/08, 3/29/09

Society of Former FBI Agents                                                                        $25.00

O-P SA Nelson B. Klein fund; gravestone restoration, 4/19/08

Society of Former FBI Agents Foundation                                                            $25.00

O-P donation to memorial scholarship fund, 3/18/11

National Multiple Sclerosis Society                                                                        $50.00

O-P donation for fund walk by injured FBI Agent Tom Hannigan, 3/11/13

3) Notwithstanding any allegations to the contrary, at no time did affiant or the NPPA accept, receive or solicit any funds from any other source. All monies spent by affiant on behalf of the NPPA, in support of its stated purpose, have been from personal income.

 Edw. Woods          3/23/13

Edward P. Woods               Date

 Notarized, Cincinnati, Ohio, March, 23, 2013

PELTIER: MONEY LAUNDERING; 101

Edward Woods

P.O. Box 54667

Cincinnati, Ohio 45254-0667

March 24, 2013

Director, E.O. Examinations

Internal Revenue Service

1100 Commerce St., MC 4910 DAL

Dallas, Texas 75242-1198

                                         Re: Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee (LPDOC)

                                                PO Box 7488, Fargo, ND 58106

                                                Illegal charitable donations-activities/money laundering

Dear Director:

I am writing to bring yet another example of the fraudulent practices of the LPDOC to your attention. Please reference my previous letters and IRS replies, and the several other times the LPDOC (and formerly the LPDC) have appeared to violate the law.

To be clear, Leonard Peltier is serving two consecutive life sentences (plus an additional seven consecutive years for an armed escape) for the brutal murder of two wounded FBI agents on June 26, 1975. His case has undergone well-over a dozen judicial reviews, twice reaching the U.S. Supreme Court. His conviction and sentencing have never been altered or overturned. Peltier’s lack of remorse for his crimes is confirmed in a 2/6/10 public statement:

“I never thought my commitment would mean sacrificing like this, but I was willing to do so nonetheless. And really, if necessary, I’d do it all over again, because it was the right thing to do.”  

Clearly, Leonard Peltier is not a charity case.

Please find attached a widely distributed email from the LPDOC dated March 19, 2013 with the notation highlighted “If you are interested in making a donation that is

tax deductible, please use the following:”

“Wind Chases the Sun, Inc., N5679 Skylark Drive, De Pere, WI 54115. This is the

non-profit arm of the LPDOC.”

“The non-profit arm of the LPDOC” Wind Chases the Sun, Inc., EIN #45-2364127, is a nonprofit corporation in Wisconsin, however, as previously noted, the LPDOC is NOT a charitable organization and according to IRS regulations “...must not be organized or operated for the benefit of private interests, such as the creator’s family…or persons controlled directly or indirectly by such private interests.” And that “No part of the net earnings of a section 501(c)3 organization many inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.”

However, currently from the LPDOC website, their purpose is unmistakable:

Our staff and volunteers plan and coordinate an ongoing international freedom campaign to win Leonard’s release. Our activities include outreach and networking; local, as well as national and international organizing; public education; media relations; and political lobbying.

We work closely with Leonard’s attorneys who, with Leonard, decide on the legal actions to be taken to win his freedom. 

The former director of the LPDOC, Betty Ann Peltier-Solano, Leonard Peltier’s sister, stated publicly that:  “All proceeds benefit Leonard’s defense fund.” When in reality all his trial and appellate attorneys were paid for by the taxpayers. The vast majority of money raised and spent by Peltier and the LPDOC and LPDC was on anything but defense costs and attorney’s fees.

In other words, donations inure to the benefit of one individual, convicted murderer, Leonard Peltier.

Using “Wind Chases” in such a manner is akin to money laundering; they are collecting allegedly “tax-deductible” funds under a pretense, filtering it through another organization when that money is clearly for other, possibly illicit, purposes.

Notwithstanding his incarceration, Peltier and his organization continue to solicit funds for the benefit of one individual (Leonard Peltier) and his family. Whether Peltier or the LPDOC has claimed legitimate income and paid applicable taxes is for the IRS to determine. In addition, even if the income is lawful, Peltier’s assertion of benevolent and charitable activities do not withstand scrutiny. For a review of these activities, please see the online reference at http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#fraud.

Thank you for your time and attention in this very serious matter.

Sincerely,

Edw. Woods

Edward Woods

cc:

1- Barack Obama, President, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20500

1- Brown County District Attorney, 300 E Walnut St., Green Bay, WI 54301

1- State’s Attorney, Cass County Courthouse, 211 9^th St. S., Fargo, ND 58103

1- Warden, USP Coleman, PO Box 1027, Coleman, FL 33521-1027

1- Leonard Peltier, Inmate, USP Coleman 1, PO Box 1033, Coleman, FL 33521

1) Mo Money! 2) First Escape Plan, Part 3

Dear Supporters:

1) Mo Money:

In an announcement entitled “What do we do next?” dated 2/28/13 the LPDOC tried to shore up its flagging support and thinning support groups. To answer their question: Maybe…Punt? They say that one of their ongoing efforts has been with Amnesty International. Yes, the same U.N., UN-American group that provides support provided that they have neither used nor advocated violence. Go figure! The LPDOC ends with a startling comment, and for once perhaps an honest one (but no way of really knowing): “the New York concert was not successful financially.” So much for the great plans of mice and men AIMed (no pun intended) at fringe elements and convicted murderers. Truth is, nobody is admitting how much the concert really made, but it comes as no surprise that maybe it was a complete flop as they beg again for ‘mo money’ from unwitting supporters, and then embarrassingly advertise the price of Peltier T-shirts have been drastically reduced. What a bargain. Maybe they should just give them away. They would make handy dust rags.

