NOWTRUTH!!! BECAUSE WE NEED TRUTH AND JUSTICE FROM THE COURTS MORE NOW THAN EVER, NOT HYPERPOLITICIZED, NUANCED LAW COMPLETE WITH THE REQUISITE NARRATIVE!! (LAW= Politically manufactured, orchestrated, strategic opinions, rulings, and orders for injustice to hide behind!)
RAMPANT Fraud and Deception complete with “Bait-and-Switch” and “Slight-of-Hand” Fraud Techniques with Signatures in Petition to Recall D. A. Pam Price
To: Ms. Pamela Price Tim Dupuis
District Attorney Alameda County Registrar of Voters
René C. Davidson Courthouse 1225 Fallon St., Room G-1
1225 Fallon Street, Room 900 Oakland, CA 94612
Oakland CA 94612 Fax: 510-272-6982
Fax: 510-383-8615, 510-271-5157
Ismail J. Ramsey-Director Rob Bonta
U. S. Attorney’s Office Attorney General of California
Federal Courthouse 1300 I Street, Suite 125
450 Golden Gate Avenue P.O. Box 944255
San Francisco, CA 94102 Sacramento, CA 94244-2550
Fax: 510-637-3724 Fax: 916-324-8835
Robert Tripp, FBI Director
Northern District of California
San Francisco Field Office
450 Golden Gate Avenue, 13th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102-9523
cc:, bcc:, Faxed and Emailed
FROM: Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation, Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim DATE: February 21, 2024 NO PAGES: 3 RE: RAMPANT Fraud and Deception complete with “Bait-and-Switch” and “Slight-of-Hand” Fraud Techniques with Signatures in Petition to Recall D. A. Pam Price
Dear District Attorney Pamela Price, Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis, U. S. Attorney General Director Ismail J. Ramsey, FBI Director Robert Tripp, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, et. al.,
I recently went to Trader Joe’s- Emeryville and observed a group of people (7) standing around a man sitting in a chair at a table perched at the entrance of the store near the shopping cart rack. There was a band of people (over 20) canvasing the parking lot carrying clipboards with papers on them.
At one point, a man came down to the store roll up door returning a shopping cart, then gave it to a customer at the cart rack.
He then approaches me and begins to ask me questions. He asked if I was interested in helping children get medical services? I responded “of course”. He then asked if I was a resident of Oakland. I responded “no”. He then asked if I lived in Alameda? I responded “you mean Alameda County?, yes”.
Bait-and-Switch
He then began to explain the cause he claimed was supporting the initiative for the funding of the medical care program for children and asked me if I would sign a petition for it to be funded. I said “yes” if the petition is to establish, continue or increase funds for medical services for children.
He then hands me a clipboard with a petition on the top page and points to the section he wanted me to complete. I glanced at the document and observed the name, address, signature lines, and completed them.
Slight-of-Hand
Upon completing them, with the deft and slight-of-hand technique, he then quickly flips the page and says “you have to sign here too”. I said “oh?”. I glanced at the document and observed the top paragraph had “Recall Pam Price” in it.
I stopped him and asked “what is this?”. He said that it was part of the petition for the kids care. I said “that can’t be true, it says Recall Pam Price on it!”. He fumbled for a response until I pointed out that what he did was “fraud and deception”, and asked “how many other people have you had sign this Recall petition under the same pretense?” He insincerely “apologized” for any misunderstanding he may have caused and was unaware that it was wrong. I explained that the signees of the petition are unwittingly signing Recall Pam Price Petition instead of one for medical services for children!
I asked him who he was and asked for his identification wherein he said he was from out of State and displayed a Maryland I.D. with his thumb covering the name and address.
Fraud and Deception
I asked for the contact information for the petitioners, but he claimed he did not know anyone being from out of State. He proceeded to say that he did NOT KNOW where the petition offices were, the address or phone number of it, his co-workers, his manager/supervisor, where he was living in California during this period of gathering signatures for the petitions, etc.
I asked to see the petitions to ascertain if there was any contact information on them and he admitted that there were THREE petitions he was gathering signatures for. I saw that ONLY ONE of the petitions actually had any listing or reference to any organization on it and it was a different petition for Loma Linda that was allegedly addressing child health care.
I asked him if he was aware of the politics behind the Recall petition and he said he wasn’t. He became agitated when I persisted in expounding on the fact of his process being fraudulent and deceptive with the signees of the petition unwittingly signing a Recall Pam Price Petition instead of or inanition to one for alleged medical services for children, and said “that’s your opinion”! I asked him if he explains the Price recall petition as he did with the alleged one for medical services for children and he said sure. I said “you did NOT do that with me, instead using a bait-and-switch tactic and technique to have me unwittingly signing a Recall Pam Price Petition instead!”. He said that he would have explained it to me but I caught it first and that he was doing that now! I reiterated that I HAD TO CATCH HIM FIRST and he still had NOT explained anything to me about the Recall petition. I reminded him that he said he didn’t know anything about the Recall nor the politics behind it!
I informed him that I am not in th dark regarding this Recall petition and the controversy surrounding it and he should be if he is ethically gathering signatures for same. He NEVER even attempted to explain anything regarding the recall petition!
No Information for the Petitioners
Continuing th discussion of his employment, he said that he just gets picked up in the morning, taken to an office and given stacks of petitions to be signed for that day, for which he is paid. BUT, he did NOT KNOW where he was living nor where the office was that he went to get the petition and get paid!
I retrieved the document I had signed and blotted out the name, address, and signature lines I had completed.
Informed District Attorney
I called the offices of District Attorney to inform them of the potential massive fraud and deception using this bait-and-switch tactic and slight-of-hand technique on the signees of the petition to unwittingly sign a Recall Pam Price Petition instead of one for medical services for children.
I checked with the Save Alameda For Everyone (SAFE) organization behind the Recall effort and they did not list the Trader Joe’s location as one of their official signature gathering locations.
Registrar Gather and Impound the Potential Fraudulent Petitions
I suggested that the District Attorney have someone investigate this matter, to gather, impound, examine the potential fraudulent petitions and interviewing/questioning to ascertain the INTENT of the signees of the petition to determine if they wittingly or unwittingly signed the recall petition, their address, and signatures to validate or invalidate them accordingly.
In the 45 minutes that I was parked there, you couldn’t help but notice the beehive of activity swarming the man sitting at the table at the entrance of the store, the cadre of people stopping shoppers around the door while a band of other people canvasing the parking lot carrying clipboards with petitions on them.
This fraud and deception could be MASSIVE and should be investigated IMMEDIATELY as the IMPACT upon the residents of Alameda County and the country would be IRREVERSIBLE and DAMAGE UNTOLD!
You can click on any highlighted word to view or download that item
VIP New Years 2324 Ball Drop, Emmy Awards; Grammy Awards; SAG Awards; Vanity Fair Oscar Party; Elton John Oscar Party; Coachella; CMA Awards; Milan Men’s Fashion Week
There are some GREAT options for the upcoming Primetime Awards Season with a special deals on Floor Seating and Parties that may never repeat itself. This is an ultra exclusive experience can include Red Carpet, Pre-Dinner Cocktails, an intimate Seated Dinner (you can watch Live Telecast while you party and mingle) and a great After Party with an incredible DJ. Join our SUPERSTARS Network and Send your Request to Subscribe to Superstars Network to: info@superstarmanagement.com
SUPER BOWL LVIII A-List Celebrity Placement
If you are or have “A List” Celebrities that would like to attend the SUPER BOWL LVIII, February 11, 2024 you may be able to attend as a select V.I.P. The “A Lister” could receive: air transportation or Private Jet service from major U. S. cities, hotel suites and accommodations, ground transportation, VIP tickets to the game, special V.I.P. guest invitations to the exclusive events. Contact us ASAP with Celebrity bio for consideration.
To ALL our SUPERSTAR Management Clients and Friends- as many of you already know, FOR MONTHS now we have not been accepting any requests for A-List Celebrity Placement for SUPER BOWL activities as the game is in Las Vegas and we have a literal plethora of talent available to chose from.
To ALL our SUPERSTAR Management Clients and Friends- as many of you already know, FOR MONTHS now we have not been accepting any requests for Celebrity Placement for SUPER BOWL activities as the game is in Las Vegas and we have a literal plethora of talent available to chose from.
Welcome to Super Bowl LVIII!
Super Bowl LVIII will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, February 11, 2024. Throughout Super Bowl Week, enjoy events such as Opening Night and Super Bowl Experience with immersive experiences for fans of all ages. Click above to get more information on each event by clicking below!
Super Bowl LVIII Game Day Information
Date: Sunday, February 11, 2024
Location: Allegiant Stadium, 3333 Al Davis Way, Las Vegas, NV 89118
Football’s biggest week kicks off on Monday, February 5th LIVE from Las Vegas with a sneak peek of the home of Super Bowl LVIII. Be there in-person at Allegiant Stadium and witness exclusive interviews from the stars in their only public appearance before the big game. Tickets are just $30 with no hidden fees.
Immerse yourself in the NFL’s football festival at Mandalay Bay South Convention Center from Wednesday, February 7 – Saturday, February 10, 2024. Enjoy interactive games, captivating NFL exhibits, exclusive autograph signings and more. Tickets start at $25 and kids 12 and under attend FREE.
Gameday will look a little different at Allegiant Stadium, learn more about security procedures and protocols for Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium.
NFL OnePass gives you access to all Super Bowl LVIII event information and is your go-to guide for Gameday! Please note that NFL OnePass is required to participate in any interactive games on site. Fans who download and register for the NFL OnePass app will also be entered for a chance to win a pair of tickets to Super Bowl LVIII. Visit:nfl.com/onepassto download today!
NFL Super Bowl LVIII February 11, 2024
Location: Allegiant Stadium – Las Vegas, NV. This February, thousands of football fans from all over the country will be watching the AFC and NFC Champions duke it out in football’s most coveted game. We have access to the Big Game and all the VIP Super Bowl Parties, along with accommodations, transportation, celebrity meet & greets and more! The 2024 Ultimate Super Bowl Experience includes: 2, 3, or 4 night hotel accommodations. Date: February 11th, 2024.
VIP Events (details further down the page) Dec. 31st: VIP NYE Ball Drop Experience (NYC) Jan. 14th, 2024: Critics Choice Awards (LA) Jan. 12th – 15th: Milan Men’s Fashion Week (Milan) Jan. 15th, 2024 : Primetime Emmy Awards (LA) Feb. 4th, 2024: Steven Tyler Grammy Awards Viewing & After Party (LA) Feb. 24th, 2024: 2024 SAG Awards & After Party (LA) March 10th, 2024: Vanity Fair Oscar After Party (LA) March 10th, 2024: Elton John Oscar Viewing Dinner & After Party (LA) April 12th – 14th, 2024: 2024 Coachella Music Festival (Indio, CA) November 13th, 2024: 2024 CMA Country Music Awards (Nashville)
VIP Experiences (details further down the page) – Lionel Messi Meet/Greet (Miami) – Interview with Major Media Personality (LA) – Tonight Show w/ Jimmy Fallon VIP Tickets (NYC) – Late Show w/ Stephen Colbert VIP Tickets (NYC) – Profile in Major West Coast Lifestyle Magazine – SNL Tickets (NYC) – Exclusive Club Memberships
VIP Event Details
VIP NYE Ball Drop Experience! Date: December 31st, 2023 Location: NYC Description: Your New Year’s Eve begins with an intimate and exquisite dining experience. High above Times Square, with panoramic views of the NYC skyline, this immersive, gastronomic masterpiece designed and served by an award-winning chef includes a full premium open bar, waiter passed hors d’oeuvres, 4-courses with a wine pairing and champagne. After dinner you’ll head down to a high-energy, elegant party enjoying the exhilarating energy of Times Square just a few floors down with breathtaking views from two outdoor terraces. Live performances, a DJ, open bar, food stations and more await you! Thirty minutes before midnight, your private security detail will escort you to an exclusive viewing area to watch and experience the Times Square Ball Drop Live and up close. Once the countdown has ended and the confetti shower is in full swing, your private security you’ll head straight back up to finish off the night with a glass of champagne and dancing.
Milan Men’s Fashion Week Dates: Friday, January 12th – Monday, January 15th Location: Milan, Italy Very time sensitive to arrange these official seated invitations: Friday, Jan. 12th, 8 PM: Dsquared2 (Show + After Party) Saturday, Jan. 13th, 3:00 PM: Jordanluca Saturday, Jan. 13th, 3:00 PM: Jordanluca Show + 10:00PM After Party: Saturday, Jan. 13th, 7:00 PM: Emporio Armani Saturday, Jan. 13th, 8:30 PM: Philipp Plein Saturday, Jan. 13th, 10:00 PM: Jordanluca After Party Only Sunday, Jan. 14th, 10:00 AM: Simon Cracker Monday, Jan. 15th, 10:00 AM: Dhruv Kapoor
2024 Critics Choice Awards Date: Sunday, January 14th, 2024 Location: Venue TBD in Los Angeles Description: Who cares what the critics think? Fans hate being told what they like, why they like it and anything about the standards of taste. Celebrities, on the other hand, need this type of feedback, especially when it’s positive. When critics have something good to say, the celebrities can’t stop talking. When their latest performance is ridiculed, it’s enough to put any A-lister in hiding. The influence critics have on celebrities and their success or failure is amazing, and this power is always evident at the annual Critics Choice Movie Awards, which have been a Hollywood tradition for the past 20 years.
Join the A-Listers and Hollywood Elite at this intimate (generally under 2,000 attendees) and ultra-exclusive award show with Table/Dinner Style Seating.
2024 Primetime Emmy Awards
Daytime Emmy Awards January 15, 2024 Daytime Emmy Awards Travel Package – Susan Lucci The Daytime Emmy Award is an American accolade bestowed by the New York based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming. Due to the relatively small talent pool in daytime television, it has become common for the same people to be nominated repeatedly. The most infamous of these is All My Children star Susan Lucci.
Date: Monday, January 15th, 2024 Location: Peacock Theatre (formerly Microsoft Theatre), Los Angeles Description: The Emmy Awards are the premiere and most prestigious Award Show for honoring Television. Tons of stars in attendance. The Governors Ball After Party will have food/drinks and many stars in attendance. The Emmy Winners basically need to attend this party to have their trophies engraved there. Floor/Orchestra Seats with Governors Ball After Party Loge Seating, Front Mezzanine Seating (First 3 Rows), Rear Mezzanine Seating
2024 Steven Tyler Grammy Awards Viewing & After Party Date: Sunday, Feb. 4th, 2024 Venue: TBD in Hollywood Description: Steven Tyler’s star-studded Grammy event is back! It will be hosted by Zoey Deschanel (with assistance from Steven Tyler) and will feature a performance from The Black Crowes. 2024 Event Chairs include: Alice Cooper, Andrea Bocelli, Bill Mahr, Billy Duffy, Bo Derek, Caitlyn Jenner, John Corbett, John Paul and Eloise DeJoria, John Stamos, Kayte and Kelsey Grammer, Lionel Richie, Melissa Joan Hart, Mick Fleetwood, Miley Cyrus, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Tia Carrere, and Whoopi Goldberg. Includes Red Carpet, Pre-Dinner Cocktails, Seated Dinner (you can watch the Live Grammy Telecast while you party and mingle) & After Party w/ DJ.
2024 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards & After Party Date: Saturday, February 24th, 2024 Location: Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles Description: A-List Awards Show. Tons of stars attend! Honors both Television and Film, so stars from both will be there. Intimate Table & Dinner Seating. Ultra Exclusive. Attend the exclusive awards show with table/dinner seating and attend the star-filled People Magazine Official SAG Awards After Party! You will also likely be able to walk the guest side of the Red Carpet.
Oscar Parties!
Just because you weren’t invited to the 88th annual Academy Awards® show doesn’t mean you can’t go to the prestigious after-parties or glamorous viewing blowouts. All it takes is a ticket, and VIP Concierge has them in spades. After all, it is the most highly anticipated awards show in the universe, and the parties are world class. You can see and be seen with the most exalted and prominent actors of our time, but only if you buy Elton John Oscar Party Tickets for yourself. Oscar® Sunday is approaching in 2024, so if those doomsday Mayan calendar rumors don’t come true, it’ll be a night to remember.
2024 Vanity Fair Oscar After Party Date: Sunday, March 10th, 2024 Location: Custom-designed space which connects the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts with Beverly Hills City Hall. Description:One of the most exclusive celebrity parties in the world… See photos here:https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/photos/2017/02/vanity-fair-oscar-party-inside
2024 Elton John Academy Awards Viewing & After Party Date: Sunday, March 10th, 2024 Location:Custom Built Venue in West Hollywood Park, Los Angeles Description: Red Carpet,Celebrity-filled Oscar Viewing Dinner and After Party hosted by Elton John and a long list of A-List Event Co-Chairs Cocktails, Red Carpet, Viewing Dinner & After Party! After Party Only (includes red carpet)
Coachella Ultimate Access!
2024 Coachella Music Festival Dates: Weekend 1: April 12th-14th, 2024, Weekend 2: April 19th -21st, 2024 Location: Indio, CA Description: If it’s rocking, wild and out of control, it must be the indie-pop-rock extravaganza known as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. In April, crazed music fans take over Indio, California, for the most exciting party and music festival in the Inland Empire or anywhere else. Now, music fans can experience the VIP side of the Empire Polo Club with all-access 2024 Coachella tickets. VIP Concierge is your connection to the coveted passes that will get you backstage at Southern California’s Coachella Music Festival Concert Tickets.
