Stopping “Dr.” John Boyd & Attorney Al Pires
[Guest post by Lee Stranahan]
One of the key figures in the Pigford scandal is “Dr.” John Boyd, head of the National Black Farmers Association., who has personally profited to the tune of over $1,000,000 from the USDA.
And her’s about to cost you, dear taxpayer, billions more…but more on that in a minute.
In 2009, attorney Rose Sanders – who represented Shirley Sherrod – said this about “Dr.” John Boyd,…
Less than two years ago, I attended meetings by John Boyd where he and his attorneys were soliciting contracts from hundreds of eligible and ineligible claimants before the Pigford II legislation was passed in Congress. These contracts obligated citizens to pay 1/3 of their recovery to John Boyd’s attorneys plus expenses. Expenses had to be paid even if the claimant was unsuccessful. I objected to these outrageous contracts. Boyd’s claim that his April 28th protest is inspired by his concern for Black Farmers must be questioned.
That’s a serious charge Ms. Sanders is making and shows a clear example of black people being taken advantage of by Boyd and the lawyers he was working with.
I spoke to Ms. Sanders last week to see if she still stood by this and she said of Boyd and the lawyers, “Well, it’s not illegal.”
Why was Ms. Sanders so clear about Boyd’s wrongdoing two years ago yet she makes excuses for him today? I think the answer is really tragic – she’s part of a move to circle the wagons now that people like Andrew Breitbart and I are looking into Pigford. This suspicion does nothing to help the real farmers and does everything to help protect men like John Boyd.
Another guy they are defending? Al Pirse, the (white) attorney who has made over $10,000,000 off of Pigford by his own estimates. Watch more about Pires in this report from John Stossel. Pires shows up at about 4:00 in.
But – who cares?
Pigford is over, right? Too late, right? Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong.
This coming Friday, April 15th in Washington there’s a hearing on the Women Farmers settlement. And who will be there? John Boyd and Al Pires. Take a look. That’s Al Pires and John Boyd in the picture.
Am I the only one who wants to stop these two?
– Lee Stranahan
“Am I the only one who wants to stop these two?”
Yes, well, almost. The spending on Pigford is barely different than Arts funding or any other subsidy or special pleading. Attack one and you attack them all. An attack on Pigford also undermine our new nobility (or nomenklatura, if you prefer the more modern term).
ErisGuy (02d37b) — 4/11/2011 @ 1:32 pmNEA’s funding is $1.5 million, give or take.
Pigford has been 2.5 BILLION, so far. Billions more coming.
As big as plenty of things in D.C., but not insignificant at all — and it doesn’t actually solve any problem.
Lee Stranahan (708cc3) — 4/11/2011 @ 1:37 pmErisGuy – So wasting taxpayer money through fraud is just fine with you?
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 4/11/2011 @ 1:41 pmIf it is not too late to stop them, what do we do? What can I do? Is Issa looking at this?
Susan Harms (3a374e) — 4/11/2011 @ 1:56 pmGreat question — I need to write more about this….
One of the reasons Boyd is so dangerous is that every time there’s about to be an investigation, Boyd shows up and Congress backs off.
I’m trying to help the real farmers go to Washington D.C. this Friday and get some press for the real story.
Lee Stranahan (708cc3) — 4/11/2011 @ 2:02 pmTilting at windmills?
You’re free to spend your time and your outrage wherever you want, but you have zero – repeat, zero – chance of disrupting the gravy train. The other side is not going to let a little bad press (and that assumes you can generate some publicity) deter them from writing those checks.
