Fwd: 501(c)(3) proposed legislation (affecting churches). Our federal government at work.

[Jon Ford]

>From: "Don  Laird" <dlaird1@austin.rr.com>
>To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
>Subject: 501(c)(3) proposed legislation  (affecting churches).  Our federal 
>government at work.
>Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2001 00:44:16 -0600
>
>
> > ------- Forwarded message follows -------
> > Date sent:      Sun, 2 Dec 2001 02:09:05 -0600
> > To:             libertyics@egroups.com
> > From:           Skip W <jrwent@earthlink.net>
> > Subject:        PROP: More Seizures Authorized Under "Anti-Terrorism"
> > Legislation...
> >
> > >From: "John Dunham" <ddunham@sisqtel.net>
> > >From: JDC
> > >From: WILLIAM B ATWOOD [mailto:madd_professor@prodigy.net]
> > >Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2001 11:33 PM
> > >Subject: 501C now in jeapordy.
> > >
> > >  U.S. Government agencies will be able to seize assets of
> > >citizens, 501C3 and other organizations and their members without ever
> > >disclosing the evidence against their property. Government need only
> > >allege that disclosing such evidence may compromise National security
> > >and/or an ongoing investigation.
> > >
> > >Consider these items in the new Senate Terrorist Bill 1510: "MONEY
> > >LAUNDERING ABATEMENT AND ANTI-TERRORIST FINANCING ACT OF 2001"
> > >
> > >Political Activists and Demonstrators should Zero in on S.1510. The
> > >bill's provisions can be used to eradicate public dissent - - and you!
> > >Under Senate Bill 1510, now being considered in the Senate as an
> > >Anti-terrorism act:
> > >
> > >a.. An entire 501C3 organization or other organization, including its
> > >members, can have their assets seized for supporting bodily acts or
> > >international causes that the U.S. Secretary of State may deem 
>terrorist
> > >activity. Political activities that were legal prior to S.1510 may
> > >"RETROACTIVELY" be deemed terrorist activity by U.S. Government.
> > >Participants and supporters may be charged with terrorist and other
> > >offenses.
> > >
> > >If you want to read this bill for yourself, go to 
>http://Thomas.loc.gov,
> > >to the 107th Congress, and Senate Bill 1510.
> > >
> > >(2). S.1510 "RETROACTIVELY" abolishes the "Statue of Limitations" for
> > >many past offenses where no one was injured. After passage of S.1510,
> > >any past offense that can be broadly alleged to have put someone "at
> > >risk" may be used by federal and state prosecutors to charge a citizen
> > >with a terrorist act - even 30 years after the Statute of Limitations
> > >period had already passed. Government will have no difficulty
> > >manufacturing evidence to prosecute citizens once Constitutional
> > >safeguards against passing Retroactive Laws are abolished after passage
> > >of S.1510.
> > >
> > >(3) No "innocent owner defense" allowed against Asset Forfeiture when,
> > >after passage of S 1510, U.S. Government agencies will be able to seize
> > >assets of citizens, 501C3 and other organizations and their members
> > >without ever disclosing the evidence against their property.
> > >
> > >Government need only allege that disclosing such evidence may 
>compromise
> > >National security and/or an ongoing investigation. S 1510 provides for
> > >paying "unnamed informants huge rewards" resulting from arrests and
> > >forfeited assets. It is hard to believe any organization or citizen
> > >could ever recover their assets once they are seized by a government
> > >agency in the name of National Security. That may include a citizen's
> > >home in which an informant secretly alleges someone said the wrong
> > >thing.
> > >
> > >(4) "D Below" is from the Senate Bill 1510. So much for trusting
> > >attorneys!
> > >"(d) UNDERCOVER ACTIVITIES- Notwithstanding any provision of State law,
> > >including disciplinary rules, statutes, regulations, constitutional
> > >provisions, or case law, a Government attorney may, for the purpose of
> > >enforcing Federal law, provide legal advice, authorization, 
>concurrence,
> > >direction, or supervision on conducting undercover activities, and any
> > >attorney employed as an investigator or other law enforcement agent by
> > >the Department of Justice who is not authorized to represent the United
> > >States in criminal or civil law enforcement litigation or to supervise
> > >such proceedings may participate in such activities, even though such
> > >activities may require the use of deceit or misrepresentation, where
> > >such activities are consistent with Federal law.
> > >
> > >(e) ADMISSIBILITY OF EVIDENCE- No violation of any disciplinary,
> > >ethical, or professional conduct rule shall be construed to permit the
> > >exclusion of otherwise admissible evidence in any Federal criminal
> > >proceedings".
> > >
> > >This bill is similar to the one Adolf Hitler pushed through the
> > >Reichstag after the Reichstag fire in the early 1930's. German Jews,
> > >horrified by the chaos in Germany after the fire, supported Hitler's
> > >legislation - then found he could (and planned to) use it against them.
> > >
> > >This is worse legislation than the Sedition Laws of the 1790's, later
> > >declared unconstitutional and leading to the end of John Adams'
> > >presidency.
> > >
> > >Understand! Under the law as now written, you and anyone connected with
> > >any organization - 501(c)(3), church, Rotary, any organization - can be
> > >snagged under this legislation. Lifting the Statute of Limitations 
>means
> > >that you could have your home and other assets seized if you were a
> > >member of an organization that supported, for example, Leonard Peltier,
> > >or sent food or medicine to Cuba, or even protested against nukes in 
>the
> > >'60s - and the U.S.G. decided that that organization was then or is now
>in
> > >any way associated with someone or some organization that is somehow
> > >connected to a "terrorist organization."
> > >
> > >Of course, it will be said that that is highly unlikely to happen if 
>you
> > >keep your nose clean - and don't give financial or other support to any
> > >suspect organization.
> > >
> > >There are thousands of people in our prisons now, put there by the
> > >testimony of paid/"rewarded" informers. All it takes is for some such
> > >person to provide "testimony" that the ACLU or the Sierra Club or
> > >Pastors for Peace, or other organization is "supporting" terrorists. Or
> > >maybe some member of such an organization does provide support to a
> > >terrorist: all members are liable to imprisonment and seizure of their
> > >assets.
> > >
> > >Who, under a law like that, is going to give funding to any 501(c)(3)
> > >organization or any other actionist group - even for work with
> > >rehabilitating prisoners or drug addicts, or providing housing for the
> > >poor?
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > ------- End of forwarded message -------
>
>


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