One of the hottest and trendiest music festivals in the world. Neon Carnival Party (SATURDAY, April 13th, 2024, 10pm to 3am, 21 and over) One of the most buzz worthy parties of Coachella is undoubtedly this event, which is taking place on. It’s typically held on the Tradition Aviation airplane hangar near the festival grounds and will include rides, carnival games, cocktails and top DJ’s.
2024 CMA Country Music Awards Academy of Country Music Awards Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN United States Academy of Country Music Awards Travel Package Date: November 13, 2024 (estimated date; exact date TBD)
Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN The Academy of Country Music Awards, also known as the ACM Awards was the first official country music awards show in 1966 (after three informal awards banquets held at the Christensens Red Barrel Niteclub) honoring the industry’s accomplishments during the previous year. It was the first country music awards program held by a major organization, propelling country music into the public spotlight for the first time. Country’s Biggest Night! All the Stars come out for the “Oscars of Country Music!
VIP Experience Details
Lionel Messi Meet/Greet Description: Once in a lifetime type experience! 5-10 minute private meeting with Lionel Messi. It is a private meeting. During this time, you can take photos, videos and also have a jersey signed. Location: Miami
Interview with Major Media Personality Location: Los Angeles Description: Create some great content for your social media or website to help take your business or individual profile to the next level! This interview would be up to 10 minutes long in a professional studio by a very well-known major media interviewer. It will be filmed (you will get photos also), and you can bring topics or questions to discuss.
Los Angeles Lakers Courtside Seats Location: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles Description: We have access to non-public tickets from celebrities and others that you will never see listed anywhere else. Enjoy watching the Los Angeles Lakers closeup from the best and most prestigious seats you can get! Also comes with Chairman’s Club Passes that allow access to the Chairman’s Club, which is a very exclusive private lounge where there is food and open bar throughout the game and also a car pass which allows you to get dropped off near the VIP Entrance.
Also Available: Miami Heat Courtside Tickets, New Jersey Nets Courtside Tickets Other courtside tickets for other teams available by request.
Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon VIP Tickets Location: 30 Rockefeller Center, New York, NY, arrival time usually 3-3:15PM – VIP Tickets include early admission through VIP Check-In, Guaranteed Tickets, Access to Peacock Lounge, and Preferential Seating – Monday – Thursday and many Fridays – Must be 16+ yrs old (with guardian), 18+ to go by yourself
Late Show w/ Stephen Colbert VIP Tickets Location: Ed Sullivan Theater, New York, NY, arrival time usually 4-4:30PM – VIP Tickets include early admission through VIP Check-In, Guaranteed Tickets & Preferred Seating – Monday – Thursday – Must be 16+ yrs old (with guardian), 18+ to go by yourself
Full Page Profile in a Major Magazine! – Be Featured in a Major West Coast Lifestyle Magazine! – A powerful portrait, glamorous photo or narrative shoot captured by a recognized photographer will immediately entice your viewer. – The power of a high-end photo and one page feature in a publication that is highly circulated and a staple at five-star hotels can help take your image or that of your business/social media profile to the next level! – Please note that hair/makeup not included but can be arranged with top artists and you or your business should have some plausible connection to LA or the West Coast.
Saturday Night Live (SNL) Tickets Location: 30 Rockefeller Center, New York, NY – Must be 16+ – Generally need advanced notice to schedule Rehearsal, Live Show
Rio Carnival February 2024 Unnamed Venue, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Travel to Rio de Janeiro for the ultimate party filled with music, dancing, and fun! Experience the luxury of Carnival as you attend the Magic Ball at Copacabana Palace, and even dance in the Samba Parade with this exclusive travel package. Rio Carnival is the world’s biggest celebration! The festival is held before Lent every year, and it is considered the biggest carnival in the world!
New York Fashion Week February 2024 Unnamed Venue, New York City, NY United States Location: New York City, NY New York Fashion Week is a major fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers or houses to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, it informs the industry as to what’s in and what’s out for the season. The most prominent fashion weeks are held in the fashion capitals of Milan, London, New York.
NBA All Star Game February 2024 The NBA All-Star Game is an exhibition game hosted annually by the National Basketball Association (NBA), matching the league’s star players from the Eastern Conference against their counterparts from the Western Conference. Each conference consists of 15 teams each, making it 30 in total. It is the featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend. NBA All-Star Weekend is a three-day event which goes from Friday to Sunday.
Daytona 500 February 2024 Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, FL United States Location: Daytona International Speedway Daytona, FL The NASCAR Daytona 500 is the biggest and most prestigious race known around the world. This heart pounding, edge of your seat, gut wrenching event is like no other; surpassing the Indianapolis 500. Experience the “Super Bowl of NASCAR”, as the nations top race car drivers compete for a chance of hoisting the Harley J. Earl Cup in the Daytona Victory Lane.
Brit Awards February 2024 The O2 Arena, London, ENGLAND United Kingdom Location: The O2 – London, England The Brit Awards (sometimes stylized as the BRIT Awards; often simply called the Brits) are the British Phonographic Industry’s annual pop music awards, and the British equivalent of the American Grammy Awards. Beginning in 1977 and The Brit Awards have grown to become one the biggest and most glamorous annual pop music awards events.
Oscar Viewing Parties February 2024 Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles, CA United States Location: Dolby Theatre – Los Angeles, CA The Academy Awards or The Oscars is an annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette, officially the Academy Award of Merit, which is better known by its nickname Oscar. The Oscar depicts a knight, holding a crusader’s sword, standing on a reel of film.
MARCH 2024
Kid’s Choice Awards March 2024 Venue TBD, Los Angeles, CA United States Location: Los Angeles, CA The Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, also known as the KCAs or Kids Choice Awards, is an annual awards show that airs on the Nickelodeon cable channel that honors the year’s biggest television, movie, and music acts, as voted by Nickelodeon viewers. Winners receive a hollow orange blimp figurine. The show features numerous celebrity guests and musical acts. It has also been known to overwhelmingly cover people with the network’s trademark green slime.
NCAA Mens Final Four April 6, 8, 2024 State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, United States The NCAA Final Four is an American tradition that started in 1939. From Selection Sunday to the Sweet Sixteen, to March Madness and the Elite Eight each process leads to the road of the final four. The final four focuses on the last four teams remaining in the playoffs commonly known as the knock-out tournaments (also known as the semi-finals). The men’s tournament begins with 65 teams.
Las Fallas de Valencia March 2024 Unnamed Venue, Valencia, Spain Location: Valencia, Spain What started as a feast day for St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters, has evolved into a 5-day, multifaceted celebration involving fire. Valencia, a quiet city with a population of just over 1 million, swells to an estimated three million flame-loving revelers during Las Fallas celebrations. Las Fallas literally means “the fires” in Valencian. The focus of the fiesta is the creation of 380 Fallas.
APRIL 2024
Masters April 2024 Augusta National, Augusta, GA United States Location: Augusta, GA Known for being rich in tradition, The Masters at Augusta National is known as one of the top Bucket List golf events to attend. Rich in Southern Hospitality, Augusta Georgia opens their arms to the only major golf championship that is held each year in the same location. Each year the top golf players pine for the privilege of being awarded the coveted Green Jacket.
MTV Movie Awards April 2024 Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, CA United States Location: Microsoft Theatre (Nokia Theater) – Los Angeles, CA The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general public, and presented with a golden popcorn statue.
Tribeca Film Festival April 2024 Unnamed Venue, New York City, NY United StatesLocation: New York City, NY The Tribeca Film Festival was founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff. The mission of the festival is “to enable the international film community and the general public to experience the power of film by redefining the film festival experience.” The Tribeca Film Festival was founded to celebrate New York City as a major filmmaking center and to contribute to the long-term recovery of lower Manhattan.
MAY 2024 The Old Course Experience May 2024 Old Course, St. Andrews, SCOTTLAND United Kingdom Date: Alternative Dates AvailableLocation: Old Course – St. Andrews, Scottland The Old Course at St Andrews is considered by many to be the “home of golf” because the sport was first played on the Links at St Andrews in the early 1400s. The Old Course was pivotal to the development of how the game is still played today. One of the unique features of the Old Course are the large double greens.
Kentucky Derby May 2024 Location: Louisville, KY Louisville’s adopted slogan, “We’ve Got It”, says it all. Because of Louisville’s rich history and exciting future, it is easily one of America’s best cities. The Kentucky Derby is famously known as the Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports, complete with fashionably large hats, southern hospitality, derby pie, and the mint julip. The first leg of the Triple-Crown, this stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses commences every year on the first Saturday in May.
Cannes Film Festival May 2024 Location: Cannes, South of France The Cannes Film Festival has become an international creativity landscape in today’s world of cinematography. The festival provides a sort of rendezvous for those interested in the art and influence of the movies. The Cannes Film Festival has become an international creativity landscape in today’s world of cinematography. The festival provides a sort of rendezvous for those interested in the art and influence of the movies.
Billboard Music Awards May 2024 Venue TBD, Las Vegas, The Billboard Music Awards honors some of the hottest names in music today. Awards were given for the top album/artist/single in different genres. Billboard Music Awards finalists are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital songs sales, radio airplay, streaming, touring and social interactions on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify and other popular online destinations for music.
Movie Premieres Movie Premiere Tickets If seeing a much anticipated movie on opening day isn’t enough, see the movie premiere with the entire cast and crew will be exactly what you need! Walk the red carpet and attend star studded after parties. We can customize an experiences to fit your needs. Contact us and speak to an Experience specialist for availability of upcoming movies!
Preakness Stakes May 2024 Pimlico Track, Baltimore, MD United States Location: Pimlico Track – Baltimore, MD The Preakness Stakes is an American flat thoroughbred horse race held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 1 9/16 miles on dirt. It is the second leg of the Triple Crown, held two weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks before the Belmont Stakes.
French Open May 2024 Location: Paris, France The French Open Tennis Tournament, officially known as Tournoi de Roland-Garros (English translation: Roland Garros Tournament) is held over two weeks, between mid-May and early June. The French Open Tennis Tournament is also the second tennis tournament of the four Grand Slams (US Open, Australian Open, and Wimbledon), and is the leading clay court tennis tournament in the world.
We have a HipHop Ad Agency specializing in advertising, strategic planning, promotions and marketing targeting the hard to reach, but extremely lucrative, X-Y and Baby Boomer generations urban and suburban markets using Hip Hop culture, it’s sound, it’s fashion, it’s speak, it’s bravado, it’s image, it’s way, as the vehicle. We have registered the services of Hip Hop, Rap and RB’s elite artists, producers, directors, writers, choreographers, dancers, graff artist, B-boys, photographers, actors, models, and professional athletes to participate in this ¿eX-whY? AdVentures. We are producing commercial ads from concept, to creation, to production, to placement in media, – the entire process-, while owning our product!!! We custom design, write, direct, produce, perform and provide all talent for the motion picture or television project, stage play, entertainment event, commercial ads, film trailers, soundtracks, the jingle, voice overs, and all promotions associated with the product. We are developing jobs for actors, producers, directors, casting directors, and writers in the entertainment, commercial advertisement, stage, film and television fields. To that end, our management agency would like you to provide us with a list of your castings calls that might fit this description for consideration in placement for jobs that you have. We would be interested putting you in any roles for anyone of our 10,000 Professional Athletes, Entertainers, Celebrity, Musicians, Influencers, and Actors direct email recipients; our over 270,000 list members; and our over 21 million total readers of the publications we submit to. As you can tell from our roster of talent, our Casting Division has a unique advantage in all forms of casting. With the growing popularity of ‘film and music video-style’ products, we have found that directors and producers value our ability to call in seasoned, serious talent from the film and television industries to add depth and quality to performances in stage, film, television and commercials. More than three decades of feature film, television and commercial casting experience has provided us with strong relationships with agents, managers and talent which helps us to find the necessary talent to create innovative, creative and one-of-a-kind artistic product. We can send your Deck, Photos, Bios, videos, Comp Cards, CV with samples of work and salary requirements, where necessary. We are members of the Casting Society of America (C.S.A.), Independent Film Producers (I.F.P.), Screen Actors Guild (S.A.G.), and Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) to list a few.
SUPERSTARS ENTERTAINMENT and SPORTS NETWORK has over 1.7 million subscriber/members with a reach of over 21 million readers! The Network offers FREE advice and help with your sports or entertainment career, FREE Casting calls for TV shows, films, and stage, Invites to Red Carpet and Celebrity A-List Events, FREE notices of Sports and Entertainment jobs, FREE tickets to concerts, films, sporting events, symphony, amusement, and entertainment events, To be part of a Professional Network that provides what YOU need to advance YOUR career. Receive FREE Information and Opportunities for Entertainers and Professional Athlete Representation, Entertainment and Sports Marketing and Business Management in all areas of sports, music and entertainment matters for professional athletes in Entertainment, Motion Picture, Television, Stage, Radio, and Record contracts, Casting opportunities, product endorsements, commercial ads, corporate sponsorships, personal appearances, acting, event production, job placement, branding, funding support, training, event planning and promotion, film and TV production, recording, publishing, concert promotion, talent management, and merchandising. Selling of sports, television, radio, motion picture, and advertising products as well as multimedia, music recording and literary publishing. Send your Request to Subscribe to Superstars Network to: info@superstarmanagement.com. To learn more go to the “SUPERSTARS ENTERTAINMENT and SPORTS NETWORK” page on Superstarmanagement.com. We have had OVER 2 MILLION DOWNLOADS and are offering FREE LISTENING OR DOWNLOADS of our iTunes and podcast of Entertainment Law, “The Art of Reppin Pro Athletes & Entertainers”and “Hip Hop & Spread of Islam” at:
REPRESENTING THE PRODUCER, REPRESENTING THE DIRECTOR, REPRESENTING THE SUPERSTAR, GETTING MONEY FOR YOUR MOVIE , LICENSING MOTION PICTURES, DIGITAL MOVIEMAKING, THE BUSINESS OF ENTERTAINMENT, THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS, SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING, HIP HOP AND THE SPREAD OF ISLAM, ISLAM AND MUSIC. *Get FREE working CONTRACTS for Music, Sports, Film, Advertising, Entertainment, Literary, etc!!!
We Provide and Share opportunities in the Sports and Entertainment Worlds We encourage and insist that you get yourself together and join SuperStars Network for all your needs and feel confident once again that your business is in the best hands, Yours! Call me collect. This is the wisest decision you could ever make. * Entertainers and Professional Athlete Representation, Entertainment and Sports Marketing and Business Management, and advise in all areas of sports, music and entertainment matters for professional athletes in Entertainment, Motion Picture, Television, Stage, Radio, and Record contracts as entertainers, artists, labels, producers, songwriter, publishers, distributors, retailers, merchandisers; commercial advertising, corporate sponsorships, product endorsements, marketing and promotions; also including establishing and management of your sports entity; * Drafting, reviewing and negotiating of contracts for professional athletes; entertainers, artists, recording; producing; motion picture, television, radio and video; performing and touring; booking; publishing; royalties, copyrights and trademarks; distribution; merchandising; interactive multimedia and the internet; synchronization licenses; mechanical licenses; and publishing clearances; * Casting opportunities,product endorsements, commercial ads, corporate sponsorships, personal appearances, acting, event production, job placement, branding, funding support, training, event planning and promotion, film and TV production, recording, publishing, concert promotion, talent management, and merchandising. Selling of sports, television, radio, motion picture, and advertising products as well as multimedia, music recording and literary publishing; * Contract negotiations, arbitration, salary grievances, booking, production, management, recording, publishing, distribution, merchandising, licensing, to representation in copyright matters, royalty disputes, and an array of sports and entertainment issues and problems, with an emphasis on the sports and music industry; * Provide special services to Rookies, Free Agents, Wavered players, and established Veterans by actively promoting and marketing your interest to the teams, securing try outs and contracts, while giving supplemental reports to selected teams to aid in your quest to get the big dollar contract. For every player, we secure alternate contracts with foreign teams in Canada, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Mexico, Africa, the Islands, as well as other American teams here. We secure contracts for try outs, tours, tournaments and leagues, in addition to employment referrals and aid in furthering your education. For those that do not make it in the United States the first time, we reorient you back into the U.S. pro sports industry with updated film, scouting reports, and information we release to all the pro teams on your progress, statistics, performances, and availability while acquiring new opportunities for you. There is absolutely no other agency or attorney that can do this for you. Just ask them. But…. * Record Demo Shopping; and Label Deals, independent record label, production deals, publishing company and/or distribution company deals. * Programs that offer several Plans specially designed to fit your needs by providing you with expert advisers to ascertain your clients complete financial security. We provide the best professional advisers to negotiate you or your clients contract and advise you as to the length, the amount of money, the bonuses, incentives, and options in the contract. We have attorneys to procure all your legal needs, certified public accountants for your tax planning, financiers for your investment portfolio, insurance, and estate planning. Additionally we provide personal artist managers to enhance your commercial advertisement, product endorsement, and motion picture appeal.
We encourage and insist that you get yourself together and join SuperStars Network for all your needs and feel confident once again that your business is in the best hands, Yours!
Call us NOW. This is the wisest decision you could ever make.
You can see more at: https://Superstarmanagement.com/abdul-jalils-profile/ Yeah, I was on/in ALL the national/international 1970-80-90 and 2000’s news, sports, and societal media television, radio, cable shows and print media publications. As President and CEO of Superstar Management since 1971, the first African-American in this field, I have a tremendous wealth of experience in all aspects of business and personal management, contract drafting and negotiations, and performed all arbitration of salary grievances and contract disputes for all professional sports and entertainment clients with unprecedented legal and historical results.