#4, Issa? What is he going to do, threaten to hold a hearing? Ooh, I am sure the other side is quaking in their boots hearing that. Meanwhile the checks keep going out…
#3, no it isn’t fine. But there are battles that could be won and this isn’t one of them. As much as we all love Lee and wish him well, he’s struck out… he just doesn’t know it yet.
steve (369bc6) — 4/11/2011 @ 2:19 pmLee, I suggested it once before, and I still think there is a strong argument that the attorneys who submitted the fraudulent claims would be subject to False Claims Act lawsuits. The suit would have to be brought on behalf of a whistleblower, someone with inside knowledge of either the attorney’s own practices or the government’s claims procedure. As a libertarian trial lawyer, I would love to be the one to bring this suit, but I’m not vain enough to presume to be the most qualified lawyer for the task. If you and Andrew can find the right whistleblower, though, send me an email and I can walk you through the FCA process – and help find the lawyer you want to work on this. gorman@bowengorman.com
Drew (aa5509) — 4/11/2011 @ 2:33 pmGood idea — and I think we know just the whistleblower…
Lee Stranahan (708cc3) — 4/11/2011 @ 3:06 pmSteve’s idea of simply giving up is just a great idea. Quit. Good allah.
JD (109425) — 4/11/2011 @ 3:26 pmJD: no, my idea is to concentrate on the fights one can win. But, hey, that’s just me, I’m grounded in reality. I wish you and all of your fellow true believers all the luck.
steve (254463) — 4/11/2011 @ 4:21 pmIn a multi-ethnic society, those ethnic groups who organize as ethnic groups, who press their ethnic (or racial) interests, win. Those who don’t — well, their members in general get screwed. In the contemporary US, that’s white, gentile folks. (Of course there are always a few carpet baggers like Pirse or Morris Dees or Tim Wise who also profit).
One of the most clever of the moves the ethnic lobbies have made, however, is to sort of include white women in the privileged classes, thus driving a wedge between them and their men.
stari_momak (d5f987) — 4/11/2011 @ 4:27 pmI dare a president give black people money for discrimination when women and senior citizens have been discriminated against forever. We have had our rights taken away by greedy government and greedy business people. When I state senior citizens I am talking about all people over 50 when it comes to jobs. When I state women have been discriminated against I am talking about all women in the workplace and all other places.
I am white and have never discriminated against a black person in my life. But I am over 50 and been discriminated against every time I send a resume out to a company. If you are over 50 and been discriminated against in the workplace please be heard when it comes time to vote. It is time that women and senior citizens vote for what is right and quit putting idiots in office.
The government has taken money from senior citizens for years and years. Now they want to change the retirement age because they say people are living longer. I dare a government borrow money form social security to fund their nonsense spending then say we need to change the age of social security because people are living longer. Give me a break. I say we should vote these people out of our government as fast as we can. Their salary should be cut to 0.000. I am talking about republications!!!! It is time the people of the USA take back our rights as citizens and vote out all of these freeloaders in Washington and our states that have gotten so rich that all they can say is we need to change the rights of senior citizens but don’t make the rich pay more taxes because I am rich.. When senators say don’t raise taxes because it will hurt jobs. They are really saying don’t raise taxes because I am wealthy and that will be money out of my pocket. Shame on you senators for thinking seniors don’t vote.
Let’s talk about women in the US. Women have always been discriminated against. I am a woman and worked in management for 10 years and made much less than men managers. So if you think blacks are the only people that have been discriminated against please do you homework. Mr. President, are you willing to pay everyone 50,000 that has been discriminated against? If not then stop the nonsense and go to work trying to help all Americans and not just a certain party. Helping only the blacks will not get you elected for another term. I am a woman and a senior citizen and I am not the only person who fits that category of people who vote.
Let’s get back to the case of black farmers. I think there should be an investigation looking into every document that was filed. Everyone that was involved should be prosecuted. That includes the greedy lawyers and government. Thanks for reading my comments.
Fran (16213f) — 4/16/2011 @ 6:38 amNice violin concerto.
Icy Texan (64c313) — 4/16/2011 @ 7:05 am“I dare a president give black people money for discrimination when women and senior citizens have been discriminated against forever.”
Fran – You lost that dare, sweetie.
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 4/16/2011 @ 7:17 amI may have lost that dare but we will see come election time.
Fran (16213f) — 4/16/2011 @ 7:39 am