VanderSloot
trump judge nelson
zinke?
2015 cost 3m$ to defend
Today we are happy to announce a monumental legal victory for Mother Jones: A judge in Idaho has ruled in our favor on all claims in a defamation case filed by a major Republican donor, Frank VanderSloot, and his company, Melaleuca Inc. In a decision issued Tuesday, the court found that Mother Jones did not defame VanderSloot or Melaleuca because “all of the statements at issue are non-actionable truth or substantial truth.” The court also found that the statements were protected as fair comment under the First Amendment.
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swamp thing
liar inside the wire: doi
Interior Solicitor
If confirmed, Ryan Nelson will serve as the Solicitor for the Department of the Interior. “As Solicitor, Nelson will be the chief attorney for the United States Department of the Interior, principal legal adviser to the Secretary of the Interior, and will oversee 400 employees, including 300 attorneys. He will be assisted by several Deputy Solicitors, Associate Solicitors, and eight Regional Solicitors.”
A native of Idaho Falls, Idaho and a Brigham Young University Law School graduate, Ryan Nelson is a George W. Bush administration veteran and has worked most recently for Idaho billionaire Frank VanderSloot.Nelson began his legal career working as an associate at Sidley Austin LLP, and from there he went to serve in the Bush administration as deputy assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, where he argued “against environmental or citizens’ groups… seeking to block government actions.” Nelson also served in the Bush administration as deputy general counsel for the White House Office of Management and Budget. For a few months in 2009, Nelson worked on the Senate Judiciary Committee where he was part of the “Republicans’ core nominations team” working on the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor. For the past eight years, Nelson has worked as general counsel to “controversial” “health care products company” Melaleuca. In addition to representing the company in corporate litigation cases, Nelson represented CEO Frank VanderSloot, working to “bully and silence” those who have pointed out that VanderSloot funds a “‘number of anti-gay causes'” and those who have criticized Melaleuca’s “‘shady business model.'”
Sources: Department of the Interior, [Press Release, 08/01/17, Chase Peterson-Withorn, “How Frank VanderSloot, Wellness Billionaire And GOP Kingmaker, Became Idaho’s Richest Person,” Forbes, 06/21/17, Michael Doyle, “‘Aggressive’ solicitor pick brings broad legal experience,” Greenwire, 08/01/17, Legistorm Profile for Ryan D. Nelson, accessed 08/02/17, “Senate Judiciary Republicans Staffing up for Sotomayor,“Legal Times, 06/05/09, Bryan Clark, “Melaleuca attorney tapped for DOI solicitor,” Idaho Falls Post Register, 08/01/17, Glen Greenwald, “Billionaire Romney donor uses threats to silence critics,” Salon, 02/17/12, Kimberlee Kruesi, “VanderSloot’s Mother Jones suit tossed: Judge dismisses conservative Idaho activist’s lawsuit against liberal magazine,” Lewiston Morning Tribune, 10/08/15, and Bryan Clark, “Melaleuca attorney tapped for DOI solicitor,” Idaho Falls Post Register, 08/01/17]
Background Information
Previous Employers
Environmental and Natural Resources Division, United States Department of Justice
Additional Background on Employers of Note:
Ryan Nelson, as deputy assistant attorney general for the Bush administration, argued “against environmental or citizens’ groups… seeking to block government actions.”
As deputy assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, Ryan Nelson “was listed as an attorney in two appellate cases in the 9th Circuit during his time in the Bush administration, in each case arguing against environmental or citizens’ groups who were seeking to block government actions.”
Bryan Clark, “[Melaleuca attorney tapped for DOI solicitor,” Idaho Falls Post Register, 08/01/17]
Ryan Nelson called the DOJ’s $2 million civil settlement with the Jupiter Aluminum Corporation that spared the aluminum manufacturer “nearly $50 million” in pollution fines for “exceeding limits” of air pollution of “potential human carcinogens and other toxic chemicals” an “‘example of… good'” government cooperation.
As deputy assistant attorney general, Ryan Nelson announced the Department of Justice settled with the Jupiter Aluminum Corporation for “exceeding limits on air releases of potential human carcinogens and other toxic chemicals.” Jupiter Aluminum, which agreed to “pay a civil penalty of $2 million” and “take steps to ensure future compliance with certain provisions of the federal Clean Air Act (CAA),” was spared “nearly $50 million in fines.” Nelson called it “‘an example of the good that can come from the cooperation of federal, state and local government.'”
