Conyers In The House

Congressman John Conyers, Jr – A Civil Rights Legend – Legacy Preserved

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 19:57:00 +0000

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

The Funeral of John Conyers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 16:42:00 +0000

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Public viewing held today for former Congressman John Conyers, Jr.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 21:48:00 +0000

Bill & John Campaigning in Detroit 2016

Posted: 9:56 AM, Nov 02, 2019 Updated: 11:18 PM, Nov 02, 2019

DETROIT (WXYZ) — One of two public viewings was held today for former Congressman John Conyers, Jr.

Both viewings will be held at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. The first is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the second Sunday, Nov. 3 from noon to 5 p.m.

Funeral arrangements announced for former Congressman John Conyers Jr.
Conyers's funeral service will be held Monday, Nov. 4 at Greater Grace Temple on 3500 W. Seven Mile Road in Detroit.

The service will take place at 11 a.m., with a preceding family hour beginning at 10 a.m.
https://www.wxyz.com/news/public-viewing-today-for-former-congressman-john-conyers-jr

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

House Floor Debate On Impeachment Inquiry Rules & Documents

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 14:00:00 +0000

House Impeachment House Resolution 660 Impeachment by Beverly Tran on Scribd

H. Res. 660 - Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes.

HEARING INFORMATION

Meeting Information

Wednesday, October 30, 2019 - 3:00pm H-313, the Capitol View Announcement »

VIDEO

Rules Committee Mark-up of H. Res. 660

BILL TEXT

Text of H. Res. 660 PDF XML

(as introduced)

Impeachment Inquiry Procedures in the Committee on the Judiciary Pursuant to H. Res. 660 PDF

(as submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by Chairman McGovern)

Fact Sheet: Key Provisions in the Resolution PDF

Text of H. Res. 661 PDF XML

(as introduced)

HEARING DOCUMENTS

H. Res. 660 PDF

(as reported)

H. Rept. 116-266 PDF

Amendments Offered to H. Res. 660

COMMITTEE VOTES

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 186

Amendment (no. 1) offered by Mr. Woodall to strike all except Section 4. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 187

Amendment (no. 2) offered by Mr. Burgess to strike the Committees on Financial Services and Ways and Means from Section 1. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 188

Amendment (no. 3) offered by Mr. Burgess to add language requiring the Committees on Financial Services and Ways and Means to produce and make available to all members documents detailing the nature and scope of their investigations. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 189

Amendment (no. 4) offered by Mr. Woodall to apply language requiring the chair of the Committee on Rules to promulgate additional procedures to allow for the participation of the President and his counsel in proceedings in the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 190

Amendment (no. 5) offered by Mr. Cole to add language permitting the chair and ranking minority member to yield their time to other members on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence during the extended questioning time. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 191

Amendment (no. 6) offered by Mrs. Lesko to allow the minority to call at least an equal number of witnesses and to authorize the ranking minority member to require as deemed necessary, by subpoena or otherwise, the attendance and testimony of any person and the production of records and other materials. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 192

Amendment (no. 7) offered by Mr. Cole to strike the section requiring written justification from the ranking minority member of the relevance of the testimony of each requested witness to the investigation. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 193

Amendment (no. 8) offered by Mr. Cole to require the chair to provide the ranking minority member written justification of the relevance of the testimony of each witness whose testimony is requested or required. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 194

Amendment (no. 9) offered by Mr. Woodall to add language that provides the ranking minority members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on the Judiciary with the authority to issue the same number of subpoenas as their respective chairs. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 195

Amendment (no. 10) offered by Mr. Cole to allow the ranking minority member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence the ability to issue subpoenas without the concurrence of the chair. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 196

Amendment (no. 11) offered by Mr. Cole to require the chair to have the concurrence of the ranking minority member to issue subpoenas and, if the ranking minority member does not concur, the chair may put the question before the full committee. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 197

Amendment (no. 12) offered by Mrs. Lesko to require the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and any other committee having custody of records or other materials relating to the inquiry to transfer all such records or materials including exculpatory materials to the Committee on the Judiciary. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 198

Amendment (no. 13) offered by Mrs. Lesko to allow the ranking members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and any other committees having custody of records or other materials relating to the inquiry to also transfer records and materials to the Committee on the Judiciary. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 199

Amendment (no. 14) offered by Mrs. Lesko to require the concurrence of the relevant ranking minority member in order to transfer records and other materials to the Committee on the Judiciary. If the ranking minority member does not concur, the chair shall have the right to refer to the committee for a decision. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 200

Amendment (no. 16) offered by Mr. Burgess to define “employee” as “other than a consultant whose services are procured in accordance with section 202(i) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4301(i))”. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 201

Amendment (no. 17) offered by Mr. Woodall to ensure the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence holds more than one open hearing. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 202

Amendment (no. 18) offered by Mr. Burgess to state that nothing in this resolution may be construed to limit the right of each Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner to have access to committee records pursuant to clause 2(e)(2) of rule XI. Defeated: 4–9

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Nay

Mrs. Torres

Nay

Mr. Perlmutter

Nay

Mr. Raskin

Nay

Ms. Scanlon

Nay

Mr. Morelle

Nay

Ms. Shalala

Nay

Mr. DeSaulnier

Nay

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Nay

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Yea

Mr. Woodall

Yea

Mr. Burgess

Yea

Mrs. Lesko

Yea

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 203

Motion to order H. Res. 660 reported favorably to the House. Agreed to: 9–4

Majority Member

Vote

Mr. Hastings

Yea

Mrs. Torres

Yea

Mr. Perlmutter

Yea

Mr. Raskin

Yea

Ms. Scanlon

Yea

Mr. Morelle

Yea

Ms. Shalala

Yea

Mr. DeSaulnier

Yea

Mr. McGovern, Chairman

Yea

Minority Member

Vote

Mr. Cole

Nay

Mr. Woodall

Nay

Mr. Burgess

Nay

Mrs. Lesko

Nay

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

CONYERS: The Report Of His Death

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 27 Oct 2019 21:26:00 +0000

I have no comment.

I am watching the heavens fall.

U.S. Rep. John Conyers, former dean of Congress, dies at the age of 90

Kathleen Gray and Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press

Published 4:34 p.m. ET Oct. 27, 2019 | Updated 5:09 p.m. ET Oct. 27, 2019

Monica and John Conyers pose for a photograph outside of Aretha Franklin's funeral at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit on Friday, August 31, 2018.
The Conyers - Post-vows
U.S. Rep. John Conyers, a civil rights icon who during five decades in Congress co-founded the National Black Caucus and pushed to establish a national holiday to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., died Sunday of natural causes at the age of 90.

His death comes after a long and illustrious career that spanned more than 50 years and 27 terms in office, but ended in 2018 with a sudden resignation amidst claims of sexual harassment and verbal abuse of employees and misuse of taxpayer funds to cover-up those claims.

Conyers' tenure was a remarkable 53-year-run during which the lawmaker, the son of a well-known labor lawyer in Detroit, compiled a near-record legacy of civil rights activism, longevity and advocacy for the poor and underprivileged.

He died with the sixth-longest tenure in congressional history.

"For a long time he was black America's congressman," said Sam Riddle, a longtime family friend and consultant to the Conyers family, who confirmed the death Sunday. "On the streets of Detroit, he'll be mourned."

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan in a statement said he "was deeply saddened" by Conyers' death.

"One of my most special memories was spending time with him at Gordon Park on 12th Street and Clairmount on the 50th anniversary of the violence of 1967 as he recounted the story of his courageous efforts to calm the angry crowds," Duggan said. "He has fought for a better Detroit for more than half a century.

"From co-founding the Congressional Black Caucus to leading the fight in Congress to enshrine Martin Luther King’s birthday as a national holiday, John Conyers’ impact on our city and nation will never be forgotten," Duggan said.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called Conyers a "lifelong Detroiter who was deeply committed to the city and to those he represented."

"His impact on our state, whether by spearheading reforms in criminal justice and voting rights in Congress or through his lifetime of civil rights activism, will not be forgotten," Whitmer said in a statement.

Conyers was born in Detroit and graduated from Northwestern High School. After a tour of duty with the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Conyers returned home to earn bachelor's and law degrees from Wayne State University.

His law practice and work in the auto plants in Detroit led him to the office of former U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, where he worked as a legislative assistant for three years. But by 1964, at the age of 35, Conyers went after a seat of his own in Congress, winning the first of 27 general elections and serving portions of Detroit and some surrounding Wayne County suburbs for the next five decades.

He may not have had many bills that carried his name — only 26 of the 712 bills he introduced became law, according to the Library of Congress — but he fought for issues of civil rights and social justice, including seeking reparations for the descendants of African-American slaves, modifying the mandatory sentences for those convicted of non-violent drug crimes, defending assaults on the Voting Rights Act, reforming laws that put juvenile offenders in prison for life and calling for investigations into police brutality of African-American men.

And he was the key sponsor of the bill, introduced each session for 20 years, that designated the third Monday of January as a federal holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Conyers introduced the bill four days after King was assassinated in 1968, but it wasn’t signed into law until 1989.

In the thick of the civil rights battles, Conyers walked alongside King and other leaders of the movement in Selma, Ala., to bring equal voting rights to blacks.

In 2015, during his 50th year in Congress, Conyers told the Washington Post that King was one of the most important historical figures in history.

"I felt the civil rights movement was a powerful chapter in American history, King to me is the outstanding international leader of the 20th century without every holding office," he said. "He advanced us forward even though there was a terrible loss of life and violence and injustice. But Martin Luther King Jr. moved us in a way that changed history."

He moved among those involved in the disturbance in Detroit in August 1967, urging calm. And he burnished his civil rights record even more by hiring icon Rosa Parks after she moved from Alabama to Detroit. The secretary and receptionist job in Conyers' Detroit office was a job she held until her retirement in 1988.

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who won election to Conyers' seat after his resignation, on Twitter called Conyers "our Congressman forever."

"He never once wavered in fighting for jobs, justice and peace," Tlaib tweeted. "We always knew where he stood on issues of equality and civil rights in the fight for the people. Thank you Congressman Conyers for fighting for us for over 50 years."

Career ends amidst a sex scandal
Despite facing a rising chorus of voices demanding he step down because of the sexual harassment claims, Conyers, D-Detroit, refused to do so for several months in 2017. The scandal was a swift and crushing fall from grace for the longest-serving active member of Congress.

Conyers, 90, resigned after an article on BuzzFeed.com detailed a secret settlement of more than $27,000 with a former staffer who accused him of making sexual advances toward her and paying her out of funds from his taxpayer-supported office.

Within days, several other women had come forward with accusations against Conyers, who, despite his express denials that he harassed anyone, saw House leaders and members of his own party abandon him, with three of the four Democrats in the Michigan delegation calling for him to resign.