I negotiate and drafts all agreements for all publishing, merchandising and licensing; commercial advertisements and product endorsements; corporate sponsorships and affiliations; motion picture, television, radio and personal appearances. I was the first “SUPER AGENT”, CREATED the Profession of Sports/Music/Entertainment Branding, Marketing and Promoting, the first BLACK in the field and has taught and lectured Entertainment Law for over 45 years. Many of the agents and lawyers in the business where instructed, consulted, influenced or inspired by my work!
I have a Genius IQ and negotiated a series of contracts that included many unprecedented benefits to the individual clients, several of which was the innovative use of interest-free loans that could be forgiven, Upon review by the Internal Revenue Service, the contracts and tax returns where thrown out, challenged by the IRS, the IRS filed suit. After an 8 year legal battle, he prevailed in Federal Tax Court, established that Interest free Loans where in fact legal. This unprecedented legal ruling was established as a standard in the Tax Laws and written ALL MAJOR National Law Journals. Still today I am the eminent WORLD RENOWNED AUTHORITY AS EXPERT for the Historic, Unprecedented, Landmark Case I negotiated, I am UNDEFEATED in my Labor Management, Contract Disputes, Salary Grievances, and Federal Arbitration cases impacting MAJOR changes in Labor Law, Collective Bargaining Labor Agreements, Civil Rights, Salary Grievances, Federal Arbitration, Compensation, Interest Free Loans, Rates of Compensation, Legal Impact that CHANGED Compensation in the WORLD. In 6 months I took the LOWEST paid player in Major League Baseball in 1978 at $20,000- Lyman Bostock, to signing the RICHEST contract in Professional Team Sports and Baseball History on his 27th birthday with a five-year contract with the California Angels for a $3.5 million plus, unprecedented deal was a FULLY GUARANTEED and INSURED by Lloyds of London, including a $500,000 signing bonus, a $500,000 Interest free loan, a $200,000 Interest free business contract loan. The signing of Bostock culminated an incredible financial turnabout as Bostock worked last summer for $20,000. The contract was PAID in full, after he was murdered on the last day of his first year of the contract with four years left to perform. 1977- The Major Leagues of Professional Baseball Clubs (Atlanta Braves) vs. The Major League Baseball Players Association (Alvin Jr. Moore) One of the earliest Professional Sports contract controversies involved Major League Baseball Player Free Agency that arose as the result of an unprecedented, landmark contract I negotiated between Alvin “Junior” Moore and the Atlanta Braves in which a Special Covenant gave Moore the right to demand a trade which could not be consummated without his prior consent if he was dissatisfied with his playing time. In the event that a trade could not be consummated by the end of the 1977 championship season, Moore would become a free agent if he so desired. See “The Major Leagues of Professional Baseball Clubs (Atlanta Braves) vs. The Major League Baseball Players Association (Alvin Jr. Moore)”. Alvin “Junior” Moore was only a rookie, yet here are the terms of the contract his agent Abdul-Jalil put together for him: 1) The Braves were to pay Moore $75,000 that season. That was only his salary. 2) They also were to pay him a $50,000 bonus and 3) provide him with an additional $50,000 interest-free loan. That’s was historic for a rookie, but wait, there’s more coming. The imaginative, foresighted agent Abdul-Jalil saw to it that four other unique clauses were written into the Atlanta Braves contract of Moore. “If Moore is dissatisfied with his playing time, he can submit a letter to the Braves notifying them of same, who then must initiate a trade to the team of Moore’s choice, which can only be consummated with his consent. If there is no trade by the end of the season, the contract is voided and he becomes a free agent.” 1) The first unique clause gave Moore the option of demanding a trade to another team of his choice upon his notice to the team of his dissatisfaction with his playing time; becoming a free agent simply by notifying the Braves of his intention, which works out to be the same as anytime he choses. Under the present Basic Agreement between the players and the owners, a player becomes a free agent ONLY after six-year service requirement with a team has been fulfilled AND only after the second year he plays for a team without signing a contract the previous year. 2) The second unique clause allowed Moore to veto any trade the Braves might involve him in if he did not approve of the team in the proposed trade; 3) The third unique clause gave him the option of choosing the team he wished to be traded to; 4) The forth unique clause gave Moore the option of becoming a free agent if a trade to a team of his choice in not consummated. Under the then present Basic Agreement between the players and the owners, a player becomes a free agent the second year only after he plays for a team without signing a contract the previous year. What club owner in the world would ever sign a rookie to a contract like that? The contract was signed by Ted Turner, the Braves’ owner, March 14, 1977. When National League President Chub Feeney first saw Moore’s contract and its special freedom clause, he rejected it disapproving this Special Covenant and on April 28, Feeney, wrote a letter to Bill Lucas, the Braves’ Director of Player Personnel. The letter said:
“Specific covenants contained in Alvin Moore’s contract are disapproved because it (the contract) contains provisions inconsistent with the reserve system article of the new Basic Agreement. Please be sure the player receives a copy of this letter.”
The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) filed a Federal grievance on the ground that actual or potential additional benefits were provided for the player within the meaning of the collective agreement. The clubs maintained that the free agency provisions in the 1976 agreement were exclusive, providing the only basis upon which free agency rights could be exercised. But the union argued that there were still other avenues to free agency, such as an unconditional release by a club because the player was not sufficiently qualified. The legendary arbitrator Peter Seitz held, in this case, that “the six-year service requirement through which a player could exercise free agency was for the individual club’s benefit in the sense that it would want to retain the player for a particular period of time.” Thus, the benefit of “long-term title and reservation rights” could be waived by the club. On the other hand, the reentry mechanism through which other clubs would have an opportunity to negotiate with a player who becomes a free agent was a matter covered by all the collective bargaining agreement, so an attempt by club and player to evade such procedures would be “inconsistent” and thus prohibited. Said the Arbitrator: “There is clear merit in the Association’s argument that the words “additional benefits to the Player” should be liberally construed to support a wide variety of benefits to a Player over and above the benefits accorded to him by the Basic Agreement. Though covenants containing such benefits may be “inconsistent” with a particular provision of the Agreement dealing with the same subject matter, there is logic in the Association’s argument that they are not, in fact, “inconsistent” because Article II authorizes such inconsistencies where they provide additional benefits to the Player?”. Marvin Miller, the MLBPA Executive Director said “Junior Moore’s contract has done more for baseball as anything in the basic agreement just signed by the Players Association and the owners”. Moore went on to sign a very lucrative, multi year contract with the Chicago White Sox. In a Historical, Unprecedented 1979 case in Sports and Professional Basketball, along with NBA player Brian Taylor, Jalil negotiated an addendum to his contract with the Denver Nuggets for a $250,000 interest free loan, making the contract “tax free”. Taylor also had a clause that stipulated be could become a free agent if the Nuggets breeched his contract in any manner. The Nuggets made the first payment of $50,000 due him on time, they were 19 days late on the second payment before making a partial payment, the third payment which was over 13 days late, so in mid-season the team had sufficiently breached the contract on the final part of the $250,000 interest free loan. The late payments triggered the clause in the addendum that allowed Taylor to opt out of the contract in the middle of the season, and becomes a free agent immediately. It is unique in that it contains a clause providing that should Taylor sign with another NBA team, Denver may not receive compensation in the form of players or draft choices, the compensation must be in the form of cash, half of which goes to Taylor and half to the Nuggets. This clause was unprecedented in major league sports player contracts. NBA Commissioner Larry O’Brien demanded a Collective Bargaining Federal Arbitration hearing on the case because the contract clause was so unique. Taylor’s unprecedented case was necessary, as the addendum to the contract was the result of Taylor’s dispute of the contract that was originally negotiated by the NBA Players Union Director Larry Fleisher. The inherent problems that this situation provided for the National Basketball Association, the Kansas City Kings, Denver Nuggets, and most importantly the Director of the NBA Players Union and the Union itself, were incredible! FILLED WITH CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF FRAUD, COLLUSION, and MISREPRESENTATION! The case was so bad that Larry Fleisher, the Director of the NBA Players Union and the Union itself, could NOT represent Taylor in the Federal Arbitration hearing. The Nuggets and the NBA declined to have tapes of the Taylor arbitration/negotiating sessions, heard by renowned federal arbitrator Peter Seitz, who agreed Taylor was free, but that the Nuggets were due compensation. In prevailing in this matter, Taylor received his FULL PAY, the interest free loan, was declared free of his contract (“a Free Agent”), allowed to negotiate a new contract with the team of his choice, Cite Arbitration Decision in the matter of “The National Basketball Association (Denver Nuggets) vs. The National Basketball Players Association (Brian Taylor)”, Jan. 25 1978. After 13 months of being lusted after by as many as 15 NBA teams, after megabuck negotiations with everyone from 76er owner R. Fitz Dixon to the Lakers Jack Kent Cooke, Brian Taylor returned with the San Diego Clippers. In the late 1970’s I was also the subject of a very public sports-wide “Black-Balling” scheme instituted by the owners and general managers of various NBA, MLB, and NFL teams that targeted my client/players being offered salaries at maximum reduced rates or none at all, AND an increased salary if they terminated our representation agreement! Many players and team management openly acknowledged the scheme under the guise that it was “BEST” for sports as I was a black militant and ruining the the leagues with outrageous contracts! Many of those colluders in management of the various teams at that time are still working in prominent positions in sports today- Jerry Colangelo, Stan Kasten, Jerry Kraus, and others! This was the beginning stages of what emerged as the “MLB Collusion case” in the early 1980’s that ended with MLB being sued and losing to the players in Federal Arbitration! The players were compensated as a result of the owners collusion but the effect it had on my clients and myself was immeasurable! Prior to my negotiating several unprecedented, historical contracts in the 1970’s, the player contracts themselves were NEVER revealed nor shared with ANYONE outside the parties to the contract- just the player and the team. With the success of my clients/players contracts, the various Players Associations decide to distribute my contracts to ALL the players and their agents! This was designed to “level the negotiation field” and neutralize my impact on the industry taking away my leveraged advantage in genius, business acumen, skill and foresightful creativity! Without ever attending Law School, I have made “Law Review” setting New Law in 4 different LEGAL areas, and published in over 7 Universities Law Reviews, Scholarly Commons, and multiple Course Outlines, Student Journals in the specialty area of Contracts, Finance, Interest, Loans, Reserve/Free Agency System and Restraint of Trade, Sherman Anti-trust Act (15 USC § 1,2), NLRA, Labor Exemption from Antitrust Law, Collective Bargaining, Labor law, Antitrust, Federal Arbitration, Civil Rights, and Insurance; Sports/Music/Entertainment Talk Show Founder, Producer and Host, CSA; Expert and Guest Political/Legal/Business/Sports/Music/Entertainment Analyst and Commentator; Business/Sports/Music/Entertainment Law Lecturer/Presenter; Sports Color Commentator; His “The Stars” show was the FIRST Cable Business/Sports/Music/Entertainment Talk Show in 1973; Sports, Music, Entertainment and Variety Film, TV, Concert and Special Events Content Creator/Producer/Developer/Runner/Promoter; Islamic Dawah Lecturer/Presenter; His Computer Intelligence Company First and Only Minority Certified IBM, Apple, Compact, Microsoft Computer Value Added Dealer (1982); Computer Technology Lecturer/Presenter. My Contracts are taught in ALL MAJOR University Juris Doctorate in Law and Maters in Business Administration Curriculums Courses in Federal Income Taxation, Contracts, Salary Grievances/Disputes, Federal Arbitration, Labor Law, Collective Bargaining Labor Agreements, Civil Rights, Employment, Compensation, Interest Free Loans, Rates of Compensation, wherein his Legal Impact has CHANGED the SPORTS, ENTERTAINMENT and BUSINESS WORLD: ~ Harvard University School of Law Federal Income Taxation Course Outline, Professor: Flusche, al-Hakim’s victory, in the Federal Tax Court, U. S. Tax Commissioner teaching al-Hakim’s use of interest free loans, Tax Free financial transactions, al-Hakim’s historic impact on Shariah-Riba Complaint financial transactions in the business world, ~ Yale University School of Law Federal Tax Course, Professor: Eric M. Zolt, Text Authors: William A. Klein, Joseph Bankman, Daniel N. Shaviro, ~ Wake Forest University School of Law, Winston Salem, North Carolina, Federal Tax Course on “ISLAMIC & JEWISH PERSPECTIVES ON INTEREST”, Author/Professor: Joel S. Newman, Federal Tax Court, U. S. Tax Commissioner, discusses financial transactions that allow devout Muslims and Jews to obey religious prohibitions against interest, while giving investors a return on their investments, The tax treatment of these transactions is considered, teaching al-Hakim’s use, interest free loans, Tax Free financial transactions, al-Hakim’s historic impact, Shariah, Riba, Complaint financial transactions, the business world, ~ University of Virginia School of Law Federal Tax Course, Professor: M. Robinson, Federal Income Taxation, L. Dominick, Text Authors: William A. Klein, Joseph Bankman, Daniel N. Shaviro, ~ Washington University School of Law Federal Tax Course, Professor: Bixby, ~ Washington & Lee University School of Law Federal Tax Course, ~ Weiler Sports Law, LSE, Labor Arbitration in Professional Sports, The History and Legal Authority of the Sports League Commissioner ~ “A Long Deep Drive to Collective Bargaining, Of Players, Owners, Brawls, and Strikes”, Robert C. Berry, William B. Gould, Student Journals at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Scholarly Commons, Individual v. Collective Interests, Case Western Reserve, Law Review, Volume 31 Summer 1981, CASES, PUBLISHED, UNIVERSITIES, LAW REVIEWS, ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS, COURSE, OUTLINES, PUBLICATIONS, Case, Western, Reserve, Law, Review, ~ University of Texas School of Law, Course Title: LAW 111, Agent Representation ~ University of Massachusetts- Amherst, Major League Baseball’s Grievance Arbitration System, Glenn M. Wong, Professor of Sports Law, Entertainment and Sports Law, Marquette University School of Law, Entertainment and Sports Law Commons Journals, ~ Marquette Law Scholarly Commons, Interpreting the NFL Player Contract, Professor Gary R. Roberts, Marquette Sports Law Review, ~ Vanderbilt University School of Law, Sports Law, Knight Commission, purpose was to examine NCAA athletics and make recommendations, Professor Joseph Fishman, Studocu, ~ University of Nevada-Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law, Course, Sports Law, Competition Law, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Professor Marc Kligman, Adjunct, Sports Law, University of Nevada William S. Boyd School of Law, UNLV 87169927, ~ Santa Clara University School of Law, Legal Professions: Sports Law, The Role of the Commissioner and Other Governing Authorities, Professor Alan W. Scheflin, Santa Clara Law, ~ Quimbee Law School Case Briefs, Overview, Casebooks, study aids, BAR Review, online Continuing Legal Education, CLE courses, Alvin Moore vs Atlanta Braves, Major League Baseball Arbitration Proceeding, MLB-MLBPA Arb. 77-18 (1977), Professor A. Porter, ~ Course Hero Sports Law Outline, 1968 Major League Baseball (MLB) Basic Agreement, made the Commissioner the arbitrator, clearly allowing for arbitration of reserve system grievances, ~ Quizlet, Sports Law 1-3, Alvin Moore & Atlanta Braves (1977), ~ Judd’s Sports Law Outline, SPORTS LAW OUTLINE, Chapter, Best Interests of the Sport: The Role of the Commissioner and Other Governing Authorities, ~ NetSuite Inc, Alvin Moore & Atlanta Braves, Arbitration as an Exclusive Remedy, § 301 Preemption, ABDUL-JALIL, Sports and Entertainment Law Cases in All Major College’s Juris Doctorate Law (JD) and Masters in Business Administration (MBA) Programs, MBA Programs, ~ Harvard University Business School- MBA, ~ Yale University Business School- MBA, ~ Washington University Business School- MBA, ~ Stanford University Graduate School of Business Management- MBA, ~ University of Virginia Graduate School of Business- MBA,
LECTURER AND PRESENTER IN THE FIELDS OF: ~ Music in Islam, University of California, Berkeley, CA 2003 ~ National Islamic Convention, Seacaucus., NJ 1997, ~ Host/Honoree: Evening of Elegance, National Arabic Conference, Oakland, CA. 1997, ~ National Islamic Convention, N.Y.C, N.Y. 1996, ~ International Islamic Conference, Los Angeles, CA. 1996, ~ Oaktown Music Conference, Oakland, CA 1996, ~ National Society of Black Engineers Conference-Region 6, San Luis Obispo, CA. 1992, ~ CAREER FEST, Oakland, CA. 1986, ~ California State University, Hayward, CA. 1985, ~ United States Coast Guard, Oakland, CA. 1982, ~ National BALSA Law Conference, Houston, TX 1981, ~ National BALSA Law Conference, Philadelphia, PA. 1982, ~ National BALSA Law Conference, Oakland, CA. 1979, ~ National BALSA Law Conference, N.Y.C., N.Y. 1980, ~ Mountain Regional Law Convention, Oklahoma City, OK. 1980, ~ College of Alameda, Alameda, CA. 1981, ~ Eastern Regional Law Conference, Washington D.C. 1980, ~ National Black Media Convention, Oakland, CA. 1972, ~ National BALSA Law Conference, Washington D.C. 1976, ~ Pacific Coast Law Conference, San Francisco, CA. 1976, ~ Stanford Law Society, Palo Alto, CA. 1976, ~ National Black History Week Awards, San Francisco, CA, 1974, ~ Hip-Hop/Raps influence on Societal America, The Stevenson School, Pebble Beach, CA 2010
MASTERS CLASSES IN THE FIELDS OF: ~ SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT LAW* ~ THE ART OF REPRESENTING PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES AND ENTERTAINERS* ~ REPRESENTING THE PRODUCER* ~ REPRESENTING THE DIRECTOR* ~ REPRESENTING THE SUPERSTAR* ~ GETTING MONEY FOR YOUR MOVIE* ~ LICENSING MOTION PICTURES* ~ DIGITAL MOVIEMAKING* ~ THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS* ~ THE BUSINESS OF ENTERTAINMENT* ~ SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING* ~ ADVERTISING, MARKETING, PROMOTION, SPONSORSHIPS, BRANDING AND HIP HOP CULTURE ~ HIP HOP AND THE SPREAD OF ISLAM* ~ ISLAM AND MUSIC*
I look forward to speaking with you some time soon to meet you, offer my perspective and encourage you to NEW HEIGHTS!!
