The prestigious National Press Club in Washington, DC provided the backdrop as a "growing coalition (of anti-corruption advocates attested) to serious abuses of government and corporate power" says Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Matthew Fogg (INA). He urged the Obama Justice Department to fervently prosecute criminal violations of civil and constitutional rights "so American whistleblowers can effectively help protect our country from entrenched corruption which destroys institutions." Medical doctors representing the International Association of Whistleblowers and Semmelweis Doctors' Society forecasted a possible medical system breakdown if conscientious doctors are not extended federal whistleblower protection and fairer consideration by American courts. Juris Doctor Christina Pak capitalized on their points to underscore the need for national judicial whistleblower protection and her organization's international campaign for that relief.
Washington, DC (PRWEB) November 26, 2008 -- Representatives of "Power Over Poverty Under Laws of America Restored" or POPULAR, recently hosted a press conference with various anti-corruption advocates including chairs of the ACORN 8 and International Association of Whistleblowers (IAW). Both POPULAR and the ACORN 8 debuted at the November 20, 2008 meeting and became part of a "growing coalition attesting to serious abuses of government and corporate power" says Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Matthew Fogg (INA) who spoke at the event. An hour of their comments aired internationally by webcast and can be heard at http://www.visualwebcaster.com/POPULAR2008
"We'll spotlight our work again by no later than the first week of February 2009 during the IAW's annual conference" added Zena Crenshaw-Logal, POPULAR's executive director and IAW's treasurer.
ACORN 8 president Marcel Reid, reaffirmed her commitment to transparency and accountability at the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), "an organization I love because it provides a voice for those who would otherwise have none." The ACORN 8 began as eight association board members seeking a forensic accounting and independent audit by ACORN after its Chief Organizer reportedly concealed for nearly a decade an alleged embezzlement of about one million dollars from the organization by his brother. "Our numbers and support continue to grow despite intense efforts by ACORN representatives to isolate and destroy us as effective community advocates" says Reid for the ACORN 8.
Attorney Tom Devine, Legal Director of the acclaimed Government Accountability Project, described the isolation and pressure tactics typically used to silence whistleblowers. He adds, "America could have avoided its financial crisis by listening to credible mortgage, banking, and securities industry whistleblowers". Emphasizing the need for Congress to quickly enact an enhanced Whistleblower Protection Act, attorney Devine explained, "I agreed to speak here because I accept all invitations to speak on behalf of American whistleblowers."
Mortgage fraud advocate attorney Michael McCray, described America's subprime market collapse as a three-fold problem: "a credit quality and lending problem; a law enforcement problem; and a court administration problem", confirming that whistleblowers are stifled in seeking related relief. According to McCray, a hotel development by Georgia businessman Courtney Dillard was "derailed by America's leading case of mortgage fraud involving at least 30 million taxpayer dollars." Courtney Dillard commented on the corresponding need for reform and shared his intent to work for that change with POPULAR and other grassroots advocates.
Medical doctors James Murtagh and Lokesh Vuyyuru spoke at the National Press Club for the IAW and Semmelweis Doctors' Society. Both forecasted a possible medical system breakdown if conscientious doctors are not extended federal whistleblower protection and fairer consideration by American courts. Vuyyuru specifically recounted alleged Medicaid and Medicare fraud and even patient deaths, obscured by sham peer reviews that discredit and financially devastate medical whistleblowers. Murtagh confirmed that vindication "generally alludes them in court". As Vice-President of POPULAR's board of directors, Juris Doctor Christina Pak capitalized on their points to underscore the need for national judicial whistleblower protection and POPULAR's international campaign for that relief.
POPULAR's board president, attorney Dale Nathan; POPULAR's Advisory Board president, Katherine Moore; and POPULAR board members Drs. Glenn Vickers Bey and Mark Adams eloquently described fundamental legal system problems that their organization was created to address. Attorney Nathan promised that POPULAR "will articulate viable solutions as well as serious problems at many press conferences to come". Listeners were directed to POPULAR's website for more information on the organization's debut projects and co-founders who were not in attendance, including Dr. Andrew D. Jackson, Mrs. Evelyn Johnson, Mr. George Stokes, Mrs. Nancy Swan, Mr. Michayl Mellen, Dr. Richard Olivito, and Dr. Eugene Wrona.
POPULAR is an association of public interest attorneys and law school graduates also known as Juris Doctors or Doctors of Jurisprudence. They are advised by a board of non-lawyer community leaders. These good government advocates are committed to helping poor and other disadvantaged people access affordable and competent legal representation, important civil and criminal justice system reforms, and appropriate judicial oversight. Their flagship project is an electronic signature drive known as the "Tear Down the Wall of Poverty" campaign. For additional information, visit http://www.popular4people.org