2) Escape plan Part 3:

Since Mr. Peltier hasn’t responded to the first two straight-forward questions (see Blogs 2/5 and 2/19) regarding any first escape plan that didn’t involve phantom assassins and government plots, we’ll have to pursue this a little further to seek some answers, or at least get to the bottom of the issue.

After being arrested in Canada on February 6, 1976 Peltier was housed at the Lower Mainland Regional Correctional Centre, Burnaby, British Columbia, previously known and still then locally referred to as Oakalla Prison (although it closed in 1991 and was replaced by pretrial services and a correctional center, or ‘centre’ as our northern neighbors call it).

Peltier was in the “Observation Ward” along the certifiably criminally insane and some IRA terrorists (same category, different causes and titles), which kept him under constant security surveillance.

Peltier’s first priority to move forward with any alleged first escape plan was to get out of “observation” and into general population where the opportunities for escape would be considerably better.

* * *

But first a little more history:

Peltier and the others fled Pine Ridge after the murders of Agents Coler and Williams and was nearly captured, and slightly wounded, during his escape from Oregon State Troopers on November 14, 1975 while riding in Marlon Brando’s motor home.  Peltier was helped by a doctor who was sympathetic to the American Indian Movement (AIM) and participated during the pillaging and murders of WKII in 1973 (one has to wonder if he provided any assistance or had knowledge of the injuries and death of Perry Ray Robinson). Apparently—the killing of FBI agents be damned—the good doctor was an aider and abettor, after-the-fact to felony murder. Anyway, Peltier eventually made his way over the border into British Columbia and later over the mountains to Alberta to Smallboy’s camp way out in the bush near Hinton where the Mounties finally nabbed him. No secret about who gave him up…concerns about Anna Mae Aquash notwithstanding. Peltier said “the person who was responsible for our arrest was the old man Yellow Bird who we learned later was paid for his work by the R.C.M.P.” (Footnote #1) Peltier was on the run in Canada for approximately 2 ½  months and another five months prior to that.

Why is this relevant? Because Peltier said “I’d been in and out of Canada a half dozen times…I wasn’t running to Canada just to hide…I (spent) most of my time in the Untied States.” (Fn. 2)

This could very well be empty boasting but also significant timing.  AIM activist Anna Mae Aquash was killed in December 1975 because she was suspected by AIM hierarchy, in their raging paranoia, of being an informant—let alone that during the escape she heard Peltier’s admission and details of the agents’ deaths, including the key admission, “The m... f... begged for his life but I shot him anyway.” She was in jeopardy at the hands of those she had faithfully supported. She already had a warning as Peltier previously put a gun-in-her- mouth to make her confess and prove what a tough guy he was with Indian women. Although two are now serving life sentences for her murder, Peltier’s participation—or contribution to the orders to kill her—have yet to be unearthed;

Peltier’s shallow laments over her death do not sit well with Anna Mae’s family. (Fn. 3)

Yet, ironically, even the sleazy, ponytailed, wannabe, “I’ll take the 5^th” AIM lawyer, Bruce Ellison, (at least according to Matthiessen’s reporting), didn’t believe Anna Mae was an informant, but his actions then and later indicate otherwise. (Fn. 4)

* * *

Peltier’s scheme to work his way into general population was through winning support from Amnesty International...playing them like Nero’s fiddle, which points to one of the greatest ironies in the entire Peltier matter; had his name been John Smith and the killings took place in Indiana, no one would even know his name; or care.

Another, slightly  lesser, but significant irony was a November 1976 letter from the A.I. visitor to Oakalla lamenting poor Leonard Peltier’s treatment at the hands of the Canadian prison authorities that demanded, or at least proffered, “Once again I must urge you to transfer Mr. Peltier into the general inmate population.”

A third irony was at the bottom of this letter, on official stationary, a statement of Amnesty International’s mission, which said in part, “Amnesty International works, irrespective of political considerations, for the release of men and women who are in prison because of their beliefs, ethic origin, colour or language, provided that they have neither used nor advocated violence.”

Ooops. Yes, Peltier was, in fact a Native American (part French though), and was apparently successful in selling the A.I. visitor a bill of goods that he was being discriminated against because of his ethnicity and beliefs. Or, less likely, but just as evident , that Amnesty International speaks out of both sides of it’s mouth, or to put it colloquially, with forked tongues.

Maybe they just forgot or overlooked that Peltier was in jail suspected (at that point) of a brutal double murder.

So, Mr. Peltier, please answer these questions: Was your whining to Amnesty International to get into general population just a ploy to help facilitate an escape? And, was this step-one of the first escape attempt that was devoid of assassins but had some other, more obvious, motive?

“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”

Ed Woods

Postscript:

Unrelated to the one’s above, yet one more irony in the Peltier saga is that Peltier is serving time in Coleman, Florida with Melvin Guyon, the murderer of yet another FBI agent.

Footnotes

1) Matthiessen, In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, pp. 250, 403

2) Trimbach, American Indian Mafia, p.457; Footnote 8: Unpublished interview provided to News From Indian Country by the late Yakima journalist Richard LaCourse.

3) http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#right

4) ITSOCH, p.252