THIS MESSAGE IS INTENDED ONLY FOR THE PERSON OR FIRM TO WHOM IT IS ADDRESSED. IT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND MAY CONTAIN PRIVILEGED INFORMATION. Any dissemination, printing or copying of this message and/or attachments is prohibited. You may not use, copy or disclose to anyone this message or any information contained in this message. If you are not the intended recipient or the employee or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, please notify us immediately by telephone, and destroy the message and any attachments without reading, forwarding or saving them. This message is copyrighted. Any dissemination, printing or copying of this message and/or attachments may result in legal action being brought against you, your firm, family and others whom unlawfully use it. If you have a specific use for any of the information herein contained, please consult us for a release and permission before usage. Thank you in advance.
FROM: Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation, Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim DATE: December 10, 2023 RE: AMWF Human Civil Rights Committee (HCRC) IMMEDIATELY Needs Legal Observers, Attorney Representation for UNHOUSED in Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) Housing Authority Discrimination, Housing Choice Voucher Discrimination Complaints, Housing Authority and Landlord Inspection Discrimination, Auto and Renters Insurance Discrimination and Bad Faith.
“As lawyers, we have an obligation to use the special skills we’ve been given to give back to the community and minimize homelessness as best we can.” Judge Jay Zainey
Dear Counselor,
The Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation originated the Human Civil Rights Committee (HCRC) that enlists Attorneys, law students, and law firm secretaries and paralegals throughout Northern California to provide pro bono legal assistance to Unhoused and Recently Unhoused/Homeless individuals.
This assistance often takes the form of a single consultation but occasionally extends further, depending on the clients’ needs.
Among other things, the Law establishes standards for service providers and sets forth the responsibilities and rights, including due process protections, of the community members who participate in the covered programs. Anyone who is either homeless, at risk of becoming homeless, has temporary housing/in a shelter, or was recently placed in housing who STILL needs legal assistance.
The HCRC Legal Clinic envisions a just and inclusive community for all residents of throughout Northern California, where housing is a human right and where every individual and family has equal access to the resources they need to thrive.
The AMWF/HCRC’s Legal Clinic with the support of volunteer attorneys, law firms, corporate legal departments, law students, paralegals, law firm secretaries and other legal services entities partners with service and shelter providers and matches pro bono attorneys to provide advice, advocacy, and representation to those MOST IN NEED on a wide range of matters and issues related to immigration, bankruptcy, end of life planning, veterans disability, homelessness, micro-entrepreneurship, homeownership preservation, the receipt of public benefits and other legal challenges to bring needed legal services to people living in unhoused conditions or shelters that those struggling with poverty face.
We partner with religious organizations, service organizations, shelters, and outreach organizations that provide other services to the homeless population where our volunteers meet with their clients at shelters and those other social service organizations that are accessible to the unhoused/homeless population.
More than 50,000 people, including over 15,000 children, sleep in the counties homeless shelters each night. Of those experiencing homelessness, the overwhelming majority come from communities historically deprived of equal access to stable housing and employment due to structural racism.
These historic socioeconomic factors, combined with today’s high cost of housing, food, transportation, clothing, Wi-Fi, cell service, and other necessities create barriers for individuals residing in shelters to achieve stability and independence. AMWF/HCRC primarily assists families experiencing homelessness and those who have exited shelter to secure state and federal public benefits that are vital tools in poverty prevention and alleviation. AMWF/HCRC advocates also contest denials of Cash Assistance and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and shelter, public housing, and rental assistance supplements. AMWF/HCRC aims to help families in shelter and those who have left shelter on the road to economic and housing stability.
Our mission is to use the law to make justice a reality for our neighbors who struggle with homelessness and poverty. Combining community lawyering and advocacy to achieve our clients’ goals, our expert staff and network of volunteer attorneys provide low barrier, comprehensive legal services at intake sites throughout Northern California, helping our clients to access housing, shelter, and life-saving services. Rooted in the experiences of this client work, we effectively blend system reform efforts, policy advocacy, community education and client engagement to advocate for long term improvements in local and federal programs that serve the low- and no-income community.
Working with religious organizations, service organizations, and local shelters, AMWF/HRCR will establish a regularly scheduled clinic to offer free legal services to homeless individuals, provided by volunteer attorneys from firms around the city. Our clients often have many of the same types of legal issues that any other individual might encounter, but they lack access to the justice system simply because they have no attorney to advocate for them.
In many cases, the problem that is preventing the individual from applying for a job, seeking benefits to which he or she is entitled, or obtaining housing is something that a lawyer is able to resolve in a matter of hours, or by making a few simple telephone calls. Other cases are more complicated and require follow up representation, but in most instances the individual’s legal problem is resolved, and what had been a major obstacle in their lives is no longer a problem.
In addition to legal representation, HRCR involves law students, paralegals, and law firm secretaries who volunteer their time, skills, and services to assist the homeless. Law students assist clients in applying for social security or veteran’s benefits by helping them to complete the application forms, obtaining required medical records and other documents, and accompanying clients to the agency office to complete the process. Paralegals and secretaries not only assist the volunteer attorneys, but also provide notary services to certify copies of driver licenses, identification cards, and other important documents.
In cities throughout the country, there are amazing organizations dedicated to helping the homeless every single day. They provide shelter and food, of course, but they also provide so much more: job training and placement services, clothing, counseling, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, transportation to work or school, schooling and child care. They provide a lifeline of security in a harsh and often unfriendly world. The individuals who operate these organizations are not just administrators. They are friends, counselors, parents, protectors and encouragers. AMWF/HRCR salutes their selfless dedication, and is grateful for their partnership with us.
Issues AMWF/HRCR Addresses
• Identification Documents AMWF/HCRC’s Legal Clinic began its outreach by helping homeless individuals maintain valid identification documents. Because identification is essential for the homeless to access services like shelters and non-emergency hospital care, this service continues to be an important part of the assistance that AMWF/HCRC’s Legal Clinic volunteers provide.
Homeless individuals’ identification documents are often stolen, lost, or taken by the police during an arrest, and many have trouble navigating document replacement processes that can take up to 30 days. Working with AMWF/HCRC’s Legal Clinic volunteers speeds up the process dramatically, allowing these individuals to utilize important social services. Certified copies of their identification documents are maintained at the shelter so that if the original is lost, a certified copy is readily available. • Child Custody Issues • Child Support Issues • Creditor/Debtor Law • Disability Law • Driver License Suspensions • Government Benefits • Immigration Law • Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) Housing Authority Discrimination • Housing Choice Voucher Discrimination Complaints • Housing Issues, including Housing Authority and Landlord Inspection Discrimination • Landlord/Tenant Law • Auto and Renters Insurance Discrimination and Bad Faith • Minor criminal and traffic violations
Abdul-Jalil directs the AMWF/HCRC Legal Clinic for the Homeless and is the program coordinator. He is a longtime leading advocate in providing pro bono legal services, from spearheading the legal response to developing innovative solutions to the emerging legal needs of those MOST in need today.
PLEASE ENLIST YOUR SUPPORT TODAY! Contact us at: legal@amwftrust.org, (510) 394-4501, (510) 394-4101
When you support our work, you become our partner in making justice a reality for those who have struggled with the injustice of homelessness.
Thanks for your time and consideration.
We are ready, willing and prepared to consult and partner with those LEGITIMATELY CONCERNED in power to facilitate the basis to better understand the impact that they have made, even those that may have been negative, propose advancements and prohibitions with referrals and recommendations the legislature can take into consideration.
Can you PLEASE give us/them some guidance and representation, or perhaps direct us to someone that can if you can’t help them? We will await your communication.
You can click on any highlighted word to view or download that item “He who Harms a Life, it is as if he has Harmed ALL Mankind, and He who has saved a Life, it is as if he has Saved ALL Mankind!” Who will you save?
Surah Al-Insan says: And they are those who give food in spite of their own need , to the needy, and the orphan, and the captive, [saying in their hearts], We only feed you for the sake of God, and we desire nothing in return from you, not even a word of thanks! (76:8-9).
As Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu wa Jazzak Allah Khair Khayrun, We, the Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation (AMWF), pray Allah (SWT) you and the Families are well, ALL of your health is robust, you’re making GREAT progress in your Deen, your businesses are thriving, that everything will be perfect in your life and you ALL stay in Allah’s Love, Grace, Guidance and Mercy, iA, Amen!
We, the Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation (AMWF), and Abdul-Jalil, have received another Proclamation for Muslim American’s with a Resolution Honoring us from the Mayor of the City of Albany, the City Council and from the Albany Unified School District Board of Supervisors, Albany, CA, during their Council meeting September 5, 2023. We received this Honor with the family of Belal Salih Esa whom was murdered in 2022.
“WHEREAS, the Aaron and Margaret Wallace Foundation (AMWF), founded in 1957 provides basic necessities to over 30,000 individuals per month, including hot meals, fresh produce, toys, books and more. Brother Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim and Brother Belal Salih Esa were instrumental in supporting the Albany community, providing food, hygiene supplies, and hot meals. Belal, who served not just the Albany community but also the Oakland Islamic Center and the Jummah Free Farmers Market dedicated his life to service and uplifting his community and beyond. On September 19, 2022 Belal lost his life to senseless gun violence but his legacy to support the underserved community lives on through AMWF, his family and loved ones; and”
The Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation (AMWF), since 1957, is a public services organization based on GIVING AND SHARING, is non-denominational, Multi-Cultural, 100% volunteer financed and operated relief organization that serves over 30,000 people a month, provides FREE charitable assistance to the general public with food, medicine, clothing, educational and employment opportunities, mental and physical health referrals, legal aid, shelter and other necessities to the economically, mentally, and physically challenged; the poor and needy; the undereducated and undeserved; people living with sever illness including symptomatic HIV and AIDS; people living substance abuse; seniors 55 years and older; prenatal women; at risk youth; and homebound people living with serious illness; homeless, unhoused; immigrants and refugees; different-abled shut-in residents; and individuals, children, families, and organizations who lack these essentials for any reason. We provide private school and college admissions educational opportunities; assists with referrals for job training and placement; rental assistance; social services assistance; homelessness assistance; mental and physical health assistance; medical assistance and legal aid assistance referrals FREE for ANYONE whom has the need.
The Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation (AMWF), from our Oakland base, serves a 100 mile radius to San Francisco, to Sacramento, to Stockton, to San Jose and back covering all points in between.
AMWF has been heavily involved in and has taken the lead the servicing and protecting the most vulnerable of these homeless, unhoused communities since the 1970’s that as a result of COVID-19, now the government needs to address the spread of this Deadly agent of the virus. We provide direct, meaningful and essential sustenance extending these various services and programs to those most in need. Providing food IS AN ESSENTIAL service, so we are used for that purpose, we added new food resource donors, we MUST be out to serve and our work has TRIPLED!
For many YEARS prior to Covid, and since, we have provided FREE groceries, clothing, shoes, hygiene kits, sleeping bags, blankets, medicine, and hot chef’s prepared gourmet meals to the homeless and homeless encampments and habitations of ALL kinds, from the streets to parks, from trees and bushes to alleys, from corners to ditches, from hand built shanties to tents under freeway overpasses!
We provide FREE groceries, bagged and hot chef’s prepared gourmet meals, plus the above, to the Safe Parking Programs, among others, at local senior and community centers, and faith based organizations in an effort to provide families and/or individuals who have been displaced and are temporarily homeless, living in their vehicles and need a safe place to park and sleep overnight, with restrooms and an attendant present throughout the night at all of the locations.
We also provide food to those that had previously obtained necessary items at their Senior Center. But now that they’re closed, are vital to the wellness of the community and senior population with our Food Bank program and Free Farmers Market Food Give-Aways.
One Blessing of the pandemic is we have added MORE retail grocery stores pick ups and arranged several other groups programs with the young adults and kids to participate in servicing the poor, homeless, and senior shut-in’s, since they were out of school and needed something to do!! This will stick with them for LIFE!
We also annually hand out over 400 Eid gifts/toys to the youth twice a year for Eid and regularly during our weekly Jumaah Free Farmers Market Food Giveaways.
We provide direct, meaningful and essential sustenance extending these various services and programs to those most in need to MORE Muslims in America, per Allah (SWT), then ALL the Islamic charity groups COMBINED in the United States including Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Circle of North America ICNA, Islamic Society of North America ISNA, Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), Muslim American Society (MAS), Muslim Community Association, MCA-SFBA, American Muslim Alliance (AMA), Center for Islamic Pluralism (CIP), Muslim American Leadership Alliance (MALA), the Muslim Reform Movement (MRM), Muslims Facing Tomorrow (MFT), the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD), The Mosque Cares, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA), Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA), American Muslim Alliance (AMA), The Mosque Foundation, American Muslim Task Force (AMTF), American Muslims for Civic Engagement (AMCE), The North American Islamic Trust (NAIT), the Muslim Students Association (MSA), United Muslim Americans Association (UMAA), United Muslims of America (UMA), the UMMA, Inner-City Muslim Action Network, Muslim Advocates, Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD), United States Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), MuslimARC, and Zaytuna College!!
“In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”
INNA LILLAHI WA IN ALLAH E RAJIOON
“Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Allah we shall return.”
إِنَّالِلَّٰهِوَإِنَّاإِلَيْهِرَاجِعُونَ
On September 19, 2022, Belal Salih Esa was one of two gunshot victims at 31st Street and Telegraph Avenue about 7:45 p.m. that night, inside Layalina, a Middle-Eastern pizza restaurant that died on the scene right around the corner from a mosque where they had been praying just 45 minutes beforehand. The Oakland Islamic Center is around the corner from the shooting scene where the men had been attending their evening prayers at around sundown or 7 p.m.
Surveillance video from the store and restaurant that were involved, shows a white vehicle, possibly a Prius, pulling up and someone started shooting into the store and restaurant. Police are reviewing that footage, but did not confirm any suspect vehicle information.
Belal was on the Board of Directors of the Oakland Islamic Center and his family operated several businesses and performed Charity with the Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation (AMWF) Jumaah Free Farmers Markets in the African and Middle Eastern Muslim communities and at several Eat Bay Masajids on Jumaah Friday Kuthbah. Belal, Ethiopian by birth, worked tirelessly to better the African and Muslim communities in the Bay Area, where he singularly fed thousands in 9 Free Food Ministries each week with our AMWF Free Food Program, AHDL!
He is survived by his wife Mimi, sons Dawude- graduated from U. C. Berkeley with a triple major, Omar- also graduated from U. C. Berkeley, Salih- 15 year old entrepreneur at the top of his class entering high school, and daughter Rewda- the smartest of them all!
We couldn’t have done ANYTHING without your support, AHDL!! May ALLAH accept your good deeds and fasts, and grant you and your families duas, Salaahs, forgiveness and REWARD YOU and your Families with Jannatul Firdaus in paradise directly under his throne, iA! Shukran wa Jazzak Allah Khair Khayrun
These organizations that we support included: Masjid al-Rahman with Br. Mohammed Younis A. Subedar; the Islamic Center of Vallejo with Mohammed Hussain, Abdul Khabir, Najim Khan, Abdul Aziz Mohammed, Gamal Abushaban, Amal Ahmad, Sr. Sanober, Qaisar Zaman; Islamic Society of West Contra Costa County, Masjid al-Rahman, Universal Mercy Academy and Uma Homeschool Co-Op with Imam Abdul-Rahman, Ishmael, Banna Mirza, Yosef and Khadija Ayyad and their daughters, Maulana Hamza Mehter, Br. Syed Mujibur Rahman, Br. Abdul Maqsat, Dr. Imadul Islam, Talha Mirza and the students of Universal Mercy Academy and Uma Homeschool; Richmond Muslim Mission Center and Masjid Tawqua with Imam Wali Muhammad, Willie Shakoor; Masjid al-Islam and Masjid al-Islam School- Imam Abdul-Alim Musa, Sis Nanita Strong, Sumayyah Abdul-Haqq, Minyahn Robinson, Sis. Michelle and her husband Ibrahim, Sis. Adrianna and her daughter, Steve Swaggard- Kiongozi Binamu, Phylis Goins and her son Maxwell, Rodney Harrison; Berkeley Masjid and Dr. Naseem Z. and Dr. M. Yusuf Sheikh and Family, and the A 2 Z Foundation; Oakland Islamic Center- with Belal Esa and his son’s Omar, Salih, and Dawud, Masjid AbuBakr with Belal Esa and his son’s Omar, Salih, and Dawud with Jamaludin Omar; Masjidul Waritheen and the Lighthouse Mosque with Oni Mussan, Theon Berkley-King, their family and volunteers with the King-Thomas L. Berkley Foundation; Unified Muslim Community Masjid of San Leandro, San Leandro Islamic Center – Masjid Al-Farooq; CALIFA: Center for Advance Learning Improving Family Awareness with Bros. Jamaal Pratt, Saleem Lofton, Muwwakli Thompson, and Jeremy serving the Community of Vallejo, with one of four locations at The Marina Vista Apartments. In addition to their Masjid Communities, these groups served: University Village Berkeley, Bear Pantry, Al-Noor School, Ibad-Ar-Rahman Sunday School, Oakland Islamic Center, Oakland Islamic Center Weekend Islamic School, Islamic Center of Alameda, Masjid Quba, Berkeley Masjid Weekend Islamic School, Sultana Bookstore, Masjid International Wahadah, Islamic Center of Berkeley, Unified Muslim Community, Masjid Omar Al-Farooq, Islamic Center of Contra Costa, Noor Islamic & Cultural Community Center, Islamic Society of Northern California, Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California, San Ramon Islamic Center- serve many Masjids and their communities, Africans, Middle Easterners, Indo-Pak-So. Asian, Blacks, Latinos, Immigrants, Refugees, the poor, the needy, and the public at large- 1,000’s of people a day! A couple of these youth-led operations were with/by Yosef and Khadija Ayyad and their daughters at the Islamic Center of Vallejo; and Banna Mirza, Maulana Hamza Mehter, Talha Mirza and the students of Universal Mercy Academy and Uma Homeschool at Islamic Society of West Contra Costa County, Masjid al-Rahman, AHDL! This will stick with them for LIVES! We are and have been heavily involved in servicing the Homeless for over 50 years, that suddenly the government needed to address as a potential Deadly agent of the spread of the virus. ALL our work Tripled up to the time they were unceremoniously dismissed!