U.S. Department of Justice, [Press Release, 08/13/07, Steve Zabrowski, “Jupiter Aluminum plant in Hammond to settle in Clean Air Act complaint,” Times of Northwest Indiana, 08/11/07, and Steve Zabrowski, “Hammond’s Jupiter Aluminum agrees to $2 million civil penalty,” Times of Northwest Indiana, 08/15/07]
Ryan Nelson, as deputy assistant attorney general, represented the Bush administration against a citizens’ group who sued to stop an Alaskan mine from filling “in wetlands with mine tailings,” claiming “less destructive alternatives hadn’t been explored.”
As deputy assistant attorney general, Ryan Nelson represented the Bush administration in a 9thCircuit Court case, “arguing against” a citizens’ group “seeking to block” the Army Corps of Engineers for permitting the Rock Creek Mining Project, near Nome, Alaska. After the Army Corp of Engineers permitted the mine to fill in wetlands with mine tailings, the citizens group claimed “less destructive alternatives hadn’t been explored.”
Bryan Clark, “[Melaleuca attorney tapped for DOI solicitor,” Idaho Falls Post Register, 08/01/17]
Ryan Nelson, as deputy assistant attorney general, represented the Bush administration against an environmental group that “argued that yellowfin tuna caught by South and Central American fisherman using seine nets shouldn’t be permitted to use a ‘dolphin-safe’ label.” The court ruled against Nelson, and found the labeling was inappropriate.
The court ultimately blocked the Department of Commerce’s finding that such labeling was appropriate.”
Bryan Clark, “[Melaleuca attorney tapped for DOI solicitor,” Idaho Falls Post Register, 08/01/17]
Ryan Nelson has worked as general counsel for “controversial” “health care products company” Melaleuca.
Melaleuca is a “‘controversial billion-dollar-a-year company'” that has been described as a “‘pyramid selling organization, built along the lines of Herbalife and Amway.'” Melaleuca’s “get-rich pitches” have gotten the company into hot water with state regulators, and additionally the Food and Drug Administration has “accused Melaleuca of deceiving consumers about some of its supplements.”
Michael Doyle, “[‘Aggressive’ solicitor pick brings broad legal experience,” Greenwire, 08/01/17, Kimberlee Kruesi, “VanderSloot’s Mother Jones suit tossed: Judge dismisses conservative Idaho activist’s lawsuit against liberal magazine,” Lewiston Morning Tribune, 10/08/15, and Glen Greenwald, “Billionaire Romney donor uses threats to silence critics,” Salon, 02/17/12]
Someone who identifies themselves as a 16-year Melaleuca Inc. employee left a comment on the Federal Trade Commission’s website that Melaleuca was “one of the most obvious Pyramid Schemes on the planet” and that “the evidence of coruption [sic] and/ or scheming should be abundantly clear to all regulators seeking consumer protection.”
“[Comment,” Federal Trade Commission, 11/05/15]
Frank VanderSloot has used “his team of subservient lawyers” to “bully and silence” journalists. Ryan Nelson has sent threatening emails to journalists who have criticized Melaleuca’s business model and have accused VanderSloot and Melaleuca of being “‘Not-So-Gay-Friendly.'”
Critics have observed that “Frank VanderSloot and his team of subservient lawyers… are abusing the law and their own resources to threaten, bully and silence vulnerable people from engaging in perfectly legitimate political speech.”
Glen Greenwald, “[Billionaire Romney donor uses threats to silence critics,” Salon, 02/17/12]
In February 2012, Ryan Nelson sent a stern email to Elliot Suthers of Forbesmagazine after Suthers had written a piece in which he referenced Melaleuca’s “‘somewhat shady business model,’ and also referenced the ‘number of anti-gay causes’ which VanderSloot ha[d] funded.'” Nelson accused Suthers “of making ‘defamatory statements'” and told Suthers: “‘We expect immediate action here and no more stonewalling from you.'”
Glen Greenwald, “[Billionaire Romney donor uses threats to silence critics,” Salon, 02/17/12]
Also in February 2012, a website called the Idaho Agenda that “cover[ed] issues of interest to the state’s LGBT community” published a piece called that accused Melaleuca of being a “‘Not-So-Gay-Friendly'” company. The author of the piece “received an accusatory letter from a Melaleuca lawyer, Associate Counsel Michael LaClare…. [and] spoke to friends to decide what to do, but before he could respond, he received a follow-up missive by email from a different company lawyer, General Counsel Ryan Nelson, demanding compliance.” The author of the article emailed back to say that “he was working on a response” but Nelson threatened him, saying, “‘We really need to address this issue today or else we will have to consider escalating this issue to a much more serious level.'”