In addition to Marion Brown, the staffer who received the settlement, six other women claimed they either experienced or saw him touching and rubbing women in his office, making sexual advances toward them or making inappropriate remarks. One of them filed a lawsuit against him early this year and then withdrew it, saying she didn't want to hurt Conyers' reputation.

Another woman, Washington lawyer Melanie Sloan, also told the Free Press that Conyers had verbally mistreated her, forced her to babysit his children and, on one occasion, showed up at a meeting with her at his office in his underwear —though she didn't consider it sexual harassment.

From accusation to resignation, Conyers' colleagues went from being warily supportive, urging caution while an investigation by the House Ethics Committee was completed to issuing outright calls for his resignation, even from at least one fellow member of the Congressional Black Caucus, which he helped to create in 1971.

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, who is the third-ranking Democrat in the House and had been a colleague of Conyers' on the Congressional Black Caucus since 1993, called for him to resign shortly after similar calls by House Speaker Paul Ryan and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Conyers' lawyer, Arnold Reed, of Southfield, had reiterated on several occasions that the congressman was not ready to resign and wanted to see the ethics investigation completed.

But with allegations swirling not only over the harassment claims but his use of taxpayer funds to pay at least one settlement, he abruptly stepped down as the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, a position he had held for more than two decades.

Then — with media reports that some members of the caucus were privately urging him to resign — he suddenly quit Washington, missing several votes, including one mandating sexual harassment training for members, as he headed back to Detroit and his family.

Conyers record in Congess
During his time in office, which he won with huge margins ever two years like clockwork, Conyers was considered one of the most liberal members of Congress, with a 100% rating from the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood and the Human Rights Campaign.

The conservative Freedom Works gave him a 15% rating, while the Club for Growth and Americans for Prosperity give him ratings of 8% and 6% respectively.

Conyers, however, had already come under scrutiny twice from the House Ethics Committee in Congress for possible transgressions in his office.

In 2017, the committee confirmed it was continuing to look at whether he had wrongly paid his former chief of staff more than $50,000 for time she didn't work. Conyers said he was only paying her for accrued leave time and severance as part of a separation agreement reached after she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of receiving stolen property unrelated to her job.

In 2003, the Free Press reported on complaints from six unnamed Conyers aides who said they were forced to work on various campaigns, including a failed legislative campaign for Conyers' wife, Monica, on government time. A follow-up Ethics Committee report, however, focused on allegations that the congressman used staff to babysit his sons, help his wife with her law studies and chauffeur him to private events.

Conyers' office denied the accusations and eventually reached a deal to ensure staff knew where their responsibilities began and ended.

In 2014, Conyers nearly didn’t get the chance to run for reelection because of irregularities in the petitions he filed to run for office. Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett said he had used ineligible people to gather signatures, but a federal court disagreed and the state Legislature passed a law that people who collected signatures didn’t need to be registered voters.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

CONYERS Portrait In The U.S. House Judiciary Committee 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 22:32:00 +0000

The portrait was placed, stage left, on the wall of the U.S. House of Representative Judiciary Committee.

Watch the unveiling ceremony here.

C-SPAN has locked the video on embedding, obstructing use in the public record.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

John Conyers, Sr. - Forefather of the UAW - Detroit & GM

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 15:59:00 +0000

I remember when he told me of how his father was beaten and bloodied trying to form the union by GM in Detroit.

Since this his legacy has been omitted from the history books, I believe we shall have a few fun projects coming up.

John Conyers, Sr.

Published: January 4, 1986

John Conyers, Sr.
Forefather of the UAW

DETROIT, Jan. 3— John Conyers Sr., a retired union official who was the father of Representative John Conyers Jr., Democrat of Michigan, died Wednesday at his Detroit home. He was 80 years old. Mr. Conyers had been an international representative for the United Automobile Workers.

In addition to his son John, Mr. Conyers is survived by his wife, Lucille, and another son, Nathan.

Black history, labor history intertwined in Detroit

March 1, 2010 11:58 AM CDT BY JOHN RUMMEL

DETROIT – Between the two World Wars, the groundwork was laid in this city’s Black community that culminated in the 1941 organizing of the world’s most powerful corporation: the Ford Motor Company.

That piece of Detroit’s rich labor and civil rights history was brought to life by professors Beth Bates and Quill Pettway in a Department of Africana Studies Black History Month celebration at Wayne State University here.

Bates’ research has focused on political, social, and economic developments within the 20th century African American community. Pettway is both a student and maker of history. He was helped organize the huge Ford Rouge plant and continued working there for 27 years before becoming a professor. Now almost 90, he continues to teach math at Wayne County Community College.

The two traced the origins of Detroit’s Black population. Escaping what for many was life as a Southern sharecropper, Black migration north took place at record levels in the early part of the last century. From 1916 to1917, Black migration to Detroit averaged 1,000 a month. “Simply put, they came looking for a better life, better education, security and to escape lynching” said Pettway.

By the early 1920s, 45 percent of Black men in Detroit worked at Ford.

Bates said those jobs at Ford gave hope to Blacks, but Henry Ford “extracted more than his pound of flesh in speed-ups.” She quoted the late autoworker Dave Moore who said “there was nothing liberal in the bastard – Ford’s strategy was simply different than GM or Chrysler,” where cleaning rest rooms and mopping floors was the best Blacks could expect.

Interwoven in Ford’s strategy was a paternalistic philosophy. Bates said Ford imagined Blacks might be “the perfect workers for his open shop movement, what he called his American Plan.” However, Bates said, Blacks also had their own American Plan, one that grew more incompatible with Henry Ford as time went by. Contrary to what many scholars have written, it was Black workers who paved the way for unionization at Ford, she said.

Throughout the 1930s the old AFL autoworkers union missed opportunities to support the Black community in their fight for civil rights and against police brutality, and did not work to develop a broader-based union organizing drive. “Black workers not initially signing union cards had less to do with allegiance to Ford than wanting to be treated as equals” by the union, said Bates.

She credited the role played by the Communist Party and other radicals in organizations like the unemployed councils and the International Labor Defense (which led the fight to save the Scottsboro Boys) because they facilitated a “cross-fertilization” and politicalization within the Black community, between workers at Ford and community members, on issues like racism, civil rights and jobs.

“By 1935, Black Detroiters considered Communists friends you could count on,” said Bates.

Unlike the old AFL union, the CIO’s United Auto Workers had a policy of racial equality that gave it an advantage, Pettway said.

He noted the role played by white Ford worker and lead union organizer Bill McKie. McKie’s job in Ford’s maintenance department allowed him to circulate amongst different workers. The fact that McKie was a known Communist did not hurt his ability to organize. He was “second to none, highly respected by everyone. Elected as a trustee his first year,” said Pettway.

The CIO saw to it that a broad base of union support was built within the Black community and on three occasion organized rallies with Paul Robeson.

Pettway said the last rally, in Detroit’s downtown Cadillac Square, drew 60,000 people. “Regardless of race, creed or color, they came to hear Robeson, Walter Reuther, former City Council President Erma Henderson,” among others.

On May 21, 1941, Ford workers overwhelmingly voted for the union.

The vote shook the automotive industry and shaped it for decades to come.

During discussion, retired UAW activist General Baker pointed to the “high level of solidarity” still seen within UAW Ford Local 600. At its peak there were 17,000 Black workers and even today, most top UAW national leaders come out of Local 600 he said.

Pettway said “the unity needed to organize Ford was the same unity that elected Barack Obama. This is what is necessary to move forward.”

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Rufus Cormier Discusses the House Committee on the Judiciary Impeachment Inquiry

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 18:34:00 +0000

How come Rufus has no Wikipedia page?

Biography

Lawyer Rufus Cormier was born on March 2, 1948, in Beaumont, Texas to Rufus Cormier and Katie Cormier. Cormier attended Hebert High School, where he played football with Jerry LeVias. Both Cormier and LeVias received full athletic scholarships to play football at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where Cormier was named outstanding lineman in the 1968 Bluebonnet Bowl. Cormier graduated with honors, earning his B.A. degree in anthropology in 1970. Cormier then received his J.D. degree from Yale University Law School in 1973.

Cormier began his legal career at the law firm of Paul Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton, & Garrison in New York. During his time there, Cormier was hired as a special assistant to John Doar, the lead counsel to the House Judiciary Committee for the Nixon Impeachment Inquiry. In 1974, he joined the law firm of Baker Botts LLP, becoming not only the first African American lawyer to be hired as a partner at a major Houston law firm, but also the first African American partner at a major corporate law firm in the State of Texas. After thirty-nine years with Baker Botts LLP, Cormier retired in 2013.

In addition to his law practice, Cormier served on numerous boards. He was appointed to Texas Southern University's Board of Regents in 1991. He also served on the board of directors for the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, the board of visitors for the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the board of directors of the Center For Houston’s Future, the executive board of SMU School of Law, and the board of directors for the Gulf Coast Legal Foundation, among others. Cormier was also honored for his professional and volunteer work. He received the Leon Jaworski award from the Houston Bar Association Auxiliary, the Anti-Defamation League’s Karen H. Susman Jurisprudence Award, and the Silver Anniversary Mustang Award from Southern Methodist University. He was also named one of The Best Lawyers in America, and a Super Lawyer by both Texas Monthly and Law and Politics magazines.

Cormier and his wife, Yvonne Clement Cormier, have three children: Michelle, Geoffrey, and Claire.

Rufus Cormier was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on November 30, 2016.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

CONYERS: FBI Broke the Law and General Counsel’s Office, Headed by Valerie Caproni, Sanctioned It and Must Face Consequences

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 20 Jul 2019 22:01:00 +0000

MARCH 20, 2007

Dean of the U.S. House
of Representatives
John Conyers, Jr.

(Washington) April 14, 2010 - House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement after the Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing on the Report by the Office of Inspector General (IG) of the Department of Justice on the FBI’s Use of Exigent Letters and Other Informal Requests for Telephone Records.

"Today’s hearing showed that the FBI broke the law on telephone records privacy and the General Counsel’s Office, headed by Valerie Caproni, sanctioned it and must face consequences," said Conyers. "I call upon FBI Director Mueller to take immediate action to punish those who violated the rules, including firing them from the agency. This must include the FBI Office of General Counsel, headed by Valerie Caproni, which the IG testified today had ‘approved [the] continued use’ of exigent letters and ‘provided legal advice that was inconsistent with’ federal law.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?186015-2/personal-information-privacy

https://www.c-span.org/video/?197219-1/fbi-national-security-letters

https://www.c-span.org/video/?286761-2/security-privacy-technology

Valerie Caproni

"Between 2003 and 2006, the FBI improperly obtained personal telephone record information from U.S. telephone companies for more than 5,500 phone numbers, including private details protected by federal law. The IG found that, during this period, much of this information was obtained through the use of so-called ‘exigent letters’, which do not exist in the Patriot Act and have no statutory basis whatsoever. In some cases agents sent letters with information known to be false.