We ALL have had to face and address the devastating effect the Pandemic has had on the WORLD! We hurried and struggled to find solutions that could slow- at the very least, the surge of Covid and it’s disastrous multiplying deadly force. We learned that many things we thought were true and accurate simply were NOT! We learned that many things we were told was true and accurate simply were NOT! We learned that many things we thought we knew, we simply did NOT! We learned that vaccinations are many things we thought, BUT simply NOT a CURE! As a front line “essential worker”, we saw FIRST HAND, the consequences of ALL the actions and inactions taken, the many things that were done that should NOT have been done, AND, the many things that were NOT done that should have been done! Foremost among those of US on the front line in the worst conditions supporting those MOST at risk- the unhoused, we lived in real-time the absolute FEAR that gripped those in the “wild”! One of the GREATEST issues that consumed our emotions was the incessant open display of MAN’S INHUMANITY TOWARD MAN!
We are ALWAYS operating with the reminder that tomorrow is NOT promised, no matter how much you do in the service of man for God! We have had several people that were killed while serving food to the less fortunate.
YOU WILL NEVER KNOW ALL THE BATTLES HE/WE HAVE HAD TO FIGHT WITH THE RACISM, BIGOTRY, ISLAMOPHOBIA, XENOPHOBIA, AND PURE HATE THAT WE ENCOUNTER BEING THE ONLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN, MUSLIM FOOD BANK! I will address that at a later date.
We will ALWAYS make HONEST, SINCERE, DEDICATED EFFORTS IN SUPPORT OF OUR SELF PROFESSED COMMITMENT in combating the centuries long INJUSTICE with our work to put an end to HUMAN/CIVIL Rights, economic injustice, real and personal property poverty; physical and mental oppression and brutality; to racism, and inequities where so many shocked and outraged people around the world have found it in their own DNA as humans to oppose this historical display of systemic and endemic injustice that enables discrimination and protects the violation of human rights.
THEY/WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!!
At this time we are asking YOU to be available to support our communities very lifelines! Please call/text me at 510-394-4501, AMWF at 510-394-4101, email at: amwf1234@gmail.com; FB: Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation FaceBook Page: https://www.facebook.com/amwfnd/ Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/amwfnd/ You can contact and support the AARON & MARGARET WALLACE FOUNDATION, (AMWF) at: https://amwftrust.org, amwf1234@gmail.com You can make your check payable to: AARON & MARGARET WALLACE FOUNDATION (AMWF), 4200 Park Blvd., Ste. #One16, Oakland, CA 94602; you can donate with Paypal here: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=3RWDLJCEVHWT6 or Paypal with email to: amwft@amwftrust.org May ALLAH REWARD YOU and your Families with Jannatul Firdaus in paradise directly under his throne, iA! Shukran wa JZK, Abdul Jalil
*****
ASA wR wB Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As CEO and President of the Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation (AMWF), I, Abdul-Jalil was Awarded the Certificate of Recognition from the California State Assembly for 2021-22 Humanitarian, Civil and Human Rights Achievements. I want to sincerely “THANK” ALL my/our supporters and I am thankful of the recognition for the work done as a Humanitarian for societal change/advancement with the establishment of real economic, social, and political equality across gender and color lines, in Civil Rights and Social Services addressing: Homelessness; Constitutional Reform; Social Justice Reform; Hunger and Food Insecurity; Police Reform; Climate Justice Reform; Criminal Justice Reform; Gun Violence; Religious Hate, Bias, Islamophobia, Xenaphobia and Bigotry; Immigration/Refugee Crisis; Healthcare; Education Equality; School-to-Prison Pipeline; Wealth Inequality/Poverty and Basic Needs; Voter Rights; COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Response; Sport and Athletes Human Rights and the fight for Judicial Reform to END Grand Systemic and Endemic Corruption, that includes Judicial/Legal Systemic Racism, Bigotry, Persecution, as a subset.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was not able to profit off his NILrights as a defensive tackle at Miami in the 1990s.
Things have significantly changed since then. The former professional wrestler is now one of the most recognized and highest-paid actors in Hollywood. An owner of the XFL, he has his own Under Armour line.
Each athlete was selected by The Rock. Everett Sports Management‘s Rachel Everett, Dan Everett and Jeff Hoffmancreated and procured the NIL campaign.
“Through this first-of-its-kind NIL expansion program, ZOA Energy will bring together some of the greatest college athletes of our time,” The Rock said in a statement. “I know from experience the grit and hard work that’s required of these college athletes to get the job done. Not just during their championship games or in the classrooms, but every day in the game of life. ZOA gives people that power, that unique energy to fuel themselves and fuel others around them – that’s why I’m super pumped about uniting all of The Rock’s Warriors under one roof.
“I personally selected these phenomenal individuals because of the energy, tenacity, and excitement they bring to the game. With a diverse set of stories and experiences, they’re driven, hungry, talented and ready for ZOA to help fuel them to greatness.”
Details of ZOA NIL campaign
As part of the agreements, the athletes will lead an upcoming marketing campaign for the energy drink and will release content across their social media platforms. “The Rock’s Warriors” will support national and regional partnerships through the deal.
“NIL is a brave new world,” ESM’s Dan Everett told On3. “Working alongside disruptive and multifaceted brands can be a catalyst for groundbreaking work. For ESM Sports, procuring the right talent to accelerate awareness and consideration for ZOA was the goal. Combining seven of college athletic’s biggest names with the stardom of The Rock is the single most defining moment in NIL history.”
ZOA pieced together a loaded class of NIL talent. Reese has seen her national profile soar following LSU’s national title, adding 3.6 million social media followers and signing NIL deals with brands like PlayStation and Starry.
“I’m pumped to be a part of such a unique group of athletes, and who better than The Rock to bring us together for a one-of-a-kind opportunity,” Reese said. “ZOA is all about putting in the work, learning from your wins and losses, and empowering others, something I strive to do every day on and off the court, so it was a no-brainer to join the first class of The Rock’s Warriors.”
Harrison had 77 catches for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2022. He’s started to take advantage of his marketability, recently launching a memorabilia website and signing with Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet. Maye has become one of college football’s most marketable names since last season. The quarterback wrapped up his rookie campaign throwing for 4,321 yards with 38 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Touting a 66.2% completion percentage, he led the Tar Heels to an ACC title game appearance.
An Everett Sports Management client, Bowers has played a significant role in helping Georgia win the last two national title games. Name to the first-team All-SEC, first-team All-American and the John Mackey Award winner, he turned down deals from Georgia’s Classic City Collective this winter. Instead, he’s inked partnerships with companies like NOBULL and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Dominican Republic native and one-handed basketball sensation Hansel Enmanuel received approval for an O-1 visa in October, which gives him the ability to pursue NIL deals in the U.S. through his newfound work authorization. He has agreed to deals with adidas and Gatorade.
A safety, Kinchens has a $474,000 On3 NIL Valuation. A first-team All-America last season, he led the Hurricanes with 59 total tackles along with six interceptions, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.
“It is the maturation of commercial NIL. ESM’s ability to create, navigate and bring together these amazing NIL athletes for ZOA cannot be overstated,” Hoffman told On3. “Equally as impressive is the ZOA team’s ability to be brave, nimble and creative in the execution of such a tremendous activation. The Rock’s Warriors is how high-profile, real NIL (commercial NIL) is done right.”
Deion put the program in a massive overhaul with the transfer portal and brought in Shedeur and other players to quickly try and make the Buffaloes competitive. Shedeur will play quarterback and have all eyes on him this season.
He has scored NIL deals with Mercedes-Benz, Gatorade, Tom Brady’s clothing brand and Beats by Dre, among other outlets. On3 reported in November that Sanders has an NIL value of $1.3 million.
Wednesday, Deion posted a video in which he is driving with Shedeur in a Maybach, which has a starting price of $200,000.
“It wasn’t like this when I was in college,” Deion said in the video.
Shedeur and Deion Sanders will look to bring attention to Colorado football this season. The Buffaloes have not had a winning season since 2016 and have failed to reach five wins since 2019.
Deion coached Jackson State football for the last three seasons. He led the Tigers to back-to-back SWAC championships in 2021 and 2022. Last season, they finished 12-1.
Coach Prime will bring in the nation’s No. 2 transfer class to try and turn Colorado football around. The Buffaloes have a very difficult schedule with TCU, Oregon, USC, UCLA, Oregon State and Utah among their opponents. Only the Bruins had fewer than 10 wins in 2022 (they had nine).
Colorado football is picked to finish ninth in the Pac-12 by 247Sports. The Buffaloes hope they can finish even higher and shock the nation.
From a fairness standpoint, the NIL era has been beautiful for the college athlete. No longer do they have to sacrifice their bodies with little to nothing in return other than the expectation for them to be grateful because they now have a “free” education.From an entertainment standpoint, the influx of NIL contracts has led to an inflation in “stardom.” When a lineman at a mid-major can have his agent negotiate a burrito deal for him, it becomes hard to decipher who the real stars are. If a program inks a player to a 6 figure-plus deal, it’s in the school’s interest to push them to the forefront despite their true impact on winning.Ironically, the clarity college sports is seeking can be found in the muddy waters of the Mississippi.
The legend of Angel Reese is just getting started. Fresh off LSU’s national championship win and her boastful post-game actions, the budding star has quickly become a hot commodity in the NIL world.
Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers have conducted a crash-course in how to effectively utilize NIL money. Instead of using the cash to boost players with potential, hoping they pan out, Mulkey and the Tigers have operated the last two offseasons like a professional front office. To build 2023’s National Championship team, they grabbed a proven star in Angel Reese from Maryland and surrounded her with experienced role players out of the portal, some of whom played for Mulkey’s Baylor teams or were recruited by her in high school.
Reese’s polarizing personality — at its brightest in the runaway National Championship win over Iowa and Caitlyn Clark — and capable skills on the court pushed her past the pack of college players who have been tagged with the “star” label into a lane of her own now. And while the majority of collegiate impact players are leagues behind their professional counterparts when it comes to notoriety, it can be argued that the “Bayou Barbie” is now the biggest name in all of women’s basketball. That’s real superstardom.
The story could end here (don’t worry, it doesn’t). With a true star like Reese returning and a bubbling second option in Flau’jae “Big 4” Johnson, Mulkey’s Tigers looked poised to once again compete with South Carolina, Iowa and the top of women’s basketball for another National Championship.
Yet, like any good professional general manager, Mulkey didn’t waste an opportunity to get better just because she had stable pieces.
Instead, Mulkey hitched up the F-150, backed her boat into the banks of the Transfer Portal and went fishing. Unlike last year, she wasn’t just looking for role pieces that complement her star forward. This time, she was looking to reel in the big catfish. The ones that break records, not just supply a fry. And, boy did her catch tip the scales this offseason.
LSU walked away from the portal with commitments from Louisville’s top guard Hailey Van Lith — who 247Sports’ expert contributor Brandon Clay had pegged as the No. 2 player in the women basketball transfer portal. The Tigers didn’t stop there. They also hauled in Clay’s No. 1 player in the portal, DePaul forward Aneesah Morrow.
This gives LSU a potential starting line up that contains Van Lith, Big 4, Morrow and the Bayou Barbie. For fans who don’t get how pivotal this is, it’s basically the equivalent of a Cash Money Hot Boys track. No matter where you turn, there’s either an experienced spitter waiting in the wings or a young, hungry rapper on the attack. The beat (or opposing defense in this case) has no chance to relax.
The Bayou’s budding superteam is great for college sports in general. Not only does it bring light to women’s sports, but each member of this quartet brings a unique approach to the game that any fan can get behind.
Van Lith is a Kobe disciple. She trained with the Mamba in high school and it shows with her explosive offensive game and aggressive scoring. She embraces all the things fans loved about Bean, but this also comes with an attitude that can rub some of the “basketball purists” the wrong way.
Now, if you’re into a do-it-all, “blue collar” star, then look no further than All-American Aneesah Morrow. The DePaul standout averaged 25.7 points and 12.2 rebounds per game last season with an outstanding usage rate. She’s able to initiate the offense while also doing the dirty work.
As for Big 4 (Flau’jae “Big 4” Johnson, if you forgot): her development and production will be a bit of a question mark given that she’ll have to defer the ball to more experienced players. But what isn’t unknown is her ability to find a spark. She’s shown countless times during LSU’s title run that she’s capable of getting hot in a hurry. This will put stress on opposing defenses as they try to limit Van Lith, Morrow and Reese just to get torched by Johnson. It will also continue to make her a fan-favorite as her dagger shots will likely come in high demand.
Angel Reese speaks for herself. Like Morrow, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to win but has the boisterous personality that will intrigue fans who are into the style points (I’m part of this demographic, myself). Similar to Van Lith, Reese doesn’t back down from a chance to challenge the moment, so it’s hard to say that her on-court personality isn’t warranted.
Outside of their on-court production, the fact that nothing seemed forced or constructed will make LSU’s pending superteam a crossover hit. They aren’t painting disses to their opponents on their fingernails or turning their name into condiments. They’re genuinely themselves at all times and refuse to step outside of their personalities. It just so happens that their natural personas seem to balance each other and that realness resonates with fans.
As tenacious as Van Lith comes off, it still doesn’t seem like a “tough guy (or girl)” act. As for Reese, she didn’t just put on this personality once she started winning at LSU. That’s just the first time you guys started paying attention to her. But if you cared to do research, you can find videos of her at Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore antagonizing and dominating her opponents the same way she did during the title game.
Although Morrow’s hard work, no-nonsense approach to the game balances the scale that’s leaning Reese and Van Lith’s way, it isn’t fake humility. She built herself into one of the best players in the game at DePaul without the glitz and glamor of a major program. DePaul head coach Doug Bruno details how Morrow sets goals for herself before every game only to shatter them during the contest.
“Aneesah talks about goals,” Bruno said. “She’s got individual goals for every game and individual goals for the season. She’s got individual goals for when she graduates from DePaul. But to reach those goals, she has to keep getting better.”
It’s hard to hate on someone who leaves no stone unturned when perfecting their craft, even though they’re already near the top. This only further proves to spectators that she deserves the NIL boost and to finally take her spot on the big stage.
For Johnson, she’s not an athlete with an affinity for rapping who releases cringe-worthy freestyles just because they have access to a professional studio. No. She’s a real recording artist who has a distribution deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation record label. Johnson dedicates time to her craft in the booth and on the court with aspirations of starting her own record label in the future. As a result, it’s easy to accept her raps as part of her personality. Fans can get behind her “Big 4” persona because they know it’s naturally her and not something she’s doing as a gimmick.
This collective of real stars will do wonders for college sports, but it will definitely spell out trouble for the WNBA. Reese, the hottest name in the sport, has said on several occasions that she doesn’t even think about going pro. And why would she?
While the world has been belting out the opening line of NBA YoungBoy’s “Fresh Prince of Utah,” Reese really did bring a parade to the rapper’s hometown where she’s treated (and compensated) like a superstar, making over $1 million in NIL money. She’s going to grace Sports Illustrated’s “Swimsuit Edition”, flies in chartered jets to LSU away games with her teammates, frequently goes on elaborate shopping sprees that she documents on social media and just bought herself a new Mercedes. What more could a 21-year-old want?
In comparison, A’ja Wilson (two-time WNBA MVP, a WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and a WNBA champion) is set to make $202,115 in the 2023-24 season. Candace Parker, a sure-fire, first ballot Hall of Fame player, told the media that her decision to team up with Wilson on the Aces was partly fueled by the team’s new facilities. Parker explained that at no point in her illustrious career did she have a locker to call her own until Las Vegas built its new arena.