Glen Greenwald, “[Billionaire Romney donor uses threats to silence critics,” Salon, 02/17/12]
Ryan Nelson also represented Frank VanderSloot when VanderSloot sued Mother Jones magazine for defamation after Mother Jones wrote an article accusing VanderSloot of outing a reporter as gay; the case was dismissed.
In 2005, “when the Idaho Falls Post Register published a series of articles detailing pedophilia at a local Boy Scout camp… Melaleuca took out ads in the paper criticizing the article and repeating speculation that, among other issues, its homosexual author may have had ‘a personal axe to grind’ due to the Scouts’ then-policy of not allowing gay scout leaders.”
Chase Peterson-Withorn, “[How Frank VanderSloot, Wellness Billionaire And GOP Kingmaker, Became Idaho’s Richest Person,” Forbes, 06/21/17, and Stephanie Mencimer, “Pyramid-Like Company Ponies Up $1 Million for Mitt Romney,” Mother Jones, 02/06/12]
In 2012, Mother Jones published an article claiming that CEO of Melaleuca Frank VanderSloot, “in his letters to the local paper, publicly outed a reporter as gay. VanderSloot sued for defamation in Idaho court. The judge, while criticizing Mother Jones’ reporting, dismissed the claims as protected speech and threw out the case in October 2015.”
Chase Peterson-Withorn, “[How Frank VanderSloot, Wellness Billionaire And GOP Kingmaker, Became Idaho’s Richest Person,” Forbes, 06/21/17]
Ryan Nelson represented VanderSloot in the suit. Mother Jones’ attorney described Nelson as being “‘on the aggressive end of the spectrum.'”
Michael Doyle, “[‘Aggressive’ solicitor pick brings broad legal experience,” Greenwire, 08/01/17, and Bryan Clark, “Melaleuca attorney tapped for DOI solicitor,” Idaho Falls Post Register, 08/01/17]
In September 2016, Donald Trump Jr. had a “closed-door meeting at Melaleuca Global Headquarters” where he visited with Frank VanderSloot and the company’s management team.
Nate Eaton, “[Trump Jr. Visits Idaho Falls for Private Meeting at Melaleuca,” East Idaho News, 09/21/16]
We stood up to a billionaire political donor with a record of intimidating journalists and we won. On Tuesday, a judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by Frank VanderSloot against Mother Jones.
It’s a monumental victory, and a big blow to those who try to use their power to silence the media. But the two and a half year legal onslaught has also dealt a big blow to our budget. Fighting back—and winning—has cost us and our insurer at least $2.5 million and left us with $650,000 in out-of-pocket legal bills.
There’s a lot to bring you up to speed on, so please read this all the way to the bottom and make an emergency, tax-deductible donation to *Mother Jones*.
In February 2012, we published a story about how the Citizens United decision allowed wealthy contributors like VanderSloot—then a national finance co-chair for the Romney campaign—to drastically increase their political spending. Our story also covered the unusual lengths VanderSloot had gone to oppose LGBT rights in Idaho, and it touched on his company’s run-ins with regulators. Voters need to know who’s funding campaigns, and it’s our duty to report it.
VanderSloot’s lawyers sent us a letter complaining about the piece. In the past, big news organizations likeForbes have taken down stories in response to his complaints. But we wouldn’t—so nearly a year later, VanderSloot sued Mother Jones, as well as one of our reporters and me personally.
The lawsuit was filed one day before the statute of limitations expired, and it asked for $1 less than the amount that would have allowed the case to be moved out of VanderSloot’s local court in Idaho Falls.
People have asked us whether we think the lawsuit was connected to the story we broke about Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” video, which many argue cost the GOP the 2012 election. The honest answer is: we have no idea. But we do know that the aggressive legal assault by VanderSloot consumed a good part of the last two and a half years, and it cost us and our insurer at least $2.5 million.
We also know that it was a classic case of the wealthy using their power to try to control the media. ButMother Jones would not back down, even when faced with a drawn-out lawsuit and huge legal fees. Hell no.
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http://dianeravitch.net/2013/02/02/a-billionaire-obsessed-by-union-phobia-2/
What do you say about a billionaire in Idaho who sees unions as the biggest threat to the American way of life?