"The FBI must fulfill its obligations to protect the rights as well as the security of all Americans. I share the concerns of my colleague, the former Republican chairman of the Committee James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), who today said,

‘I’m extremely disappointed that every time Congress has tried to plug potential civil rights and civil liberties violations in our counterterrorism activities, the FBI seems to have figured out a way to get around it.’

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

CONYERS CONTINUES AT 90: Birthday bash draws over 300 friends, Congress and Detroit VIP’s, well-wishers, and comments on news

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 22:40:00 +0000

John Conyers, Jr.

A Detroit 90th birthday bash for retired Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Detroit) held on May 18 at his brother Nathan’s house drew over 300 friends, Congress and Detroit VIP’s, and well-wishers. The party, organized by wife Monica, Nate, and sons John III and Carl, brought Detroit area congressional representatives Brenda Lawrence, Debbie Dingell, and Rashida Tlaib, great-nephew former State Sen Ian Conyers, and many Detroit political officials including Council President Brenda Jones. An array of Conyers’ former Washington and Detroit top staffers also joined the celebration.

Conyers said in an interview at the event:

· He suggests “not to impeach” Trump now but keep investigating. “The longer he stays in, the more mistakes he’ll make.” He added, “the election will be a tough race. If we’re not careful he’ll win again.”· Among his many achievements, he’s “most proud” of his Martin Luther King Birthday Holiday bill becoming law. He was asked, “Did you think it would grow into this big an event, a national day of service?” He responded, “Yes. At first there was a small group of people with me. A larger group said it “would never happen. Then other people joined. More introduced their own. Support grew. After the assassination, what he had done resounded with people.” Conyers mentioned he felt the “most association” with King among American leaders, marched with him, went to his home, was endorsed by him for Congress.

Congressman John Conyers Jr. and
Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence

· He’s “all in” supporting Joe Biden’s run for President. Biden was a close colleague who chaired the Senate version of Conyers’ House Judiciary Committee and came to Conyers’ Hill portrait unveiling in Washington. Conyers said Saturday: “He has a good chance, better than Barack had at this point.” Conyers also supported Obama very early on.

· He’s happy his Reparations bill has become a major issue in the presidential campaign. Cong. Brenda Lawrence told him at the event, “It’s the talk of the country.” Conyers said, “It’s getting traction because it makes sense.” He joked, “Most of my stuff makes sense but it doesn’t always help it right away.”

· How do you stop voter suppression? “It’s a never-ending activity. With all the people that don’t support minority rights, we always have to stay at it, maintain enthusiasm, and raise money to do it.”

Conyers and Friends at his birthday party.

· On the Medicare-for-All movement where he enlisted a majority of House Democrats, but now weakening a bit under political arguments and industry lobbying since he’s left? Conyers said, “I still feel good about it, it’s moving, it takes time.”

· His resolution that passed in the House for no Iran war without congressional approval is “relevant especially now.”

· He noted that “the first person I hired when I was elected was Rosa Parks.”

· He said his health is good: “There’s not a thing wrong with me, no complaints.” He said he stays “active with events, there are so many who invite and welcome me. I’m privileged.” He said he’s been with many groups “from the beginning.” He’s thinking he’ll “write a book.”

· He offered positive words about his successors, Cong. Talib in Detroit and, at the Judiciary Committee in Washington, Jerold Nadler (D-NY). Talib presented Conyers with a flower bouquet. He said that despite some criticism of her rhetoric, people need to know she “means well.” He said that Nadler is carrying a “good program, well organized” on constitutional issues concerning Trump. Top Judiciary Counsel Perry Apelbaum came from Washington with a resolution congratulating Conyers signed by all Democratic Judiciary congressional members. Also at the party were former office Chief of Staff Ray Plowden and former Judiciary counsel Julian Epstein (and spokesman Bob Weiner, author of this article).

Congresswoman Dingell was seen crying at the event and was asked why. Perhaps summarizing the feelings of many, she said, “I’m just missing him. Lots of great memories of the ups and downs of life.”

Weiner is former communications director for Cong Conyers, a former Clinton and Bush White House spokesman, and former senior aide to Cong. Charles Rangel, Claude Pepper, Ed Koch, and Sen. Ted Kennedy. He now heads a group recruiting young journalists to write for top papers and contributes regularly to the Chronicle.

Conyers v Bush - ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTIONS TO DISMISS 11-06-2006

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 12 May 2019 04:29:00 +0000

Conyers v Bush - ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTIONS TO DISMISS 11-06-2006 by Beverly Tran on Scribd

Gore Vidal On John Conyers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 May 2019 15:28:00 +0000

Ringleader in 1998 gruesome Texas dragging death to be executed

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 12:16:00 +0000

Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act

The bill was first introduced into the 107 Congress's House of Representatives on April 3, 2001, by Rep. John Conyers and was referred to the Subcommittee on Crime. The bill died when it failed to advance in the committee. It was reintroduced by Rep. Conyers in the 108th and 109th congresses (on April 22, 2004, and May 26, 2005, respectively). As previously, it died both times when it failed to advance in committee.

Ringleader in 1998 gruesome Texas dragging death to be executed

Mylinda Byrd Washington, 66, left, and Louvon Byrd Harris,
61, hold photographs of their brother James Byrd Jr. in Houston.
James Byrd Jr. was the victim of what is considered to be one of
the most gruesome hate crime murders in recent Texas history.

Huntsville, Texas – A man who orchestrated one of the most gruesome hate crimes in U.S. history is set to be executed Wednesday for the dragging death of James Byrd Jr. nearly 21 years ago.

John William King, who is white and an avowed racist, was put on death row for chaining Byrd to the back of a truck and dragging his body for nearly 3 miles along a secluded road in the piney woods outside Jasper, Texas. The 49-year-old Byrd, who was black, was alive for at least 2 miles before his body was ripped to pieces in the early morning hours of June 7, 1998.

Prosecutors said he was targeted because he was black.

Authorities say the 44-year-old King is openly racist and has offensive tattoos on his body, including one of a black man with a noose around his neck hanging from a tree.

If executed, King would be the fourth inmate put to death this year in the U.S. and the third in Texas, the nation’s busiest capital punishment state.

The hate crime put a national spotlight on Jasper, a town of about 7,600 residents near the Texas-Louisiana border that was branded with a racist stigma it has tried to shake off ever since. Local officials say the reputation is undeserved.

King’s attorneys have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt his execution, arguing that King’s trial lawyers violated his constitutional rights by not presenting his claims of innocence and conceding his guilt. His lawyers cited a 2018 Supreme Court ruling in a Louisiana case in which the justices said that a lawyer for a criminal defendant cannot override his client’s wish to maintain his innocence at trial.

“From the time of indictment through his trial, Mr. King maintained his absolute innocence, claiming that he had left his co-defendants and Mr. Byrd sometime prior to his death and was not present at the scene of his murder. Mr. King repeatedly expressed to defense counsel that he wanted to present his innocence claim at trial,” A. Richard Ellis, one of King’s appellate attorneys, wrote in his petition to the Supreme Court.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Monday rejected a similar request to stop the execution.

John William King

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on Monday turned down King’s request for either a commutation of his sentence or a 120-day reprieve.

Over the years, King has also suggested the brutal slaying was not a hate crime, but a drug deal gone bad involving his co-defendants.

King, who grew up in Jasper and was known as “Bill,” will be the second man executed in the case. Lawrence Russell Brewer was executed in 2011. The third participant, Shawn Allen Berry, was sentenced to life in prison.

King declined an interview request from The Associated Press in the weeks leading up to his planned execution.

In a 2001 interview with the AP, King said he was an “avowed racist” but wasn’t “a hate-monger murderer.”

Louvon Byrd Harris, one of Byrd’s sisters, said she and other family members plan to attend King’s execution.

“I think it will be a message to the world that when you do something horrible like that, that you have to pay the high penalty,” she said.

Harris said she doesn’t expect King to be remorseful. Brewer said nothing to Byrd’s family before he was put to death.

“All they are going to do is go to sleep. But half the things they did to James, all the suffering he had to go through, they still get an easy way out to me,” Harris said.

Billy Rowles, who led the investigation into Byrd’s death when he was sheriff in Jasper County, said after King was taken to death row in 1999, he offered to detail the crime as soon as his co-defendants were convicted. When Rowles returned, all King would say was, “I wasn’t there.”

“He played us like a fiddle, getting us to go over there and thinking we’re going to get the rest of the story,” said Rowles, now the sheriff of neighboring Newton County.

A week before Brewer was executed in 2011, Rowles said he visited Brewer, who confirmed “the whole thing was Bill King’s idea.”

Mylinda Byrd Washington, another of Byrd’s sisters, said she and her family will work through the Byrd Foundation for Racial Healing to ensure her brother’s death continues to combat hate everywhere.

“I hope people remember him not as a hate crime statistic. This was a real person. A family man, a father, a brother and a son,” she said.

Congressman Conyers Soon to Speak at Coretta Scott King Funeral - 2-7-2006

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 00:38:00 +0000

Congressman Conyers Soon to Speak at Coretta Scott King Funeral

John Conyers, Jr. & Coretta Scott King

Congressman John Conyers, Jr. is in Lithonia, Georgia for Coretta Scott King's funeral. The Congressman, who worked with Mrs. King to author the bill making Martin Luther King Day a national holiday, will be honoring her life's work with following remarks.

Today we mourn the passing of a dignified and peaceful woman who should be remembered as an equal partner in the struggle for civil rights. For more than forty years, she continued the pursuit of her husband's legacy of justice and equality - proving that she was an activist in her own right. For that, our nation owes her its most profound gratitude.

I first met Coretta when I traveled South during the civil rights movement as a lawyer. What many people may not realize is that Martin did not bring her to the Movement. She was already there. As a child of the South, she recognized the injustices of segregation and as a college student, began her own work to obtain equality.

We all recognize Coretta as a vibrant and dedicated partner to Dr. King. When he insisted that the Civil Rights Movement begin in the deep South, where racial injustice permeated every aspect of its society, she could have joined those who tried to dissuade him. Coretta could have made a strong case for standing on the sidelines when he was called to lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott with Mrs. Rosa Parks. After all, King was working on his doctorate, they had just started a family, and there was a great deal of danger involved in this struggle. However, she recognized the fact that the importance of this struggle transcended personal interest and people would have to step out on faith and do the right thing.