That puts Reese in the rare space where her personal brand would be taking a step back if she chooses to go pro. The same can be said for Van Lith, who is reportedly making over $500,000 in NIL and Johnson, who is set to pocket a little under $1 million herself this year. The WNBA will need to scramble to find ways to bridge the pay gap between its salaries and NIL if it wants to compete for these real college superstars and the future players who will undoubtedly follow their financial footprints.
Fortunately for the WNBA (and college sports fans), Reese and Van Lith don’t have to cross that bridge for at least another year. Because right now, Mulkey and Co. are solely focused on actualizing the potential of this superteam by bringing home another banner to the Bayou.
LSU’s Angel Reese Dominating NIL Space, Agrees to Deal With SI Swimsuit
Reese has become one of the most marketable athletes, signs another noteworthy deal.
All-American forward Angel Reese continues maximizing her opportunities in the NIL space after entering an agreement to be featured in this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition. The LSU star will be accompanied by fellow Tiger Livvy Dunne as the only two college athletes in the magazine.
“Angel entered into a standard agreement with SI Swimsuit to appear in print and digital editorial media for the publication and to attend the launch event,” Sports Illustrated tells LSU Country.
The edition of the magazine will be released on May 12th with both Reese and Dunne being the first college athletes to ever be featured.
“We’ve done so much within a year,” Reese told SI. “We weren’t even supposed to be in the Final Four. We had nine new players, and it was coach [Kim Mulkey]’s second year in the SEC, so we didn’t know what to expect. We just went out there and had fun all the time and put in a lot of work all season.”
LSU has dominated the NIL space over the last year. From Reese to Dunne to other student athletes adding monstrous deals, it’s clear the university is ahead of the curve in this new era of college athletics.
After Reese made the move from Maryland to LSU, her status continued to skyrocket. With sheer dominance on the court, averaging a cool 23 points and 15 rebounds a game, her status off the floor became much more marketable.
The superstar forward led the Tigers to their first national title in program history, and after the championship game, it’s been nonstop for Reese. She’s been featured on Good Morning America, signed a deal with Mercedes Benz, Coach and much more as her NIL valuation reaches the $1.4 million mark via On3’s system.
Reese has the chance to keep the momentum rolling as she goes through the offseason before the 2023-24 season. Despite being eligible for the 2024 WNBA Draft, Reese has stated she’s “in no rush” to leave college. Time will tell, but for now, Reese is living in the moment as she transforms women’s basketball.
In today’s digital age, the power of personal branding has never been more apparent. For student athletes, entertainers, celebrities, and influencers, the ability to monetize their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) has become a game-changer. Thanks to the NCAA’s recent policy change allowing college student athletes to profit from their NIL, a world of opportunities has opened up. Leading the way in this transformative landscape is the Congress of Athletes Entertainers and Celebrities Creating Alternatives for Youths (CAECAY). With over 50 years of experience and a commitment to empowering individuals, CAECAY, in collaboration with esteemed organizations and personalities like the Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation, AMWF, Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim, Superstar Management, Ex-why AdVentures, and Nowtruth, is poised to revolutionize the world of NIL monetization.
Client Campaign: “Unlock Your Potential with CAECAY’s NIL Monetization Program”
Campaign Objective:
To raise awareness among student athletes, entertainers, celebrities, and influencers about the Congress of Athletes Entertainers and Celebrities Creating Alternatives for Youths (CAECAY), partnership with Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation, AMWF, Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim, Superstar Management, Ex-why AdVentures, and Nowtruth and its NIL Monetization Program. The campaign aims to showcase the opportunities available through monetizing Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and encourage individuals to leverage their personal brand for financial success.
Monetizing Your Personal Brand: CAECAY Empowering Student Athletes, Entertainers, Celebrities, and Influencers with NIL Expertise
“Embrace Your Power. Monetize Your Influence. Join CAECAY’s NIL Revolution!”
Target Audience:
Student Athletes, Entertainers, Celebrities, and Influencers seeking to monetize their NIL and earn income from their personal brand.
Athletes, Entertainers, Celebrities, and Influencers looking to expand their revenue streams and maximize their reach.
Coaches, mentors, and industry professionals who support and guide athletes, entertainers, celebrities, and influencers.
Campaign Elements:
Motion Picture, Television, Video, Radio, Audio, Print Commercial/Ads, Social Media, Podcast, Blog/Vlog, Web Ads:
Create visually captivating and inspiring commercial ads that highlight the success stories of athletes, entertainers, and influencers who have benefited from CAECAY’s NIL Monetization Program. Showcase the various avenues of income generation, such as autograph signings, coaching lessons/clinics, social media endorsements, and appearances at restaurants or events.
Digital Advertisements:
Develop engaging digital ads for social media platforms, websites, and mobile apps. These ads will:
Feature compelling visuals and persuasive messaging to capture attention and generate interest.
Highlight the financial opportunities available through NIL monetization and CAECAY, Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation, AMWF, Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim, Superstar Management, Ex-why AdVentures, and Nowtruth’s expertise in the field.
Direct viewers to the CAECAY, Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation, AMWF, Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim, Superstar Management, Ex-why AdVentures, and Nowtruth website or dedicated landing page for more information and enrollment.
Influencer Collaborations:
Partner with influential athletes, entertainers, celebrities, and social media influencers who have successfully monetized their NIL. They will serve as brand ambassadors and share their experiences, insights, and endorsement of CAECAY, Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation, AMWF, Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim, Superstar Management, Ex-why AdVentures, and Nowtruth’s NIL Monetization Program through:
Sponsored social media posts and stories.
Live streams or recorded videos discussing the benefits of NIL monetization and CAECAY, Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation, AMWF, Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim, Superstar Management, Ex-why AdVentures, and Nowtruth’s support.
Collaborative content, such as Q&A sessions or exclusive interviews, showcasing their journey and financial success.
Educational Webinars and Workshops:
Organize informative webinars and workshops led by industry experts and professionals from CAECAY, Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation, AMWF, Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim, Superstar Management, Ex-why AdVentures, and Nowtruth. These sessions will cover topics like:
Understanding the legal aspects and guidelines of NIL monetization.
Building and managing a personal brand for maximum impact.
Social media strategies to enhance engagement and attract sponsorships.
Financial planning and wealth management for long-term success.
Contract negotiations and endorsement opportunities.
PR and Media Outreach:
Engage with media outlets, sports networks, and entertainment platforms to share the success stories of individuals who have thrived through CAECAY, Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation, AMWF, Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim, Superstar Management, Ex-why AdVentures, and Nowtruth’s NIL Monetization Program. Provide press releases, interviews, and media kits highlighting the transformative experiences and financial gains achieved by program participants.
Campus Activations and Events:
Organize interactive events and activations on college campuses, sports venues, and entertainment hubs. These activities may include:
Panel discussions featuring industry experts, successful athletes, entertainers, and influencers sharing their NIL monetization journey.
Autograph signings, meet-and-greets, or mini-clinics conducted by prominent athletes or entertainers.
Competitions or challenges encouraging students to showcase their talent and entrepreneurial spirit.
Sponsorship of sporting events or concerts, leveraging CAECAY, Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation, AMWF, Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim, Superstar Management, Ex-why AdVentures, and Nowtruth’s presence to connect with the target audience.
Measurement and Evaluation:
Track website traffic, click-through rates, and conversions from digital advertisements.
Monitor social media analytics to assess reach, engagement, and audience sentiment.
Measure the number of enrollments and inquiries received through the campaign period.
Conduct surveys and feedback sessions to gauge awareness, perception, and satisfaction among the target audience.
Monitor media coverage, including press mentions, interviews, and features, to evaluate campaign reach and impact.
CAECAY recognizes that student athletes and entertainers possess unique talents and personal brands that can be harnessed for financial gain. Through their comprehensive program, they equip individuals with the knowledge, tools, and support necessary to leverage their NIL effectively. Whether it’s signing autographs, coaching lessons and clinics, social media endorsements, or appearances at restaurants and events, CAECAY, Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation, AMWF, Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim, Superstar Management, Ex-why AdVentures, and Nowtruth’s program provides the guidance needed to maximize earning potential. Their expertise and proven track record make them an invaluable resource for those seeking to monetize their personal brand.
Empowering Through Education:
One of CAECAY’s core principles is education. They understand the importance of equipping student athletes and entertainers with the skills and knowledge required to navigate the complexities of NIL monetization. Through their partnership with industry experts and professionals, CAECAY offers educational webinars and workshops that cover a wide range of topics. From legal aspects and guidelines surrounding NIL monetization to building and managing a personal brand, participants gain valuable insights and practical strategies for success. CAECAY’s dedication to empowering individuals through education sets them apart as a leader in the field.
A Network of Support:
CAECAY’s network of influential organizations and personalities provides participants with unparalleled opportunities for growth and collaboration. The Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation, AMWF, Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim, Superstar Management, Ex-why AdVentures, and Nowtruth bring their expertise, connections, and resources to the table, ensuring participants receive the support they need to thrive. With their guidance, individuals can navigate the intricacies of contract negotiations, endorsement deals, and wealth management, fostering long-term success in their careers.
Creating Alternatives for Youths:
Beyond the individual benefits, CAECAY’s mission extends to creating alternatives for youths. By empowering student athletes and entertainers to monetize their NIL, CAECAY generates opportunities that not only shape their own futures but also provide inspiration and pathways for aspiring young talents. Through mentorship programs, community engagements, and outreach initiatives, CAECAY strives to make a positive impact on the lives of young individuals, creating a ripple effect that reaches far beyond the realm of sports and entertainment.
As the landscape of collegiate sports and entertainment continues to evolve, CAECAY stands at the forefront, offering a comprehensive program that unlocks the financial potential of student athletes and entertainers through NIL monetization.
Through an integrated advertising campaign encompassing television commercials, digital advertisements, influencer collaborations, educational webinars, PR outreach, and campus activations, CAECAY aims to empower student athletes, entertainers, celebrities, and influencers to monetize their NIL. By showcasing success stories, providing educational resources, and fostering strategic partnerships, the campaign will drive awareness and engagement, positioning CAECAY as a trusted partner in unlocking financial opportunities through NIL monetization.
With their 50 years of experience, partnerships with influential organizations and personalities, and dedication to education and empowerment, CAECAY is paving the way for a new era of financial opportunities. By joining forces with the Aaron & Margaret Wallace Foundation, AMWF, Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim, Superstar Management, Ex-why AdVentures, and Nowtruth, CAECAY creates a formidable alliance that is set to revolutionize the world of NIL. Together, they provide the guidance, resources, and support needed for individuals to maximize their personal brand and create a prosperous future.
The judges failed to recuse themselves from 685 lawsuits from 2010 to 2018 involving firms in which they or their family held shares, a Wall Street Journal investigation found.
By James V. Grimaldi, Coulter Jones and Joe Palazzolo
More than 130 federal judges have violated U.S. law and judicial ethics by overseeing court cases involving companies in which they or their family owned stock.
A Wall Street Journal investigation found that judges have improperly failed to disqualify themselves from 685 court cases around the nation since 2010. The jurists were appointed by nearly every president from Lyndon Johnson to Donald Trump.
About two-thirds of federal district judges disclosed holdings of individual stocks, and nearly one of every five who did heard at least one case involving those stocks.
Alerted to the violations by the Journal, 56 of the judges have directed court clerks to notify parties in 329 lawsuits that they should have recused themselves. That means new judges might be assigned, potentially upending rulings.
When judges participated in such cases, about two-thirds of their rulings on motions that were contested came down in favor of their or their family’s financial interests.
In New York, Judge Edgardo Ramos handled a suit between an Exxon Mobil Corp. unit and TIG Insurance Co. over a pollution claim while owning between $15,001 and $50,000 of Exxon stock, according to his financial disclosure form. He accepted an arbitration panel’s opinion that TIG should pay Exxon $25 million and added $8 million of interest to the tab.
In Colorado, Judge Lewis Babcock oversaw a case involving a ComcastCorp. subsidiary, ruling in its favor, while he or his family held between $15,001 and $50,000 of Comcast stock.
At an Ohio-based appeals court, Judge Julia Smith Gibbons wrote an opinion that favored Ford Motor Co. in a trademark dispute while her husband held stock in the auto maker. After she and the others on the three-judge appellate panel heard arguments but before they ruled, her husband’s financial adviser bought two chunks of Ford stock, each valued at up to $15,000, for his retirement account, according to her disclosure form.
Edgardo Ramos, Lewis Babcock, Julia Smith Gibbons
The hundreds of recusal violations found by the Journal breach a bedrock principle of American jurisprudence: No one should be a judge of his or her own cause. Congress first laid out that principle in 1792 to guarantee litigants an impartial judge and reassure the public that courts could be trusted.
Judge Ramos, who oversaw the Exxon case, was unaware of his violation, said an official of the New York federal court, because his “recusal list”—a tally judges keep of parties they shouldn’t have in their courtrooms—listed only parent Exxon Mobil Corp. and not the unit, whose name includes the additional word “oil.” The official said the court conflict-screening software relied on exact matches.
The unit had informed the court at the outset of the case that it was a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil so Judge Ramos could “evaluate possible disqualification or recusal,” a court filing shows.
After the Journal contacted Judge Ramos, who was named to the court by former President Barack Obama, the court’s clerk notified the parties of his stockholding. TIG attorneys asked the court to set aside his ruling and send the case to a new judge because of “the inevitable appearance of partiality.” Exxon opposed assigning a new judge, calling that a “manifest unfairness, gross inefficiency, and waste of judicial resources.” An appellate court has put a hearing on hold until the district court decides what to do.
In the Comcast case, a Colorado couple asked Judge Babcock to issue an order blocking Comcast from accessing their property to install fiber-optic cable. Representing themselves in court, Andrew O’Connor and Mary Henry accused Comcast workers of bullying them, scaring their 10-year-old daughter and injuring their dog, Einstein, allegations the company denied. Judge Babcock, who was appointed to the court by former President Ronald Reagan, ruled the couple had “continually blocked Comcast’s access to the easement.” He sent the case back to state court, as Comcast wanted.
“I dropped the ball,” Judge Babcock said when asked about the recusal violation. He blamed flawed internal procedures. “Thank you for helping me stay on my toes the way I’m supposed to,” he said. A Comcast spokeswoman declined to comment.
Mr. O’Connor, who settled his case in state court, said, “If you are a federal judge, you should not be holding individual stocks.”
Judge Gibbons from the Ford trademark case, appointed to the appeals court by former President George W. Bush, said she had mistakenly believed holdings in her husband’s retirement account didn’t require her recusal. She later directed the clerk of the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to notify the parties of the violation and said that her husband has since told his financial adviser not to buy individual stocks.
“I regret my misunderstanding, but I assure you it was an honest one,” she said.
A spokesman for Ford said: “A fair and impartial judiciary is critical to the integrity of our legal system. In this case, the violation of Ford’s trademarks was clear.”
“I dropped the ball. Thank you for helping me stay on my toes the way I’m supposed to.”— Judge Lewis Babcock, when asked about his violations
Nothing bars judges from owning stocks, but federal law since 1974 has prohibited judges from hearing cases that involve a party in which they, their spouses or their minor children have a “legal or equitable interest, however small.” That law and the Judicial Conference of the U.S., which is the federal courts’ policy-making body, require judges to avoid even the appearance of a conflict. Although most lawsuits don’t directly affect a company’s stock price, the Supreme Court in 1988 said the law’s purpose is to promote confidence in the judiciary.
Conflict-of-interest rules are common for state and federal employees as well as for lawyers, journalists and corporate executives. U.S. government workers may not participate “personally and substantially” in matters in which they have a financial interest.
The Journal reviewed financial disclosure forms filed annually for 2010 through 2018 by roughly 700 federal judges who reported holding individual stocks of large companies, and then compared those holdings to tens of thousands of court dockets in civil cases. The same conflict rules apply to criminal cases, but large companies are rarely charged, and the Journal found no instances of judges holding shares of corporate criminal defendants in their courts.
It found that 129 federal district judges and two federal appellate judges had at least one case in which a stock they or their family owned was a plaintiff or defendant.
Judges’ stockholdings exceeded $15,000 in 173 cases and $50,000 in 21 of those cases, although under the law, the amount doesn’t matter.
The Journal found 61 judges or their families not only holding stocks in companies that were plaintiffs or defendants in the judges’ courts but also trading the stocks during cases.
Judges offered a variety of explanations for the violations. Some blamed court clerks. Some said their recusal lists had misspellings that foiled the conflict-screening software. Some pointed to trades that resulted in losses. Others said they had only nominal roles, such as confirming settlements or transferring cases to other courts, though there is no legal exemption for such work.
The ethics code for federal judges “requires recusal when a judge has a financial conflict, regardless of the substance of the judge’s actual involvement in the case,” the Judicial Conference’s Committee on Codes of Conduct wrote in a letter to a judge this month.
Some blamed court clerks. Some said their recusal lists had misspellings. Some pointed to trades that resulted in losses.
In response to the Journal’s findings, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts said: “The Wall Street Journal’s report on instances where conflicts inadvertently were not identified before a case was resolved or transferred is troubling, and the Administrative Office is carefully reviewing the matter.”
It said the federal judiciary “takes very seriously its obligations to preclude any financial conflicts of interest” and has taken steps, such as conflict-screening software and ethics training, to prevent violations. “We have in place a number of safeguards and are looking for ways to improve,” the office said.
Chief Justice John Roberts, who heads the federal judiciary, didn’t respond to requests for comment.
The nation’s roughly 600 full-time federal trial judges, supplemented by about 460 semiretired jurists called senior judges, wield enormous power. Holding lifetime appointments, they preside over hundreds of thousands of civil and criminal cases each year in 94 court districts.