As most people know, the number of people who belong to unions has declined dramatically in recent decades. As manufacturing jobs were outsourced to low-wage non-union countries, private sector unions shrank. Today, the majority of American workers are hourly workers with little or no job security and no pension.
And yet, here is a man who poured $1 million into a campaign to support Idaho’s so-called Luna laws (for rightwing state superintendent Tom Luna), which would have crushed the unions, which are already weak, initiated bonus pay, and made it easy to fire teachers at any time for any reason.
The good news is that voters across Idaho repealed the Luna laws, while voting Republican for state offices and the presidency.
To see the depth of his obsession, open the link in this comment by a reader.
“Eastern Idaho billionaire Frank VanderSloot, CEO of the direct-marketing company Melaleuca, contributed well over $1 million to the efforts to support State Superintendent Tom Luna’s Propositions 1, 2, and 3. Prop 1 would have eliminated much of the due-process provisions from teacher firings, limited contract negotiations to salary and benefits only, eliminated renewable contracts (so-called “tenure”), eliminated collective bargaining, among other things. Prop 2 would have instituted a pay-for-performance/merit-pay scheme based, in part, on student scores on standardized testing and on parent evaluations of teachers. Prop 3 (defeated by a 2 to 1 margin) would have spent $180 million over 8 years to purchase a laptop computer for every high school student while require each student to take two online courses in order to graduate.
“Mr. VanderSloot’s $1 million investment was in addition to the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent over the last two years placing full-page ads in numerous newspapers throughout Idaho. One such ad in Idaho’s largest newspaper, the Idaho Statesman, has been estimated to cost $20,000 per insertion. These ads are archived in a web site maintained by Mr. VanderSloot at http://www.communitypagenews.com/ . Without exception, they are anti-union, casting the opposition to the Luna legislation as out-of-state “union bosses” financed by union interests. In fact, they rarely address any issues related to education, other than the pernicious influence of unions.
“A few headlines give the flavor of these lurid ads, but they really have to be seen in full to be believed.
http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/how-mitt-romneys-anti-gay-bi.html
Billionaire anti-gay campaigner and Mitt Romney campaign co-finance chair Frank VanderSloot is whitewashing his tarnished image with a public relations campaign. After years of trying to silence journalists critical of him and his record, all that's left to do is dodge the difficult questions.
After a recent scathing commentary from *Salon's* Glenn Greenwald, echoed nationwide on MSNBC by The Rachel Maddow Show, VanderSloot's history of threatening critics was exposed. The game changed. But his efforts only highlight a long record of local campaigning whose dirty tricks and litigious tactics now deserve national attention.
The many companies run by VanderSloot, a Mormon family-values man on his fourth marriage, include Riverbend Communications, which operates a number of radio stations in his home state. But he is perhaps most widely known as the CEO of Melaleuca, a multi-Level network marketing company that sells household and nutritional products.
In Feb. 2012, I received a letter from Melaleuca accusing me of making “repeated characterizations” of Frank VanderSloot and his company “as anti-gay” on my website. Among other claims, it said these references “are inaccurate” and “mislead readers.” It said my blog contained “infringing material,” “defamatory statements” and suggested that I would be held responsible for mainstream media coverage which was “increasing the unlawful reputational damage” sparked by my reportage.
Mother Jones and Forbes published stories in early February about VanderSloot, both of which linked back to a four-year-old post I had written on my old blog PrideDEPOT. This prompted Melaleuca’s threatening letter to me, which included a copy of a similar legal threat, apparently addressed to me in 2008, which I did not receive.
The day after Maddow reported on Greenwald’s story, the Melaleuca CEO released a prepared 4-page statement to the media which painted himself as the victim: “Since I seem to be the main topic of the ‘story,’ I fully expect my comments here will be twisted and mocked, because there are some who want to believe that people who have been successful in business or who disagree with them are evil or should be made out to appear evil.”
VanderSloot's recently-launched site consists of a media statement; a letter from the Idaho Attorney General’s Office; and comments from Post-Register publisher Roger Plothow. None of it addresses the key issues raised in Greenwald’s reporting, the take-down letters sent to James Tidmarsh at Idaho Agenda, or the legal threats sent to me.
As a public figure, VanderSloot promotes a remarkable political and social agenda. Through his lawyers, he is not shy in attacking these who taking issue with his words. His actions against gay people go back years, and they're more than worthy of examination.