As Martin Luther King grew in the struggle, Mrs. King grew along with him. When he traveled to India in 1959 on a pilgrimage to disciples and sites associated with Gandhi, Mrs. King was by his side. She would travel around the country, giving speeches, singing, and leading marches. Coretta was not trying to make headlines or gain personal recognition, but she quietly and eloquently acted as a leader in the Movement.

Following Dr. King's assassination, Coretta continued to advance their shared vision of a free and equal America. She honored her husband's legacy by founding the King Center in 1968, the largest repository of King's speeches, writings, and other works. Coretta devoted her life to advancing racial and economic justice and the recognition of the rights of women, children, the poor, the homeless, and all those disenfranchised. Most notably, this woman stood for equality and peace - the virtues to which her husband dedicated his life.

With Coretta's approval, four days after Martin's death on April 4, 1968, I introduced a bill to name a federal holiday in his honor, and in 1969, I was proud to join her at the King Center in Atlanta to kick off the campaign for a King holiday. A stalwart leader, she orchestrated a national grassroots movement that urged passage of this legislation and would come to Congress in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1983 to testify before Congress and urge support of the King Holiday, which was passed into law in 1986.

Today, as we mourn her loss, we also pledge to continue the King legacy just as Coretta has done for the last 38 years. Their contributions impacted millions during their lifetimes; it is our challenge to ensure that their legacies continue to compel justice and peace, and the very best that this country can be.

https://votesmart.org/public-statement/152233/congressman-conyers-soon-to-speak-at-coretta-scott-king-funeral&speechType=1#.XDlcpFxKg2z

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Judiciary: Hearing on the History and Enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 00:36:00 +0000

Conyers To File Misconduct Complaint Against Starr - 1998

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 03:09:00 +0000

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Feb. 5) -- The ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee is preparing a letter asking Attorney General Janet Reno to investigate what he believes to be repeated abuses of power by Whitewater Independent Counsel Ken Starr, CNN has learned.

Meanwhile, CNN has also learned the Justice Department last year rejected a similar call for an investigation of Starr saying it found "no indication ... that Mr. Starr is unable to put his personal views aside."

Sources said the letter from Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) runs more than a dozen pages and accuses Starr of a variety of ethical lapses, including allegations he has pressured witnesses to commit perjury in his effort to build a case against President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

A draft of the letter also accuses Starr of orchestrating illegal media leaks of secret grand jury testimony, and questions his objectivity by detailing his ties to conservative groups and activists during his tenure as independent counsel.

The sources said the letter would request that Reno ask her ethics office, the Office of Professional Responsibility, to begin an investigation into whether Starr should be removed from his position.

Justice's earlier refusal to investigate Starr

CNN has obtained a previously undisclosed letter to a leading public critic of Starr's investigation, which says allegations of political bias and conflict of interest against Starr cannot be "viewed as so extreme as to call for the Attorney General's use of the extraordinary power of removal."

The February 7, 1997, letter from top Justice official Michael Shaheen, then-Counsel for the Office of Professional Responsibility, was sent to private attorney Francis Mandanici, who had demanded action against Starr by the Justice Department and by the federal judges in Arkansas.

Despite this earlier refusal, a Justice Department official said if Conyers' letter is received, "It would be reviewed just as we review anything from a member of Congress."

In last year's letter, the Justice Department stressed that Reno can remove an independent counsel from office only for "good cause, physical or mental disability or any other condition that substantially impairs the performance of such independent counsel's duties."

Citing the legislative history of the independent counsel statute, the Justice Department told Starr's critic the removal provision was to be used "in only extreme, necessary cases," or it could severely undermine the public confidence in investigations of wrongdoing by public officials.

The letter went on to say: "With respect to the allegations concerning Mr. Starr's political affiliations, there is no indication in any of the materials that Mr. Starr is unable to put his personal views aside while performing his duties as Independent Counsel," Shaheen wrote. "It would not be practical to require that Independent Counsels be selected only from among persons with no clearly expressed political opinions".

The letter also dismissed complaints against Starr based on claims he had a conflict of interest because his law firm was involved in dealings with the Resolution Trust Corporation at the same time Starr was investigating an Arkansas savings and loan in the Whitewater investigation.

CNN's Terry Frieden and John King contributed to this report.

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/02/05/conyers.starr/?fbclid=IwAR06kx4h9Op4B2EscukS_fRwcgIwcKTEMYNqM6NNMdltEfgYilPesPnlwAE

Chairman Conyers on Preventing Hate Crimes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 12 Jan 2019 17:07:00 +0000

Pelosi Statement on Immediate Retirement of Congressman John Conyers, Jr.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 20:30:00 +0000

The Arm of the U.S. Speaker of the House.

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on the immediate retirement of Congressman John Conyers, Jr.:

“Congressman Conyers has served in the Congress for more than five decades, and shaped some of the most consequential legislation of the last half century. But no matter how great the legacy, it is no license to harass or discriminate.

“The brave women who came forward were owed the justice of this announcement. Now, we must pass the ME TOO Congress Act to create greater transparency and accountability in the broken reporting and settlements system. We must lead the fight against sexual harassment and abuse, not only in Congress but in every workplace, everywhere in our country.

“I pray for Congressman Conyers and his family and wish them well.”

https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/press-releases/12517-6/

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	<h1 class="site-title"><a href="https://www.speaker.gov/" rel="home">Speaker Nancy Pelosi</a></h1>

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	<h1>Pelosi Statement on Immediate Retirement of Congressman John Conyers, Jr.</h1>
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	<p><em>Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on the immediate retirement of Congressman John Conyers, Jr.:</em></p>
	<p>“Congressman Conyers has served in the Congress for more than five decades, and shaped some of the most consequential legislation of the last half century. But no matter how great the legacy, it is no license to harass or discriminate.</p>
	<p>“The brave women who came forward were owed the justice of this announcement. Now, we must pass the ME TOO Congress Act to create greater transparency and accountability in the broken reporting and settlements system. We must lead the fight against sexual harassment and abuse, not only in Congress but in every workplace, everywhere in our country.</p>
	<p>“I pray for Congressman Conyers and his family and wish them well.”</p>
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	<!-- Custom Twitter Feeds by Smash Balloon --><div id="ctf" class="ctf ctf-type-usertimeline ctf-styles" style="width: 100%;" data-ctfshortcode="{}" data-ctfneeded="-5"><div class="ctf-header ctf-no-bio" style=""><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi" target="_blank" title="@SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-header-link"><div class="ctf-header-text"><p class="ctf-header-user" style=""><span class="ctf-header-name">Nancy Pelosi</span><span class="ctf-verified"><i class="fa fa-check-circle" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><span class="ctf-header-follow"><i class="fa fab fa-twitter " aria-hidden="true"></i>Follow</span></p></div><div class="ctf-header-img"><div class="ctf-header-img-hover"><i class="fa fab fa-twitter" aria-hidden="true"></i></div><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1017076173354995713/_2Rk3wKj_normal.jpg" alt="Nancy Pelosi" width="48" height="48"></div></a></div><div class="ctf-tweets"><div class="ctf-item ctf-author-speakerpelosi ctf-new" id="1081413933397884928" style=""><div class="ctf-author-box"><div class="ctf-author-box-link" target="_blank" style=""><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-author-avatar" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1017076173354995713/_2Rk3wKj_normal.jpg" alt="SpeakerPelosi" width="48" height="48"></a><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi" target="_blank" class="ctf-author-name" style="">Nancy Pelosi</a><span class="ctf-verified" ><i class="fa fa-check-circle" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-author-screenname" target="_blank" style="">@SpeakerPelosi</a><span class="ctf-screename-sep">·</span><div class="ctf-tweet-meta"><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1081413933397884928" class="ctf-tweet-date" target="_blank" style="">15h</a></div></div> <!-- end .ctf-author-box-link --></div><div class="ctf-tweet-content"><p class="ctf-tweet-text" style="">The Russia investigation is immensely important – but if we let it distract us from the way Trump Admin policies are hurting American on a daily basis, we are doing a disservice to our responsibilities as a Congress. #MSNBCTownHall </p><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1081413933397884928" target="_blank" class="ctf-tweet-text-media-wrap"><i style="padding-right: 5px;" class="fa fa-file-video-o ctf-tweet-text-media" aria-hidden="true"></i></a></div><div class="ctf-tweet-actions"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=1081413933397884928&related=SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-reply" target="_blank" style=""><i class="fa fa-reply" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="ctf-screenreader">Reply on Twitter</span></a><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=1081413933397884928&related=SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-retweet" target="_blank" style=""><i class="fa fa-retweet" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="ctf-screenreader">Retweet on Twitter</span><span class="ctf-action-count ctf-retweet-count">3906</span></a><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=1081413933397884928&related=SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-like" target="_blank" style=""><i class="fa fa-heart" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="ctf-screenreader">Like on Twitter</span><span class="ctf-action-count ctf-favorite-count">14293</span></a></div></div><div class="ctf-item ctf-author-speakerpelosi ctf-new" id="1081409430628040704" style=""><div class="ctf-author-box"><div class="ctf-author-box-link" target="_blank" style=""><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-author-avatar" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1017076173354995713/_2Rk3wKj_normal.jpg" alt="SpeakerPelosi" width="48" height="48"></a><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi" target="_blank" class="ctf-author-name" style="">Nancy Pelosi</a><span class="ctf-verified" ><i class="fa fa-check-circle" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-author-screenname" target="_blank" style="">@SpeakerPelosi</a><span class="ctf-screename-sep">·</span><div class="ctf-tweet-meta"><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1081409430628040704" class="ctf-tweet-date" target="_blank" style="">15h</a></div></div> <!-- end .ctf-author-box-link --></div><div class="ctf-tweet-content"><p class="ctf-tweet-text" style="">Our Founders envisioned three co-equal branches of government. There’s little excuse for one chamber of Congress refusing to do its job and simply giving power over to the President. #MSNBCTownHall </p><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1081409430628040704" target="_blank" class="ctf-tweet-text-media-wrap"><i style="padding-right: 5px;" class="fa fa-file-video-o ctf-tweet-text-media" aria-hidden="true"></i></a></div><div class="ctf-tweet-actions"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=1081409430628040704&related=SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-reply" target="_blank" style=""><i class="fa fa-reply" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="ctf-screenreader">Reply on Twitter</span></a><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=1081409430628040704&related=SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-retweet" target="_blank" style=""><i class="fa fa-retweet" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="ctf-screenreader">Retweet on Twitter</span><span class="ctf-action-count ctf-retweet-count">5757</span></a><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=1081409430628040704&related=SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-like" target="_blank" style=""><i class="fa fa-heart" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="ctf-screenreader">Like on Twitter</span><span class="ctf-action-count ctf-favorite-count">17871</span></a></div></div><div class="ctf-item ctf-author-speakerpelosi ctf-new" id="1081389231489077248" style=""><div class="ctf-author-box"><div class="ctf-author-box-link" target="_blank" style=""><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-author-avatar" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1017076173354995713/_2Rk3wKj_normal.jpg" alt="SpeakerPelosi" width="48" height="48"></a><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi" target="_blank" class="ctf-author-name" style="">Nancy Pelosi</a><span class="ctf-verified" ><i class="fa fa-check-circle" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-author-screenname" target="_blank" style="">@SpeakerPelosi</a><span class="ctf-screename-sep">·</span><div class="ctf-tweet-meta"><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1081389231489077248" class="ctf-tweet-date" target="_blank" style="">17h</a></div></div> <!-- end .ctf-author-box-link --></div><div class="ctf-tweet-content"><p class="ctf-tweet-text" style="">It’s time for @realDonaldTrump to accept “yes” as an answer. 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Let us reopen government. #TrumpShutdown #MSNBCTownHall</div><div class="ctf-tweet-actions"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=1081389231489077248&related=SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-reply" target="_blank" style=""><i class="fa fa-reply" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="ctf-screenreader">Reply on Twitter</span></a><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=1081389231489077248&related=SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-retweet" target="_blank" style=""><i class="fa fa-retweet" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="ctf-screenreader">Retweet on Twitter</span><span class="ctf-action-count ctf-retweet-count">9980</span></a><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=1081389231489077248&related=SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-like" target="_blank" style=""><i class="fa fa-heart" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="ctf-screenreader">Like on Twitter</span><span class="ctf-action-count ctf-favorite-count">44721</span></a></div></div><div class="ctf-item ctf-author-speakerpelosi ctf-new" id="1081388976563466240" style=""><div class="ctf-author-box"><div class="ctf-author-box-link" target="_blank" style=""><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-author-avatar" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1017076173354995713/_2Rk3wKj_normal.jpg" alt="SpeakerPelosi" width="48" height="48"></a><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi" target="_blank" class="ctf-author-name" style="">Nancy Pelosi</a><span class="ctf-verified" ><i class="fa fa-check-circle" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-author-screenname" target="_blank" style="">@SpeakerPelosi</a><span class="ctf-screename-sep">·</span><div class="ctf-tweet-meta"><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1081388976563466240" class="ctf-tweet-date" target="_blank" style="">17h</a></div></div> <!-- end .ctf-author-box-link --></div><div class="ctf-tweet-content"><p class="ctf-tweet-text" style="">Americans deserve to know: the government funding package passed by the House yesterday is the exact same plan passed by the @SenateGOP just weeks ago. And yet, now, they refuse to vote on it. #MSNBCTownHall</div><div class="ctf-tweet-actions"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=1081388976563466240&related=SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-reply" target="_blank" style=""><i class="fa fa-reply" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="ctf-screenreader">Reply on Twitter</span></a><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=1081388976563466240&related=SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-retweet" target="_blank" style=""><i class="fa fa-retweet" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="ctf-screenreader">Retweet on Twitter</span><span class="ctf-action-count ctf-retweet-count">17897</span></a><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=1081388976563466240&related=SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-like" target="_blank" style=""><i class="fa fa-heart" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="ctf-screenreader">Like on Twitter</span><span class="ctf-action-count ctf-favorite-count">44423</span></a></div></div><div class="ctf-item ctf-author-speakerpelosi ctf-new" id="1081326753686212608" style=""><div class="ctf-author-box"><div class="ctf-author-box-link" target="_blank" style=""><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-author-avatar" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1017076173354995713/_2Rk3wKj_normal.jpg" alt="SpeakerPelosi" width="48" height="48"></a><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi" target="_blank" class="ctf-author-name" style="">Nancy Pelosi</a><span class="ctf-verified" ><i class="fa fa-check-circle" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-author-screenname" target="_blank" style="">@SpeakerPelosi</a><span class="ctf-screename-sep">·</span><div class="ctf-tweet-meta"><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1081326753686212608" class="ctf-tweet-date" target="_blank" style="">21h</a></div></div> <!-- end .ctf-author-box-link --></div><div class="ctf-tweet-content"><p class="ctf-tweet-text" style="">Just a few more hours until my conversation with @JoyAnnReid airs at 10 pm ET! #MSNBCTownHall </p><a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1081326753686212608" target="_blank" class="ctf-tweet-text-media-wrap"><i style="padding-right: 5px;" class="fa fa-picture-o ctf-tweet-text-media" aria-hidden="true"></i></a></div><div class="ctf-tweet-actions"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=1081326753686212608&related=SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-reply" target="_blank" style=""><i class="fa fa-reply" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="ctf-screenreader">Reply on Twitter</span></a><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=1081326753686212608&related=SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-retweet" target="_blank" style=""><i class="fa fa-retweet" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="ctf-screenreader">Retweet on Twitter</span><span class="ctf-action-count ctf-retweet-count">1150</span></a><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=1081326753686212608&related=SpeakerPelosi" class="ctf-like" target="_blank" style=""><i class="fa fa-heart" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="ctf-screenreader">Like on Twitter</span><span class="ctf-action-count ctf-favorite-count">4307</span></a></div></div></div></div> </div>