They have soup-to-nuts control over all elements of their courtrooms, from pretrial process and trial to criminal pleas, judgments and sentencing. Judges have wide latitude for fact findings and evidentiary rulings, most of which can be overturned only for abuse of discretion, a high hurdle.
Violations of the 1974 law almost never become public. Judges’ financial disclosures aren’t online, are cumbersome to request and sometimes take years to access.
Judges are informed if anyone requests to see their disclosures, creating a disincentive for lawyers who might fear annoying judges in whose courtrooms they frequently appear.
Judges rarely make public the lists of companies on whose cases they shouldn’t work. When judges disqualify themselves from cases, they typically don’t disclose details. No judges in modern times have been removed from the federal bench solely for having a financial interest in a plaintiff or defendant that appeared in their courtroom.
“I just blew it. I regret any question that I’ve created an appearance of impropriety or a conflict of interest.”— Judge Timothy Batten Sr., when notified of his violations
The Journal analyzed data from the Free Law Project, a nonpartisan legal-research nonprofit that is planning to post judicial disclosure forms online. The findings amount to a pervasive disregard for the judicial conflict-of-interest laws, legal experts said.
A recusal violation in isolation could be viewed as an oversight, but the Journal’s investigation “raises a more systemic problem of judges chronically neglecting their duty to disqualify in such cases,” said Charles Geyh, a law professor at Indiana University, who specializes in judicial conduct, ethics and accountability.
The findings “are both surprising and disappointing,” said Timothy Batten Sr., chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia and a member of the Committee on Codes of Conduct for the Judicial Conference of the U.S.
“I believe in the vast majority of these cases, it is an oversight and indolence,” he added.
Judge Batten himself owned shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. while he heard 11 lawsuits involving the bank, most of which ended in the bank’s favor, the Journal’s analysis shows.
“I am mortified,” Judge Batten said in a phone interview when notified about his violations, which occurred in 2010 and 2011, before he joined the Codes of Conduct committee in 2019. “I had no idea that I had an interest in any of these companies in what was a most modest retirement account” managed by a broker.
“I just blew it. I regret any question that I’ve created or appearance of impropriety or a conflict of interest,” he said.
Judge Batten, appointed by former President George W. Bush, said he stopped investing in individual stocks in 2012 and moved his portfolio to mutual funds, which don’t require recusal, and has since closed the account.
The Journal analyzed cases to determine whether judges made rulings on contested motions, such as those seeking dismissal or summary judgment. Judges ruled on contested motions in 21% of the nearly 700 cases in question.
Those rulings favored the judges’ financial interests in 94 cases, went against the judges’ interest in 27 cases and had mixed outcomes in 24 cases.
Already, several parties on the losing side of the rulings have petitioned for a new judge to hear their cases after they were alerted to the violations identified by the Journal.
Several judges misunderstood the law, initially saying that they didn’t have to recuse themselves because their shares were held in accounts run by a money manager.
The ban on holding even a single share of a company while presiding in a case involving the firm means judges must be vigilant. The 1974 law requires judges to inform themselves about their own financial interests and make a “reasonable effort” to do the same for their spouses and any minor children. The Judicial Conference of the U.S. requires courts to use conflict-checking software to help identify cases where judges should bow out.
In the Microsoft case, a Chicago man alleged the software giant violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by sending an unsolicited text about its Xbox gaming console to his mobile phone. He filed suit in 2011. One of Judge Sammartino’s family trusts bought Microsoft stock twice in 2012 and added three purchases in 2013.
The plaintiff’s lawyers sought in 2013 to turn the case into a class action involving 91,708 people who allegedly received the text messages. Microsoft said that it had received permission to send the texts but that records confirming this had been destroyed. Had a class been approved, the case could potentially have cost Microsoft more than $45 million, according to court filings by the plaintiff.
Judge Sammartino denied the class-action motion as well as Microsoft’s motion to dismiss the case. She ruled that the law permitted the plaintiff to seek damages of $500 for one alleged violation, potentially tripled. He appealed but settled before the appeal was heard. A spokesman for Microsoft declined to comment. One of the plaintiff’s lawyers also declined to comment.
Judge Sammartino, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, initially referred questions from the Journal to William Cracraft, a spokesman for the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. “She asked me to let you know” her stocks “are in a managed account, so she’s not seeing as how there could be a conflict,” Mr. Cracraft said. “She’s not inclined to discuss her private business with you since it is all in managed accounts, and she thinks that’s sufficient.”
An opinion by the Judicial Conference’s Committee on Codes of Conduct in 2013 confirmed that judges must bow out of cases involving stocks they own in accounts run by money managers.
Judge Sammartino later informed the court clerk’s office of the conflicts, and the office filed a letter notifying parties to the Microsoft case and other cases with violations identified by the Journal.
“Judge Sammartino was not aware of this financial interest at the time the case was pending,” the letter said. “The matter was brought to her attention after disposition of the case. Thus, the financial interest neither affected nor impacted her decisions in this case. However, the financial interest would have required recusal.”
Before the Journal contacted Judge Sammartino about her recusal violations, she disqualified herself in at least 10 other cases involving companies whose stocks were listed on her disclosure forms, a review of her cases shows.
Judge Rodney Gilstrap, chief of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, had the largest number of conflicts in the Journal’s analysis: 138 cases assigned to him involving companies in which he or his wife held an interest.
Judge Gilstrap said he believed he didn’t need to recuse himself from some cases because they required little or no action on his part, and in other cases because the stocks were in a trust created for his wife. Legal-ethics experts disagreed on both counts.
“I take my obligations related to potential conflicts/recusals seriously,” he said in an email. “Throughout my judicial career, I have endeavored to comply with all such obligations, and I will continue to do so.”
Judge Sammartino’s 54 conflicts were the second-most recusal violations. Brian Martinotti in New Jersey ranked third, handling 44 cases involving companies in which he had invested. Among his biggest holdings was Alphabet Inc., the parent of Google. He disclosed in 2016, 2017 and 2018 that he owned $15,001 to $50,000 of Alphabet shares.
Brian Martinotti, Gershwin Drain, Emily Marks
In 2017, the judge threw out a lawsuit against Google alleging that videos on its YouTube unit falsely said the plaintiff was a sex offender, ruling that the Communications Decency Act let Google off the hook.
Judge Martinotti, an Obama appointee, didn’t respond to requests for comment, but after the Journal inquired, the district court clerk notified parties to 44 cases of Judge Martinotti’s stock ownership. His Alphabet holding didn’t affect the judge’s decisions but would have required recusal, the clerk wrote. A spokesman for Google declined to comment.
“I would like my case to be re-opened as Judge Brian R. Martinotti was unfairly biased and should have recused himself from my case,” the plaintiff, Nuwan Weerahandi, wrote in an August 2021 letter to the court, after receiving notice of Judge Martinotti’s violation.
The chief judge of the New Jersey federal court, Freda Wolfson, denied Mr. Weerahandi’s request on Sept. 2, saying the Communications Decency Act bars defamation-related claims against computer services such as Google.
“Importantly, in making this purely legal determination, Judge Martinotti did not engage in any factfinding that would bear on the credibility of any party, including you,” Judge Wolfson wrote.
In at least 18 instances, judges disqualified themselves over conflicts, only to have the case reassigned to a judge who also had a conflict but didn’t recuse.
In 2015, Judge Robert Cleland in Michigan, a George H.W. Bush appointee, bowed out of a suit by an injured motorist against insurer Allstate Corp., whose stock the judge had been buying and selling that year.
The case was reassigned to Judge Gershwin Drain, who also owned Allstate shares. Judge Drain heard the case—and six others involving Allstate—and wrote a ruling denying a request by the motorist to move the dispute to state court. The case then settled on undisclosed terms.
“I can say with absolute certainty that I never made any decision in favor of a company because I owned stock and was invested in that company,” Judge Drain said in an email. “To prevent any future issues, however, I have taken steps to review any new cases and if I am invested in any of the companies among the new cases that are assigned to me I will immediately recuse myself.” Allstate didn’t respond to requests for comment. A lawyer for the motorist declined to comment.
Frequent recusals can upset courts’ random drawing of judges for cases and lead to a smaller pool. In 20 federal districts, a third or more judges owned the same stock in the same year. In the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in 2017, fully a third disclosed a Microsoft stock holding.
More than 340 federal appellate and trial judges reported holdings in Apple Inc. at some point from 2010 to 2018 and 300 in Microsoft. About 500 judges owned Bank of America, Citigroup Inc., JPMorgan or Wells Fargo shares at some point.
Those numbers reflect only stock ownership, not recusal violations. However, the Journal found 37 judges who owned a bank stock while improperly hearing a case involving that bank.
Judge Emily Marks bought Wells Fargo stock two weeks after she was assigned a Wells Fargo case, a conflict that now threatens to upset a ruling she made.
In the suit, Jacob Springer and Jeanetta Springer of Roanoke, Ala., acted as their own attorneys in challenging Wells Fargo’s foreclosure of Ms. Springer’s father’s home.
In court filings, they said her ailing father missed a mortgage payment three months before he died, after which his daughter, who inherited the home, made payments. Wells Fargo foreclosed, saying the Springers missed payments of about $4,100 on an outstanding mortgage of more than $80,000; they said they had missed just one $695 payment.
“This is outrageous. How am I supposed to know she owns stock in Wells Fargo?”— Jacob Springer, when told of the judge’s violation in the case he lost
Judge Marks, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama and an appointee of former President Donald Trump, was assigned the case in mid-August 2018. The judge bought Wells Fargo stock at the end of the month. In September, she adopted a magistrate judge’s recommendation to dismiss the Springers’ suit, a decision affirmed on appeal.
Judge Marks declined to comment. The court clerk told parties to the case that the judge had informed her of having owned the bank stock and directed the clerk to notify the parties. The clerk told them Judge Marks’s stock ownership didn’t affect her decisions in the case but would have required recusal.
Mr. Springer said, “This is outrageous. How am I supposed to know she owns stock in Wells Fargo?”
The Springers asked the court to reopen the case, saying in a filing that “a non-interested Judge” might have let them amend their pleadings. The court assigned a new judge to their suit in July. A spokesman for Wells Fargo declined to comment.
The nation’s 94 district courts are organized into 12 circuits, or regions. The Journal identified recusal violations in each region.
The U.S. Supreme Court wasn’t part of the Journal’s analysis. Nor did it include bankruptcy or magistrate judges.
Half of all federal trial and appellate judges in the Journal’s review disclosed minimum financial assets of $775,000 in 2018, while 31 reported a minimum of $10 million of assets. Some jurists joined the bench after lucrative careers in private practice.
Federal district judges draw an annual salary of $218,600, which isn’t much more than a first-year attorney at a top-tier law firm earns. Some judges said their salary level makes stock investments an attractive option.
Susan Webber Wright, Donald Graham, Benjamin Settle
“I have my judicial salary, but the law really restricts what else judges can do for additional income,” said Judge Susan Webber Wright in Arkansas. She said she held more stock when she was younger and trying to build a nest egg for her family.
Judge Wright, an appointee of former President George H.W. Bush, oversaw 2005 and 2006 cases involving Eli Lilly and Co. and Home Depot Inc. while owning shares of those companies. She issued no major rulings before one case settled and the other was transferred to another district.
“A judge has to be on her toes, and obviously I was not,” Judge Wright said.
Judges who have many conflicts are “either being careless or have people working for them who are not exercising due diligence,” she said, though she added that judges bear the ultimate responsibility for steering clear of conflicts.
Judge Donald Graham in Florida held American depositary receipts of Alcatel-Lucent while assigned to a case involving the French telecom maker. He sold the ADRs in 2010, a day after he approved a $45 million civil settlement between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Alcatel-Lucent over allegations the company bribed foreign officials. The company neither admitted nor denied the allegations.
After being contacted by the Journal, Judge Graham, a George H.W. Bush appointee, notified the court clerk of the violation. In a publicly filed letter to the parties, the clerk said Judge Graham’s holding didn’t affect his decisions.
A lawyer for the SEC told the court the agency didn’t believe any further action was required. Alcatel-Lucent’s current owner, Nokia Corp., declined to comment.
Judge Benjamin Settle in Washington state sold as much as $15,000 of Amgen Inc. stock during a case that was settled in 2012. He sold the stock in 2008, while the suit was under seal, giving him access to nonpublic information about an allegation of kickbacks to doctors. The case contributed to a $762 million penalty against the biotech company in 2012.
Judge Settle, a George W. Bush appointee, said he hadn’t included all of his holdings on his recusal list when he inherited the case in 2007 as a newly commissioned federal judge. “Amgen was among those mistakenly omitted,” he said.
Judge Settle said he directed his broker in 2008 to sell all of his stocks. A spokesman for Amgen declined to comment.
The Journal’s tally of recusal violations is likely an undercount. In Mississippi, Judge Sharion Aycock’s husband owned as much as $15,000 in shares of Dollar General Corp. at a time when the Journal found two cases she heard involving the retailer. After being asked about the matter, Judge Aycock found five more violations involving Dollar General and notified the clerk about all seven.
A few of the judges with violations the Journal identified had legendary careers, including Jack Weinstein and Arthur Spatt in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Judge Weinstein, a Lyndon Johnson appointee, oversaw four cases involving Medtronic PLC or Target Corp. while he or his family held their shares. Judge Spatt, who was named to the court by former President George H.W. Bush, had a violation involving Johnson & Johnson. Judge Spatt died in 2020 and Judge Weinstein died earlier this year, both having served into their 90s.
Judge Margo Brodie, chief of the Eastern District, which includes New York City’s Brooklyn and Queens boroughs, acknowledged the conflicts but said the judges’ “involvement was minimal, limited to ministerial actions” such as approving settlements or opinions by magistrate judges.
“These two judges have been revered by the practicing bar for their integrity and even handedness,” Judge Brodie said in an email. “There has never been a suggestion, much less an accusation, that either ever acted inappropriately.”
The Journal identified 36 conflicts by one judge in Colorado, R. Brooke Jackson. The cases included Apple, Chevron Corp., Eli Lilly, FacebookInc., General Electric Co., Home Depot, Honeywell International Inc., Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan, Pfizer and Wells Fargo.
“I have preferred to stay unknowledgeable about it.”— Judge R. Brooke Jackson, on the stocks in his and his wife’s portfolio
Reached by phone, Judge Jackson said he had no idea which stocks he owns because a money manager handles them and because his wife fills out his disclosure forms. He said that because he doesn’t know, he couldn’t have a conflict of interest.
“I’ve never really paid much attention to it,” Judge Jackson said of his and his wife’s investments. “I have preferred to stay unknowledgeable about it.”
Told he was required to know under the law, he said: “That’s news to me.”
In a later email, Judge Jackson, an Obama appointee, admitted his mistake. “I am taking immediate steps to provide a current list of stocks and other investments held by my wife and by me to our Clerk’s Office so that we can create an appropriate conflicts list and be sure that this does not happen again,” he wrote.
Does some judges’ ownership of shares in companies in their courtrooms shake your confidence in the courts? Join the conversation below.
In a subsequent 21-page letter to the Journal, Judge Jackson said he should have recused himself in most if not all of the 36 cases.
“I am embarrassed that I did not properly understand and apply the stock ownership rule,” he wrote. “Being informed of what could be viewed as an ethical violation, even a technical one, is no fun.”
R. Brooke Jackson, David Norton, Sharion Aycock
Judge David Norton in South Carolina presided over six asbestos suits beginning in 2012 while his disclosures show he held between $95,004 and $250,000 of stock in two defendants, 3M Co. and GE.
In 2015 he heard a case filed by James Chesher, who alleged that he developed cancer from exposure to asbestos in the Navy. Mr. Chesher and his wife sought damages from 3M, GE and about two dozen other companies. They reached settlements with 3M and GE in 2016.
Mr. Chesher died in 2017. His widow, Cheryl Ann Chesher, was surprised to learn from the Journal of the judge’s financial interest in GE and 3M.
“He should have policed himself,” Ms. Chesher said. “He knows what the law is on that and he should have followed through,” she said, adding: “You have to wonder if he’s looking out for himself…rather than the clients.”
In an emailed statement, Judge Norton said he didn’t recuse himself because 3M and GE played no significant role in the suits and were “defendants in name only.”
He added: “At the outset the lawyers involved in these cases assured me that 3M and GE would be dismissed and not involved in the case pursuant to a pre-existing agreement between the plaintiffs’ lawyers and GE and 3M.”
Peter Kraus, an attorney for the Cheshers, said he and his co-counsel “have no recollection about making any assurances to the judge that GE and 3M would be dismissed.” They “were sued because the evidence in the case implicated them, and were certainly not ‘defendants in name only,’ ” he said, adding that attorneys for both companies participated in depositions.
A 3M spokeswoman said neither the company nor its attorneys ever assured the judge regarding any dismissals. A spokeswoman for GE didn’t respond to questions about whether it had conveyed such an assurance. An attorney for GE said she didn’t recall the case.
Told what 3M and the plaintiffs’ attorney said, Judge Norton reiterated his recollection of the case.
As remaining asbestos defendants moved toward trial, Judge Norton, a George H.W. Bush appointee, issued rulings that broadly benefited companies with asbestos liabilities.
In hearings, he took aim at the theory behind the cases: that any exposure to asbestos was significant enough to contribute to their cancer. The defendants said the plaintiffs’ expert witness shouldn’t be allowed to testify because he was unable to show that the men more likely than not would have avoided the disease but for their exposure to the asbestos. Judge Norton sided with the companies, ruling that the expert witness’s testimony—“scientifically sound as it may be”—couldn’t be presented to a jury.