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MLK Memorial Foundation Forced To Change Name By King Children

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 20:34:00 +0000

By Joseph Williams and Roland S. Martin
TV One, Washington Watch

They spent six years raising more than $100 million, one cocktail fundraiser, and souvenir mug and lapel pin at a time.

And on October 16, 2011, the idea to build a monument in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., an idea that began 28 years earlier at the kitchen table of a member of his fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., came to fruition.

Thousands of people of different races and backgrounds watched as President Barack Obama, two of King’s children, and countless other entertainers and veterans of the Civil Rights Movement, dedicated a bold statue to civil rights icon.

Less than two years later, however, the organizing force behind the national monument – the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Foundation – is no more after the surviving children of Martin and Coretta Scott King refused to grant a license for the group to continue to use the name “Martin Luther King Jr.”

The copyright of the “I Have A Dream” speech filed by Attorney Clarence Jones. Courtesy: Clarence Jones

The website that served as the centerpiece of the foundation’s fundraising and informational efforts – www.mlkmemorial.org – no longer exists. What used to be a vibrant site that served as the centerpiece for online donations and information related to the memorial has vanished after the King children, through their attorneys, demanded it be turned over to them.

King’s surviving children – Dexter, Bernice and MLK III – control the copyrights to their father’s images and words through a for-profit entity, King, Inc., which was set up after his death to handle all affairs of his estate.

There have been a number of contentious moments between the MLK foundation and King, Inc., over the last few years. At one point as the memorial was ready to be dedicated, King, Inc. had all of Dr. King’s books removed from the bookstore on the site of the memorial. The King children wanted to control the bookstore and reap all profits from the selling of merchandise.

All of this despite the foundation paying MLK children through King, Inc., $2.7 million to use the likeness of King and his quotes on the memorial on the National Mall.

“We are trying to keep the memorial relevant,” said Harry E. Johnson Sr., a Houston lawyer and president of The Memorial Foundation, the foundation’s new name (The site is www.thememorialfoundation.org and bears the slogan, “Builders of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial).

“We had planned a hundred events around the memorial” and King’s famous name – including year-long classes and a seminar on nonviolent protest featuring the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, who was King’s inspiration, Johnson said.

Clarence Jones, who served as a personal advisor and attorney for Dr. King, called the refusal to grant a new license by King, Inc., to the foundation “obscene.”

“They have done something unique in the history of this country in getting corporate America, private America to fund a memorial to honor the greatest hero of the 20th century,” said Jones, a scholar-in-residence at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute at Stanford University.

“They did this in a tribute to his legacy as an Alpha member…it’s not about protecting the legacy or encouraging discussions of King. It’s not about that. It’s about unexplained, selfish interests, which I believe Martin King would be appalled.”

Civil rights historians who have studied King and his family say the move follows a familiar pattern, one in which King’s children tightly control his image – and use a heavy hand to protect it.

That pattern could be at the center of plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

The historic August 28,1963, event has left an indelible imprint on the history of America when 250,000 people gathered before the Lincoln Monument to present a series of demands to the federal government. The march has long been credited with setting the stage for the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

But it has also gone down in history due to the stunning speech of Dr. King. Today it is known as the “I Have A Dream” speech, even though that wasn’t the initial name, and the dream portion of it was never in the written text.

The march was convened by the top civil rights organizations and organized labor, including Congress of Racial Equality, the National Urban League, NAACP, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. It was organized by A. Phillip Randolph and Bayard Rustin.

The 50th anniversary march was supposed to commemorate that historic day, but the King children have different plans. For them, that day is more about King’s speech rather than the march. In fact, the King Center, the non-profit entity set up to continue his works, is promoting August 28 as the 50th anniversary of the speech first, and the march second, based on a logo they are using on various materials.

Since late last year, leaders of the civil rights organizations who organized the original march, as well as the Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network, have been quietly meeting with King family representatives and officials from the National Park Service, which issues permits for demonstrations on the Mall.

The latest meeting took place two weeks ago in Washington, and involved high-level representatives from some of the organizations involved in the event planning. The talks are so sensitive, however, that no one is willing to speak about them publicly or privately.

National Urban League CEO Marc Morial, Wade Henderson of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, and Ben Jealous, NAACP president and CEO, all declined to comment on the record. Sharpton did not return several calls requesting an interview.

“Some things are being sorted out,” said one activist with knowledge of the situation. “In two weeks, we will have a clearer picture… The march is going to happen.”

Eric Tilden, a principal of Intellectual Properties Management, which controls Rev. King’s words and image, agreed to facilitate an interview with Dexter and Bernice King, two of the three shareholders of King, Inc. Their brother, Martin Luther King III, is the other (Yolanda King, the eldest child, died in 2007).

Tilden has not responded to follow-up calls and emails and the King siblings have not been made available for comment. We also called and texted Bernice King and MLK III to no avail.

Civil rights historian David Garrow said if the March on Washington organizers are negotiating with the King children – and putting money on the table – they’re making a mistake.

“As we’ve seen for over 15 years now, the behavior of the family’s financial representatives continue to do active harm to Dr. King’s legacy,” said Garrow, a University of Pittsburgh law professor and author of “Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.”

“King’s legacy has a reduced visibility and less substantive visibility because of the family’s demands,” said Garrow, noting that the family’s estate has raked in millions through the years by managing their father’s “brand” — something King himself would have adamantly rejected.

At the same time, “it’s not as if (King, Inc.) Is using any of this income for charitable good deeds,” Garrow said. “We’ve seen none of that whatsoever. It appears to be simply self-enrichment for a small number of people.”