The ruling drew national attention. Plaintiffs’ lawyers denounced it, while lawyers who often defend corporations embraced it as common-sense analysis. A Harvard Law Review article blasted it, saying that “unrealistic legal expectations of science could do great injustice.”
Mr. Kraus, the Cheshers’s attorney, called the decision out of sync with court precedent on liability in asbestos cases. Other courts have adopted Judge Norton’s analysis, including the Ohio Supreme Court.
Mr. Kraus said he has never asked to see a judge’s financial disclosure form. He said he wasn’t sure he ever would.
“If a judge who is considering a matter you have before him finds out that you’ve been snooping around about his finances, I’d be very concerned as a practitioner that it would cause a negative backlash that would affect my clients’ rights in the court,” Mr. Kraus said.
Judge Norton also violated an ethics rule when he bought a box of cuff links at an auction of the government-seized property of a man he earlier sentenced to prison for a Ponzi scheme, according to the chief judge of the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
“The judge’s purchase did create an appearance of impropriety,” though it didn’t affect the sentence imposed, Chief Judge Roger Gregory wrote in 2017, without identifying the cuff links buyer.
Judge Gregory quoted the unnamed judge as saying he tried to “keep current on all ethical rules and take the yearly ethics test prepared by the Administrative office” but was unaware that his participation in the auction could create the appearance of impropriety.
Judge Norton, who confirmed in a separate filing that he bought the cuff links, told the Fourth Circuit: “Now that I have been made aware of this, my actions will not be repeated.”
In the largest known political advocacy donation in U.S. history, industrialist Barre Seid funded a new group run by Federalist Society co-chair Leonard Leo, who guided Trump’s Supreme Court picks and helped end federal abortion rights.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
An elderly, ultra-secretive Chicago businessman has given the largest known donation to a political advocacy group in U.S. history — worth $1.6 billion — and the recipient is one of the prime architects of conservatives’ efforts to reshape the American judicial system, including the Supreme Court.
Through a series of opaque transactions over the past two years, Barre Seid, a 90-year-old manufacturing magnate, gave the massive sum to a nonprofit run by Leonard Leo, who co-chairs the conservative legal group the Federalist Society.
The donation was first reported by The New York Times on Monday. The Lever and ProPublica confirmed the information from documents received independently by the news organizations.
Our reporting sheds additional light on how the two men, one a judicial kingmaker and the other a mysterious but prolific donor to conservative causes, came together to create a political war chest that will likely supercharge efforts to further shift American politics to the right.
As President Donald Trump’s adviser on judicial nominations, Leo helped build the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority, which recently eliminated Constitutional protections for abortion rights and has made a series of sweeping pro-business decisions. Leo, a conservative Catholic, has both helped select judges to nominate to the Supreme Court and directed multimillion dollar media campaigns to confirm them.
Leo derives immense political power through his ability to raise huge sums of money and distribute those funds throughout the conservative movement to influence elections, judicial appointments and policy battles. Yet the biggest funders of Leo’s operation have long been a mystery.
Seid, who led the surge protector and data-center equipment maker Tripp Lite for more than half a century, has been almost unknown outside a small circle of political and cultural recipients. The gift immediately vaults him into the ranks of major funders like the Koch brothers and George Soros.
In practical terms, there are few limitations on how Leo’s new group, the Marble Freedom Trust, can spend the enormous donation. The structure of the donation allowed Seid to avoid as much as $400 million in taxes. Thus, he maximized the amount of money at Leo’s disposal.
Now, Leo, 56, is positioned to finance his already sprawling network with one of the largest pools of political capital in American history. Seid has left his legacy to Leo.
“To my knowledge, it is entirely without precedent for a political operative to be given control of such an astonishing amount of money,” said Brendan Fischer, a campaign finance lawyer at the nonpartisan watchdog group Documented. “Leonard Leo is already incredibly powerful, and now he is going to have over a billion dollars at his disposal to continue upending our country’s institutions.”
In a statement to the Times, Leo said it was “high time for the conservative movement to be among the ranks of George Soros, Hansjörg Wyss, Arabella Advisors and other left-wing philanthropists, going toe-to-toe in the fight to defend our constitution and its ideals.” Leo and representatives for Seid did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Marble Freedom Trust is a so-called dark money group that is not required to publicly disclose its donors. It has wide latitude to spend directly on elections as well as on ideological projects such as funding issue-advocacy groups, think tanks, universities, religious institutions and organizing efforts.
The creators of the Marble Freedom Trust shrouded their project in secrecy for more than two years.
The group’s name does not appear in any public database of business, tax or securities records. The Marble Freedom Trust is organized for legal purposes as a trust, rather than as a corporation. That means it did not have to publicly disclose basic details like its name, directors and address.
The trust was formed in Utah. Its address is a house in North Salt Lake owned by Tyler Green, a lawyer who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Green is listed in the trust’s tax return as an administrative trustee. The donation does not appear to violate any laws.
Seid’s $1.6 billion donation is a landmark in the era of deregulated political spending ushered in by the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision. That case, along with subsequent changes and weak federal oversight, empowered a tiny group of the super rich in both parties to fund groups that can spend unlimited sums to support candidates and political causes. In the last decade, donations in the millions and sometimes tens of millions of dollars have become common.
Individuals could give unlimited amounts of money to nonprofit groups prior to Citizens United, but the decision allowed those nonprofits to more directly influence elections. A handful of billionaires such as the Koch family and Soros have spent billions to achieve epochal political influence by bankrolling networks of nonprofits.
Even in this money-drenched world, Seid’s $1.6 billion gift exceeds all publicly known one-time donations to a politically oriented group.
The Silent Donor
One day in November 2015, the employees of Tripp Lite, a manufacturer of power strips and other electrical equipment, gathered for a celebration at the company’s headquarters on the South Side of Chicago. Cupcakes frosted in blue and white spelled out the numbers “56.” An easel held up a sign hailing Tripp Lite’s longtime leader: “Congratulations Barre!”
A small, balding man with a white goatee and a ruddy complexion took the microphone. Barre Seid was known as someone who preferred to keep a low profile, but on the 56th anniversary of his leadership of Tripp Lite, he couldn’t resist the chance to address his employees. Later, as he bit into a cupcake, Seid posed for a company photographer, who later uploaded the photo to the company’s Facebook page.
Even this semipublic glimpse of Seid was rare.
For several decades, a select group of political activists, academics and fundraisers was ushered to Tripp Lite headquarters to pitch Seid at his office. Despite his status as one of the country’s most prolific funders of conservative causes, and despite his decades as the president and sole owner of one of the country’s most successful electronics makers, Seid has spent most of his 90 years painstakingly guarding his privacy.
There are no art galleries, opera companies, or theaters or university buildings emblazoned with his name in his hometown of Chicago. There’s even some confusion over how to pronounce his last name. (People who’ve dealt with him say it’s “side.”)
The Lever and ProPublica pieced together the details of his life and his motivations for his extensive donations through interviews, court records and other documents obtained through public-records requests.
One of the only photos of Seid that The Lever and ProPublica could find shows him as a 14-year-old walking in a small group across a college campus. Born in 1932 to Russian Jewish immigrants, Seid grew up on the South Side of Chicago, the oldest of two brothers, according to Census records. A precocious child, he was chosen for a special bachelor’s degree program at the University of Chicago, not far from his childhood home.
Seid attended the University of Chicago in the early years of the “Chicago school,” a group of professors and researchers who would reimagine the field of economics, assailing massive government interventions in the economy and emphasizing the importance of human liberty and free markets. After college, Seid served two years in the Army and eventually returned home to Chicago, according to testimony given decades later in a court case. He took a job as an assistant to an investor and businessman named Graham Trippe, whose company made headlights and would produce the rotating warning lights used by police cars, tow trucks and other emergency response vehicles.
By the mid-1960s, Seid had taken over as Trippe Manufacturing’s president. In the decades to come, the company, now called Tripp Lite, became a pick-and-shovel business of the digital gold rush. The company sells the power strips that supply electricity to computers and the server racks, cooling equipment and network switches that make data centers run. Business surged with the shift to cloud computing and the proliferation of vast data centers.
That boom vaulted him from the ranks of merely rich to the superrich. Seid was making around $30 million per year by the mid-1990s, tax records obtained by ProPublica show. His annual income, the vast majority of which came from Tripp Lite’s profits, took off in the mid-2000s and steadily rose, hitting around $157 million in 2018. Tripp Lite, which was 100% owned by Seid, contributed $136 million to his total income that year.
Even as Seid built a billion-plus dollar business, he drew scant public attention; Forbes never put him on its list of the wealthiest Americans, and business and political press rarely mentioned him.
Yet he was becoming a major donor. He gave at least $775 million in charitable donations between 1996 and 2018, a period in which he reported $1.7 billion in income, according to his tax records. Seid parceled out a small portion of those donations to Chicago-area universities, religious organizations, medical research and dozens of civic-focused groups.
While Seid has never spoken to the press about his ideology, evidence of his worldview has emerged here and there. His family foundation has supported the University of Chicago’s Becker Friedman Institute for Economics, named after two of the Chicago school’s intellectual leaders, Gary Becker and Milton Friedman. He has also donated to the Heartland Institute, a Chicago-based nonprofit that has a history of using inflammatory rhetoric and misleading tactics to undermine climate science.
Seid appeared to be the donor (listed as “Barry Seid”) who gave $17 million to fund the distribution during the 2008 presidential campaign of millions of copies of a DVD of the film “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War With the West.” The DVDs, which were sent specifically to households in presidential election battleground states, were criticized as virulently anti-Muslim.
Seid’s personality can be glimpsed in exchanges with George Mason University officials from the late 2000s to mid-2010s that came out in response to a public-records request by the activist group UnKoch My Campus. In the emails, Seid comes across as an intellectually probing figure, asking the dean of the law school to respond to news stories about the value of a law-school degree or the workings of higher education’s accreditation system. Seid drily addressed several administrators for the university, whose law school and economics department are known for their alignment with conservative, free-market principles, as “Fellow Members of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.”
Seid appears to have continually sought new vehicles for dispensing his money and maintaining as much anonymity as possible. The GMU emails also show a redacted donor — who activists believed to be Seid based on other unredacted materials — routing donations to the school through DonorsTrust or the Donors Capital Fund, two donor-advised funds that provide an additional level of anonymity.
While the roots of Seid and Leo’s professional relationship aren’t clear, the two worked together at a small foundation Seid formed in 2009 called the Chicago Freedom Trust, a charity that gave out small grants to nonpolitical groups. Leo later joined the foundation’s board.
The GMU emails provide an inkling of the relationship between the two men. In early 2016, Seid emailed the dean of GMU’s law school and the head of a prominent American Jewish organization to urge them to work together. The dean, Henry Butler, forwarded Seid’s message to Leo seeking to better understand Seid’s intentions.
“Do you have any insight?” Butler wrote.
“I do not, but will find out,” Leo replied.
The Money
Billionaires tend to craft intricate estate plans to pass the family business to the next generation, fortified from taxation and protective of their vision. The apparently childless Seid didn’t have that option, but starting in April 2020, he set in motion a plan to make sure his fortune would go toward his favored causes.
That month, the Marble Freedom Trust was created, and Seid subsequently transferred his 100% ownership stake in Tripp Lite to the trust, according to the documents reviewed by The Lever and ProPublica.
In February 2021, Tripp Lite filed its annualreports with the state of Illinois as it had done for decades. But this time, Seid’s typewritten name had been crossed out as an officer of the company. Added as an officer, written in by hand, was Leonard Leo.
A Tripp Lite subsidiary in Nova Scotia, Canada, similarly removed Seid as a director and added Leo as a director in March 2021, according to disclosure filings.
Then, later that same month, Eaton Corporation, a large publicly traded company, acquired Tripp Lite for $1.65 billion.
The transactions appear to have been carefully sequenced to reap massive tax savings. Selling a company that has grown in value after decades of ownership is treated the same way for tax purposes as a person selling a share of stock. If the property has grown in value, capital gains taxes are due when it is sold.
But Seid transferred Tripp Lite to the Marble Freedom Trust, a nonprofit that is exempt from income tax, before the electronics company was sold. As a result, lawyers say, Seid avoided up to $400 million in state and federal income tax, preserving those funds for Leo’s operation.
“If the person who had owned the stock had sold the stock himself, he would’ve been taxed on the appreciation in the stock,” said Ellen Aprill, a tax law professor at Loyola Marymount University. “Whereas if you give it to the 501(c)(4), there’s no charitable deduction for giving the money, but you avoid the tax on all of that appreciation.”
Political advocacy nonprofits like the Marble Freedom Trust are formally called 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations, after the section of the tax code. Informally, they are known as dark-money groups because donors can remain secret, in contrast to the public disclosures required of gifts to political campaigns or super PACs. While they can spend money directly advocating for or against candidates in political campaigns, such spending cannot be their primary purpose.
In giving to such a dark money group, Seid also avoided another federal levy, the gift tax, thanks to a change signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2015.
There’s a reason why giving money specifically to a trust might have been attractive for an older and ideological donor such as Seid. The founding documents that lay out how the trust will spend money can be harder to change than the governing documents of a corporation, according to Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer, a professor at Notre Dame Law School.
Mayer added that while corporations usually have at least three directors, trusts can have just a single trustee in charge of the organization’s activities.
Leo is the trustee and chairman of the Marble Freedom Trust. In other words, Leo is now in charge of the massive sum of money.
The Rainmaker
For decades, Leo had served as a top executive at the Federalist Society, helping lead the influential Washington-based conservative lawyers group that serves as a launching pad for careers on the right.
But in early 2020, Leo made an announcement that suggested he was taking his successful model for reshaping the courts to remake American politics at every level: local, state and federal. In an interview with Axios, Leo said he was stepping away from his day-to-day role with the Federalist Society to take a more active role steering a network of conservative dark money groups.
The plan was to expand the network’s scope to “funnel tens of millions of dollars into conservative fights around the country,” according to Axios. What Leo did not mention in the interview was the imminent creation of the Marble Freedom Trust, his biggest-ever war chest.
Leo’s long career as both a legal activist and a prodigious fundraiser for conservative causes shows a steady march toward becoming a central figure in the Republican Party’s successful strategy to fill as many judicial vacancies as possible with young, conservative judges skeptical of the federal government’s power. He served as an adviser to Trump’s 2016 campaign, helping the candidate take a step no other major presidential candidate had ever taken: releasing a list of names he would draw on to nominate to the Supreme Court.
Coming at a moment when conservatives were wary of Trump’s past leanings, the move bolstered his support among social conservatives. Leo stayed on as a judicial adviser during Trump’s four years in office. During that time, Leo helped the president appoint and confirm more than 200 nominees to the federal bench, most famously Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.
Leo’s efforts to reshape the country’s judicial system began long before Trump’s political ascent. In 1991, he joined the Federalist Society, which was then in its early years and only beginning to build a pipeline for conservative jurists.
In the view of Leo and his allies, the U.S. legal system had drifted dangerously far from its roots, establishing privileged classes and doctrines that were not enumerated in the Constitution and would be unrecognizable to the Founders. Those same courts had also empowered a class of unelected bureaucrats dubbed the “administrative state” to impose needless regulations and to endow the federal government with too much power. Like his close friend Justice Antonin Scalia, Leo argued for an originalist view of the Constitution — namely, that the country’s founding document should be interpreted strictly based on how its 18th century authors understood its words at the time.
In 2005, Leo and his allies formed a dark money network to rally support for George W. Bush’s Supreme Court nominees, John Roberts and Samuel Alito. But if Leo wanted to turn back the tide of what he saw as unchecked judicial activism, he needed to build something bigger, more lasting.
Leo set out to create a network of interlocking groups that could each play a part in returning the country to what he saw as its roots, whether by training future generations of Scalias, funding scholarship that made the case for originalism or bankrolling efforts to install conservative judges on the bench.
Between 2005 and mid-2021, Leo and his associates raised at least $460 million (not including the Marble Freedom Trust’s funds).
According to tax records, Leo’s network has funneled those hundreds of millions into ad campaigns and right-leaning groups. The Judicial Crisis Network — which is now called the Concord Fund and is headed by a former clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas and Leo associate named Carrie Severino — has spent tens of millions airing ads during Supreme Court confirmation fights.
The group’s fundraising took off in 2016, when it led a campaign to block Obama Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland’s confirmation. That year, Leo’s network received a $28 million infusion from a single anonymous donor. Leo and his network long refused to say who is paying for their advocacy campaigns.
Leo’s network has worked closely with Senate Republicans and has showered them with cash as well, recently donating $9 million to a dark money group affiliated with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
While Leo is best known for his influence on the Supreme Court, he and his network have also worked to shift the balance of power throughout the judiciary — in federal district and appellate courts, and state supreme courts, too.
At the state level, the network funds groups supporting conservative gubernatorial and legislative candidates. Leo’s nonprofits and their subsidiaries have recently pushed states to tighten voting laws, opposed the teaching of critical race theory in schools and financed organizations pressing states to remove millions of Americans from the Medicaid rolls.Republicans Turn Against the League of Women Voters
But now, with Seid’s largesse, Leo has nearly four times the amount he raised over 16 years at his disposal and ambitions to match.
“I have a very simple rule, which is, I’m engaged in the battle of ideas, and I care very deeply about our Constitution and the role of courts in our society,” Leo told The Washington Post in 2019 when asked about his donors. “And I don’t waste my time on stories that involve money and politics because what I care about is ideas.”