For years, the King heirs have used the courts to stop any unauthorized use of their father’s likeness and words, suing for custody of documents or a share of any proceeds in merchandise and publications. In the 1990s, the family reached undisclosed settlements with USA Today and CBS over their use of King’s seminal “I Have a Dream” speech without permission; in 1999 a federal appeals court sided with the estate, ruling that the speech was not in the public domain.

Yet the civil rights hero’s words and picture – including images from the March on Washington – have been used in major ad campaigns for products like Apple Computers, Mercedes-Benz and Chevrolet. Neither the corporations nor Intellectual Properties Management have disclosed the amount of money the foundation received for the ads.

In June 2006, Dexter King, then-head of King, Inc., put up the bulk of Dr. King’s personal papers for auction. But then-Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin prevented the sale by orchestrating a $32 million deal to buy them and have the papers preserved in the city of Atlanta. That money went directly to King, Inc.

Lawyers for King, Inc. even tried to demand that the man who helped Dr. King craft the “I Have A Dream” speech, and the one who filed the copyright, pay for using the full speech in his book.

Clarence Jones, who served as a personal advisor, attorney and speech writer for King, says when he wrote his book, “Behind the Dream: The Making of the Speech that Transformed a Nation,” he was told by attorneys for King, Inc., that if he wanted to use the full speech in the book, he could for $20,000.

A stunned Jones said, “If it wasn’t for me copyrighting that speech, the King children wouldn’t today own their biggest moneymaker.”

His small publisher was afraid of getting sued by King, Inc., so Jones indemnified them from any costs associated with a lawsuit and dared lawyers for the King children to sue him.

They never did.

The King children angered many civil rights leaders in September 2011 when King, Inc. sued Jackson, Miss., TV anchor Howard Ballou after he broadcasted a story about the papers his mom collected working for King at the SCLC.

The estate wanted possession of documents, photographs and other items that Ballou’s mother, Maude Ballou, said King gave her when they worked together at the Montgomery Improvement Association and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in the 1950s.

Attorneys for King, Inc. asserted they owned any and all papers of his mom. But last week, a federal court in Mississippi ruled that Ballou could keep documents and other materials associated with Rev. King. The documents include a sermon; a written statement King made after a landmark Supreme Court ruling on segregation; and a handwritten letter to Ballou’s mother from Rosa Parks.

While the March on Washington commemoration is still in the early planning stages, Carol Johnson, a National Park Service spokeswoman, said the Park Service holds the event permit for Aug. 28 on the National Mall. That’s not uncommon, she said, particularly since the march is months away, organizers haven’t specified their plans or outlined how they intend to cover the millions of dollars in baseline logistical and security costs.

Given the costs, it’s likely that the March on Washington organizers will have to raise significant amounts of money just to put the march on the National Park Service calendar. Throw in additional events, such as seminars and a prayer breakfast, and the financial hurdles they must clear get even steeper.

At least one member of the organizing committee, however, isn’t worried.

“The preparations I know about are going just fine,” Clayola Brown, president of the Randolph Institute, told TV One’s Washington Watch. She said organizers have tentatively planned a weeklong series of events, culminating in a rally on the Mall expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people.

So far, she said, there have been about four meetings in Atlanta and elsewhere involving civil rights leaders and various unions. They also met with the National Park Service and members of the King family for additional planning, though she wouldn’t specify the nature of the discussions.

The NAACP’s Jealous wouldn’t talk about the meetings with the King family and rejected any suggestion that the march wouldn’t happen.

“The 50th anniversary of the March for Jobs and Freedom comes in the midst of a moment in which black unemployment remains the highest in recent memory,” he said. “There needs to be a march, and it needs to happen now, or we risk our children becoming truly the first generation of African Americans to be decidedly more worse off than their parents.”

But Garrow cautions Jealous and others from reaching a deal with the King children at any cost without keeping the meaning of the original march in mind.

The organizers “don’t need to deal with [the King heirs] to do a 50th anniversary event, so long as they’re not rebroadcasting a 50th anniversary of the ‘I Have A Dream’ speech,” Garrow said. “Dexter King doesn’t represent anybody, while you’ve got a number of organizations that do represent the African American community. You can honor Dr. King’s legacy without talking to Dexter in the slightest.”

“I think the big question is whether it goes off in a significant way or goes off in an insignificant way,” he added. “Does it really present a policy agenda and focus on issues? Or is it just a commemoration for the sake of commemoration?”

Disclosure: Roland S. Martin is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and played a role in helping the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Foundation raise money to help build the memorial. He has also emceeded a fundraising dinner for the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, and wrote an endorsement for the book published by Bernice King about her mom, “Desert Rose: The Life and Legacy of Coretta Scott King.”

http://rolandmartinreports.com/blog/2013/03/mlk-memorial-foundation-forced-to-change-name-by-king-children/

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

CONYERS Voting Rights Report Removed From Library Of Congress: Preserving Democracy: What Went Wrong in Ohio - Status Report of the House Judiciary Committee Democratic Staff - 2004

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 11 Nov 2018 21:25:00 +0000

Well, it seems that this federal document has been removed from the Library of Congress.

https://www.loc.gov/item/2009284117/

About this Item

Title: What went wrong in Ohio : the Conyers report on the 2004 presidential election /
Summary: Report of an investigation into irregularities reported in the 2004 Presidential election in Ohio, compiled by the Democratic staff of the House Judiciary Committee.
Contributor Names: United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary.
Created / Published: Chicago : Academy Chicago Publishers, c2005.
Subject Headings: - Contested elections--Ohio; - Minorities--Suffrage--Ohio; - Presidents--United States--Election--2004; - Elections--Ohio--Management
Notes: - Includes bibliographical references (p. 117-142).
Medium: xii, 142 p. ; 22 cm.
Call Number/Physical Location: JK526 2004 .U55 2005
Digital Id: http://www.house.gov/judiciary%5Fdemocrats/ohiostatusrept1505.pdf
Library of Congress Control Number: 2009284117
Description: Report of an investigation into irregularities reported in the 2004 Presidential election in Ohio, compiled by the Democratic staff of the House Judiciary Committee.
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/2009284117
Additional Metadata Formats: MARCXML Record; MODS Record; Dublin Core Record

But, have no fear, I found it, below, and it was not found in any U.S. governmental archive.

Now, why would someone allow such a prescient, historic report on voting irregularities be removed from the National Archives?

Perhaps, it was to seize the assets of the civil rights legacy.

But, hey, what do I know?

I know the U.S. Department of Justice should look into this.

Congress can not obviate is there is no precedent.

For your generalizable pleasure, we can now statistically reconstruct these investigations using databases, for external validity in the courts, of course.

Executive Summary

Representative John Conyers, Jr., the Ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, asked

This is the first time this photo has
been published.

the Democratic staff to conduct an investigation into irregularities reported in the Ohio presidential election and to prepare a Status Report concerning the same prior to the Joint Meeting of Congress scheduled for January 6, 2005, to receive and consider the votes of the electoral college for president. The following Report includes a brief chronology of the events; summarizes the relevant background law; provides detailed findings (including factual findings and legal analysis); and describes various recommendations for acting on this Report going forward.

We have found numerous, serious election irregularities in the Ohio presidential election, which resulted in a significant disenfranchisement of voters. Cumulatively, these irregularities, which affected hundreds of thousand of votes and voters in Ohio, raise grave doubts regarding whether it can be said the Ohio electors selected on December 13, 2004, were chosen in a manner that conforms to Ohio law, let alone federal requirements and constitutional standards.

This report, therefore, makes three recommendations: (1) consistent with the requirements of the United States Constitution concerning the counting of electoral votes by Congress and Federal law implementing these requirements, there are ample grounds for challenging the electors from the State of Ohio; (2) Congress should engage in further hearings into the widespread irregularities reported in Ohio; we believe the problems are serious enough to warrant the appointment of a joint select Committee of the House and Senate to investigate and report back to the Members; and (3) Congress needs to enact election reform to restore our people’s trust in our democracy. These changes should include putting in place more specific federal protections for federal elections, particularly in the areas of audit capability for electronic voting machines and casting and counting of provisional ballots, as well as other needed changes to federal and state election laws.

Preserving Democracy: What Went Wrong in Ohio Status Report of the House Judiciary Committee Democratic Sta... by Beverly Tran on Scribd

John Conyers, Jr. - Early Life & Biography

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 11 Nov 2018 20:32:00 +0000

John Conyers, Jr.

Jоhn Соnуеrѕ іѕ а соngrеѕѕmаn thаt wаѕ bоrn оn 16 Мау 1929 іn Dеtrоіt.

Ніѕ раrеntѕ wеrе Јоhn аnd Luсіllе Соnуеrѕ. Соnуеrѕ іѕ а grаduаtе оf Wауnе ѕtаtе unіvеrѕіtу аnd Wауnе ѕtаtе lаw ѕсhооl.

Не іѕ аmоng thе lоngеѕt-ѕеrvіng mеmbеrѕ оf thе Соngrеѕѕ оf thе Unіtеd Ѕtаtеѕ аnd hаѕ bееn а рrоduсtіvе lаwmаkеr rеgаrdіng lеgіѕlаtіоn mаdе аnd раѕѕеd. Lеt’ѕ tаkе а lооk аt thе nеt wоrth оf Јоhn Соnуеrѕ іn 2018.

Реrѕоnаl Lіfе

Јоhn Соnуеrѕ іѕ mаrrіеd tо Моnіса Соnуеrѕ.

Моnіса Соnуеrѕ fіlеd fоr а dіvоrсе іn 2015 сіtіng brеаkdоwn іn thеіr mаrrіаgе.

Тhеу hаvе twо сhіldrеn, Јоhn ІІІ, аnd Саrl Соnуеrѕ. Саrееr, Аwаrdѕ & Nоmіnаtіоnѕ Соnуеrѕ hаd а ѕріrіt thаt іѕ сurіоuѕ аnd lеd hіm іntо аrеаѕ thаt аrе bеуоnd сіvіl rіghtѕ, hе, hоwеvеr, wоrkеd оn mаkіng hіѕ саrееr ѕuссеѕѕ dеѕріtе gеttіng аlсоhоl wаrnіng lаbеlѕ tо іntеllесtuаl рrореrtу rіghtѕ оf muѕісіаnѕ іn а wоrld thаt hаѕ сhаngіng tесhnоlоgу.

Іn hіѕ tеnurе аѕ thе rерrеѕеntаtіvе оf Місhіgаn’ѕ fіrѕt dіѕtrісt аnd а fоundіng mеmbеr оf thе Соngrеѕѕіоnаl Вlасk Саuсuѕ, hе wоrkеd tо рrоmоtе сіvіl rіghtѕ аnd ѕосіаl wеlfаrе саuѕеѕ.

Whеn hе аrrіvеd frоm Wаѕhіngtоn, hе ѕuрроrtеd Рrеѕіdеnt Lуndоn Меdісаrе рrоgrаm аnd vоtіng rіght асtѕ іn 1965.

А fеw dауѕ аftеr thе аѕѕаѕѕіnаtіоn оf Rеv. Dr. Маrtіn Luthеr Кіng Јr. іn Арrіl 1968, hе ѕubmіttеd а bіll thаt wоuld сrеаtе а nаtіоnаl hоlіdау fоr thе bіrthdау оf thе сіvіl rіghtѕ lеаdеr.

Whіlе hе hаѕ bееn аdvосаtіng fоr іndереndеnt blасk роlіtісаl mоvеmеntѕ, hе hаѕ рut hіmѕеlf fаr frоm аlіgnіng hіmѕеlf wіth thе blасk ѕераrаtіѕtѕ.

Іn 1972, hе wаѕ сrіtісаl оf thоѕе реорlе whо wеrе аdvосаtіng fоr fоrmіng аn іndереndеnt blасk роlіtісаl раrtу, аt thе nаtіоnаl blасk роlіtісаl соnvеntіоnаl thаt wаѕ hеld іn Gаrу, Іndіаnа.

Соnуеrѕ ѕеrvеd аѕ thе сhаіrmаn оf thе gоvеrnmеnt ореrаtіоnѕ соmmіttее аnd аlѕо ѕеrvеd оn thе hоuѕе ѕmаll buѕіnеѕѕ соmmіttее аnd thеn оn thе ѕреаkеr’ѕ tаѕk fоrсе оn mіnоrіtу ѕеt-аѕіdеѕ.

Іn 1998, hе wаѕ а vосаl орроnеnt thаt аdvосаtеd fоr thе іmреасhmеnt оf Рrеѕіdеnt Віll Сlіntоn. Nеt wоrth & Еаrnіngѕ Тhе nеt wоrth оf Јоhn Соnуеrѕ іѕ ѕоmеwhеrе аrоund $1 mіllіоn.

Соnуеrѕ’ mаіn ѕоurсе оf іnсоmе іѕ hіѕ саrееr аѕ а mеmbеr оf thе Unіtеd Ѕtаtеѕ Соngrеѕѕ. Тhе mаn hаѕ ѕеrvеd fоr 26 tеrmѕ аѕ оf nоw.

Durіng hіѕ tеnurе, hе hаѕ аlѕо ѕеrvеd аѕ thе сhаіrmаn оf vаrіоuѕ соmmіttееѕ.

Wіth thоѕе еngаgеmеntѕ, іt wоuldn’t bе а ѕurрrіѕе іf thе fіgurе іѕ ѕubѕtаntіаl. Іn 2005, Јоhn Соnуеrѕ rеlеаѕеd а bооk tіtlеd, whаt wеnt wrоng іn Оhіо: thе Соnуеrѕ Rероrt оn thе 2004 рrеѕіdеntіаl еlесtіоn thаt wаѕ аbоut thе fаultѕ іn thе vоtіng ѕуѕtеm. Не hаѕ hаd ѕіgnіfісаnt еffоrtѕ tоwаrdѕ bеttеr-unіtеd ѕtаtеѕ.

Не аlѕо hаd а gооd hоuѕе rерutаtіоn hаvіng wоn thе соngrеѕѕіоnаl еlесtіоnѕ 25 tіmеѕ аnd ѕеrvіng hіѕ 26th tеrm.

https://www.thewealthrecord.com/celebs-bio-wiki-salary-earnings-2019-2020-2021-2022-2023-2024-2025/politician/john-conyers-net-worth/

Preserving Democracy: What Went Wrong in Ohio Status Report of the House Judiciary Committee Democratic Sta... by Beverly Tran on Scribd

John Conyers: Music legends deserve R-E-S-P-E-C-T

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 07 Oct 2018 14:52:00 +0000

Quirk in copyright laws allows free use of songs recorded before 1972. That's wrong.

Dean of the U.S. House
of Representatives
John Conyers, Jr.

Does it make any sense that Motown legend Dionne Warwick is being compensated by digital music services when they use her recording of I'll Never Love This Way Again (1979) but not for her recordings of Walk On By (1964), I Say a Little Prayer (1967) or I'll Never Fall in Love Again (1968)? Similarly, should The Temptations be compensated for the use of their recording of Papa Was a Rollin' Stone (1972) but not for their recordings of My Girl(1964)?

A quirk of history protects songs recorded before 1972 under state law and songs recorded after Feb. 15, 1972 under federal law. Some digital radio services interpret that disparity to resist paying legacy artists who recorded music before 1972. The inexplicable result is that artists whose recordings were made before 1972 are not compensated by digital radio services while their counterparts whose recordings were made after that time are paid.

For creators and producers, music is their livelihood. Their work product — their property — is what pays the bills.

House panel investigation

In recent months, the House Judiciary Committee has begun exploring whether copyright law is in need of revision in light of technologies that have revolutionized the way we access information and entertainment. This investigation could also reveal whether the compact between those who create music, those who distribute music and those who consume music remains fair and workable.

Rolling Stone compiled what the magazine considers the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time." Nine out of their top 10 songs, and 18 out of their top 20, were recorded before 1972. Many of these songs were a soundtrack for social movements and change and are still played all the time. For example, No. 4: Marvin Gaye's What's Goin' On (1971), and No. 5: Aretha Franklin's Respect (1967), which not only anointed her as the Queen of Soul but also became an anthem of feminism. It is undeniably disrespectful for the digital music services not to compensate Aretha for her work.

Satellite radio included

And don't forget that there are numerous stations on satellite radio that air nothing but songs recorded before 1972. Clearly, they do artists wrong by not paying to use their older songs.

This arbitrary line in copyright law also means that these music services are compensating some artists for the use of the newer parts of their catalog but not for the older parts. While state law offers a patchwork quilt of protection, the Library of Congress has recommended revisions that ensure consistency and uniformity by bringing all sound recordings under the federal copyright umbrella. While we would need to work with the Library's experts, users and rights holders to address the complex issues presented by such a transition, it is worth the effort to protect older artists, curtail litigation and eliminate the untenable withholding of royalties.

I can only imagine what new devices will be used to listen to "oldies" in the future — but we're grateful that technology will keep our rich music history alive. As Congress undertakes its review of copyright law, ensuring due compensation for sound recordings made before 1972 is worthy of our consideration and, most certainly, our Respect.

Rep. John Conyers of Michigan is the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Cocktails & Popcorn: Arnold Reed, Attorney For John Conyers, Enters The Stage

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 23:56:00 +0000

I have popcorn. Want some?

I wonder if the DOJ OIG Report is about to be declassified.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that Perkins Coie Sucks.

#perkinscoiesucks

Marc Elias Of Perkins Coie Sucks & So Does The FEC

Learn more: BEVERLY TRAN: Marc Elias Of Perkins Coie Sucks & So Does The FEC http://beverlytran.blogspot.com/2017/10/marc-elias-of-perkins-coie-sucks-so.html#ixzz5Kiw2nDU6
Stop Medicaid Fraud in Child Welfare

Arnold Reed, 'lawyer on the side of the people'

When his beloved father fell ill, Arnold E. Reed didn't hesitate. He swapped the cloistered halls of law school for Chicago's south side, where his dad owned a barbershop. To keep the business going, Reed, who'd learned the craft from his father, spent the next few months cutting hair.

Meanwhile, a classmate would mail Reed homework, and he studied when he could.

In the end, not only did the University of Iowa College of Law student graduate, he did so on time.

"I read the books and taught it to myself," said Reed, 54, whose Dad lived to see him graduate.

"Really, there was never a question that I would finish. Some things ought to be a given."

That kind of decisiveness, devotion and determination would mark his career as one of the state's pre-eminent trial lawyers, specializing in criminal, personal injury, civil litigation, medical malpractice and entertainment law, plus damage control for high-profile clients, such as now-retired Congressman John Conyers and Aretha Franklin. This year, he was cited by Michigan's Lawyers Weekly as one of 30 Leaders in the Law Class of 2018.

While the widely respected trade newspaper is mum on how it culls from a pool of nominees, its website says winners are honored for significant accomplishments in law practice; outstanding contributions to the practice of law in Michigan; seeking improvements to the legal community and their communities at large; and setting an example for other lawyers. In its current form, the award has existed for the last decade.

In many ways, it's an improbable achievement for the Southfield-based legal firebrand, known for dogged representation and an outsize courtroom presence.

Reed was the first in his family to graduate college, let alone law school. While his father operated the barbershop, his mother took two trains and a bus each way to a factory job to help support the family, which included Reed and his older brother.

At age 9, Reed saw someone gunned down on the street. While fleeing, the killer had looked right at Reed, too petrified to move. That’s when Reed decided he needed to be fearless, a mindset that defines his approach to law.

Wayne County Circuit Judge Deborah Thomas described Reed's courtroom manner as a cross between a bulldog and a chihuahua.

"I've watched him since he was a baby lawyer," Thomas said. "He is always prepared, and he will not let go. He is always focused, and he will work that case. He's also a good family man, and what you would like to see in the community and in the profession."

While his childhood community had its share of scofflaws, most of his neighbors were honest blue-collar types. Time and again, he’d see them falsely accused by police, or unable to retain proper representation. Reed decided that knowledge was power and he needed to get it.

In the sixth grade, he ran for class president — and lost. “That made me angry, so I started learning about the Constitution and how to impeach somebody,” said Reed, who is married to a lawyer, has a son in law school and a daughter pursuing graduate studies.

Reed received his undergraduate degree in journalism and political science from Indiana University in Bloomington. After law school at Iowa, he worked as chief law clerk for former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Conrad Mallet Jr., who remembers him as being the strongest member of his team.

"He would consistently present their work in a way that allowed for uncomplicated digestion of whatever argument they helped craft," said Mallet, now chief administrative officer for the Detroit Medical Center. "He's a very, very, very good lawyer."

Attorney Arnold Reed speaks about Congressman John Conyers' health and the latest accusations of sexual harassment in front of the congressman's home in Detroit. Daniel Mears, The Detroit News

That stint as a law clerk was followed by corporate work and a job in Detroit with the public defender's office. Because the fledgling lawyer couldn't convince his boss to give him a capital case, Reed, with no money to speak of, went out on his own, setting up a law practice in Detroit and winning his first multimillion-dollar verdict, in a police misconduct case, at just 29 years old.

Since then, the member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. has represented former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, Conyers, Franklin and an upstart vocalist named R. Kelly in the mid-'90s.

Reed recalled meetings early on with the Queen of Soul, who he successfully represented about five years ago in a case involving misappropriation of her name and likeness.

"She's a woman who tends to be formal with people she doesn't know or have a relationship with, so it was always, 'Ms. Franklin' and 'Attorney Reed.' After I won the case for her I said, 'Now can I call you Aretha?' She didn't say anything, so I took that to mean she was still 'Ms. Franklin,'" he said, chuckling.

As for Conyers, Reed represented him last year after the congressman became embroiled in allegations of sexual harassment. Conyers ultimately retired.

Reed remembers encountering Conyers years earlier after a particularly long community event. Reed had asked him why he devoted so much time and effort to so many causes when he could find more lucrative work elsewhere.

"He looked at me, smiled and said, 'Arnold, money has never been my motivating factor. I have the best job in the world. I can help people.' So when he needed my help, I answered the call."

Reed's legal battles often extend into the court of public opinion. For instance, he took a lot of heat for representing Kilpatrick in a case stemming from the former mayor's conviction for lying under oath about an affair with his chief of staff.

"It took me aback a bit," he said of the criticism. "Everyone deserves a right to representation no matter the allegation. Also, I've been in this game over 25 years, and I'd be lying if I said I weren't ever discriminated against based on my color, because I have been.

"When I put my suit and tie on every day and I go out, there are some people who look at me like I'm Kilpatrick simply because I'm African-American. I have to explain to people that when I represent Kwame Kilpatrick, I represent you, I represent your son.

"In any case, I have a social responsibility not to shy away from cases merely because of allegations."

Reed's brazen style, however, leaves some cold, said Solon Phillips, in-house counsel for Southfield Public Schools.

"I have a great deal of respect for his zeal and tenacity in terms of what he does for his clients, but he is aggressive, so I can see how he could rub people the wrong way," said Phillips, who has known Reed for about 15 years.

"In his younger years, for example, he would press opposing counsel when he saw them by asking them why they weren't working, asking them whether they were working as hard as he was.

"If you're on the receiving end, I can see where he might make some folks uncomfortable."

His high-profile client roster notwithstanding, Reed is a self-described "lawyer on the side of the people." Everyone, he says, deserves representation under the law.

"I'm always around rich and powerful individuals, but I know my upbringing," said Reed, who often rides to work on his motorcycle, the back of his leather jacket emblazoned with "Not Guilty."

The voracious reader prides himself on going all out for his clients, often spending days and nights with them. He leans on his journalism background to do his own investigative work and visualizes courtroom plans.

“The major thing is having belief in your cause,” Reed said. “If you don’t believe, you’re not going to convince 12 others.”

He has a fan in Donna Pope, for whom Reed won a $4.2 million judgment in an unlawful termination whistleblower case in 2009.

“He’s very thorough and very patient, very poised and convincing,” said Pope, who lives in western Michigan. “This was one of the hardest things I had to go through in life, and he made it manageable to survive it.”

Mary Chapman is a Detroit-based freelance writer.

Arnold E. Reed

Age: 54

Occupation: Owner, Arnold E. Reed and Associates, Southfield

Education: Bachelor's degree, Indiana University; Juris Doctorate, University of Iowa College of Law

Obama & Holder: The National Democratic Redistricting Committee

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 23:54:00 +0000

The National Democratic Redistricting Committee

Former President Barack Obama highlights the damaging effects of partisan and racial gerrymandering on our democracy and calls on Americans to get engaged in the 2018 mid-term elections as it is a critical year for redistricting and restoring fairness back to elections.

The National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) is the centralized hub for executing a comprehensive redistricting strategy that shifts the redistricting power, creating fair districts where Democrats can compete. To learn more about what you can do to fight for fair maps alongside the NDRC, visit www.democraticredistricting.com.

(Those example districts were the 13th & 14th Congressional Districts of Michigan.)

CONYERS Retired, Resigned Or Is It A Federal Investigation?: Michael Gilmore Wants A Special Election

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 04:36:00 +0000

He is going to do the dramatic Hollywood style ceremonial "filing of the complaint" on the courthouse steps.

I am excited to see the video and what he is going to do with it for his campaign, because you know he is going to use the federal litigation for his campaign.

Well, the days of the political drama have been, oh, let us just say, have been placed under the lens of the cyber community, so all eyes shall be watching this case, in real time.

To begin, let us exam the reason why Michael is filing this lawsuit.

On second thought, that would be a waste of time so I am just going to identify his motivation to file the lawsuit in the title of the article, below.

He is filing to launch his campaign, and not for the greater good of society.

I say this because a congressional seat does not belong to a man nor is it an American title of nobility; it belongs to all people of the 13th Congressional District of Michigan, not just a targeted population of Detroit.

Can one use federal resources, in this case, the federal court, for a political campaign, particularly if the suit of law is for the seat you are attempting to sway to public to win?

This is a questionable way to kick off a political campaign.

This is also the part that where I defenestrate my reservations and remain consistent.

There is a formal process for a Member of Congress to resign and it is my belief that process was executed in a fraudulent manner.

The following is copy of the Congressional Letter of "retirement" of John Conyers, Jr. which was found published with media outlets.

Congressional Retirement Letter of U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr., signed December 5, 2017 by Beverly Tran on Scribd

That does not look like his signature to me and I should know.

How could he sign a letter dated December 5, 2017 and enter it into public record when it was reported that he was hospitalized, medically incapacitated, November 30, 2017 in Detroit?

Hmmmmm....

According to media reports, Conyers' "retirement" was lobbied by a non-governmental, unlicensed attorney, and other Members of Congress, despite the fact that Arnold Reed was retained to represent Mr. Conyers.

Hmmmmm....

Date of signature: December 5, 2017

Date of signature: July 7, 2007

Date of signature: November 18, 2017

Date of signature: December 16, 2016

Only one of these signatures from United States Congressional Letters, is the real signature of John Conyers, Jr.

Can you guess which one is his?

The reason why I question the validity of the "retirement" letter signature, is not from the poorly written congressional letter of "retirement", but from the eleventh grade written so-called legacy letter read, on the Floor of the House, by U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, into the congressional record.

Mother Superior Augustine would have had a heart attack if she bared witness to the reading of this letter with just about every sentence commencing with first person pronoun, "I", giving me every indication that the Gentlelady Jackson Lee was in rather a pressurized bind by a few unsavory characters.

See, I know what Nancy Pelosi did last summer, and the summer before that, and so on, with Bitch Boy, which is another reason why I speculate the legality of the process, because Nancy has been terribly mean to my Sweetie for quite some time.

I challenge the veracity of Mr. Conyers' voting record and policy positions because people have been forging his signature on congressional letters, for a long time, which is why I did this.

Original signature of John Conyers, Jr.

I was quite shocked when I found out how much individuals were getting for his forged signatures on congressional letters.

Quintessentially, if there are relevent questions raised surrounding the legitimacy of the "retiring" of Mr. Conyers, perhaps, this is the real reason why there will be no special election, as there are multiple, ongoing federal investigations.

Maybe Michael could attempt to validate his racist theories in discovery, or he could just do a basic internet search.

It is just a jurisdictional issue that would immediately halt any state "retirement" process.

But, hey, what do I know?

Candidate says he'll sue Gov. Snyder to move up election for Conyers' seat

A candidate for the U.S. House seat vacated by former U.S. Rep John Conyers filed a lawsuit against Gov. Rick Snyder demanding that the election be moved up to an earlier date.

On Dec. 8, Gov. Snyder had announced that Conyers' congressional seat would remain empty until the regularly scheduled November election, leaving it vacant for nearly a year. What's more, political observers have pointed out that since the post will be listed twice — once in the August primary and again in the November general election ballots — the office could be held by two different people before January is out.

In short, the move would leave Detroiters without effective representation for 11 months — and perhaps even longer.

Michael Gilmore

As the Associated Press noted earlier this month judging by a review of roughly 100 vacancies and successors listed on the House website for the last 20 years, it is unusual for a congressional district to stay vacant for so long. Eleven months would be the longest time a House seat stayed empty during that period.

Gov. Snyder had said his decision would both save money and give candidates ample time to campaign. But given his role in establishing Emergency Management in Michigan, this situation calls another lawsuit to mind — namely one filed by the Detroit Branch of the NAACP against Gov. Snyder that Emergency Management has violated the voting rights of the state's African Americans, effectively stripping representation away from residents in majority-minority cities and school districts. By some estimates, more than half of the state's blacks had their representatives overruled by Snyder-appointed viceroys.

None of this is lost on candidate Michael Gilmore, who has announced his intention to sue the governor over the scheduling of this election:

"Gov. Snyder continues to treat residents of urban areas across the state as second-class citizens and is violating a laundry list of constitutional laws in doing so," Gilmore said in a statement released today. "By holding this congressional seat vacant for 11 months, he is denying minority residents of the 13th Congressional District the right to vote and the right to be represented in Congress. This is yet another attempt to further silence the voice of minorities in the state and disregard their views. From putting emergency managers only in minority school districts and city halls to signing off on the Flint water crisis for fiscal benefit, Gov. Snyder has historically cited cost-saving measures as his reason for denying civil and human rights to urban areas. Here, he is once again attempting to balance the state's budget on the backs of Black people, in the name of 'cost savings.'"

Gilmore says he will discuss his lawsuit against Gov. Snyder at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018, at the Fort Street entrance of the Theodore Levin United States Courthouse, Detroit.

One man hoping to win an empty congressional seat is suing the governor for waiting until November to fill the seat. Most residents have a representative in Congress until the next election.

However, because Congressman John Conyers resigned in 2017, and Gov. Rick Snyder set an election to fill his seat starting in November, residents of the 13th congressional district will not have a representative in Congress for 11 months in 2018.

"Governor Snyder continues to treat residents of urban areas across the street as second class citizens," Michael Gilmore said. Governor Snyder has historically cited cost saving measures as his reason for denying civil rights and human rights to urban areas," he said.

The governor does believe setting the date for the special election in August and November on the same dates as the regular general election will save local taxpayers up to $2 million.

"Divide $2 million by the 658,000 residents, that totals roughly $3 per person," he said.

Gilmore calls this systemic discrimination in the 13th congressional district, which he says is composed of over 62 percent minority residents.

"He is once again attempting to balance the state's budgets on the backs of black people in the name of cost savings," he said.

Gilmore is also a candidate for this seat. Might his lawsuit be self-serving?

"I don't believe this is self-serving, in fact I'm actually quite ashamed that I'm the only one talking about it," he said. "Donald Trump has already begun to illuminate important social programs that we need in this area, and no one else is talking about it?"

Gilmore says that typically vacancies are filled within a few months and he has asked the federal court to make a quick ruling hopefully by the end of February. There's been no formal response from the governor's office.

http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/local-news/candidate-for-conyers-seat-suing-governor-for-waiting-to-fill-vacancy

UPDATE: I am impressed with the finess of Charlie Langton.