Gibson Guitars CEO on DOJ bullies: “[S]macks of something from an Orwell novel”
Two significant items to add to the Gibson Guitars vs. Obama DOJ story that we noted on Friday.
Since the WSJ first reported on the famed instrument-maker’s battle with the feds over rare wood used in its guitars last week, people across the country have rallied to Gibson’s side. The company’s CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz has publicized his legal plight –and the heavy-handed, botched enforcement tactics of a Justice Department bent on mis-applying foreign laws to American workers.
1) Andrew Lawton and Landmark Report note that Juszkiewicz has donated to GOP candidates, while one of his leading competitors “is a long-time Democratic supporter, with $35,400 in contributions to Democratic candidates and the DNC over the past couple of election cycles.”
2) Stacy McCain has the transcript and Ben Howe at RedState also spotlights Juszkiewicz’s recent KMJ interview in which the CEO revealed that the feds asserted in a court pleading that Gibson would be better off shipping their manufacturing labor overseas to Madagascar (be sure to click on the link to listen to the interview). Howe adds:
So the government attacked them in the first place by citing obscure regulations that probably weren’t violated about importation of wood. Now they are suggesting that all these problems would go away if they simply exported their labor.
Had it simply been said in passing by an agent, one could write it off as a lone sarcastic agent, trying to push buttons. But the fact that they actually wrote it in the pleading is a level of hubris that goes well beyond over zealous law enforcement officials and passes straight into what can easily be translated as an out of control and corrupt targeting of an American corporation.
When President Obama gives his jobs speech next week, let’s hope he has an answer for why our government would want to force and coerce corporations to send jobs overseas.
While his overzealous lawyers bully American employers, Obama whines about American jobs.
***
The WSJ has a more extensive follow-up today to Eric Felten’s original Friday item on the Gibson raid. Read the whole thing. A snippet:
Federal agents first raided Gibson factories in November 2009 and were back again Aug. 24, seizing guitars, wood and electronic records. Gene Nix, a wood product engineer at Gibson, was questioned by agents after the first raid and told he could face five years in jail.
“Can you imagine a federal agent saying, ‘You’re going to jail for five years’ and what you do is sort wood in the factory?” said Mr. Juszkiewicz, recounting the incident. “I think that’s way over the top.” Gibson employees, he said, are being “treated like drug criminals.”
Mr. Nix hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing. He couldn’t be reached for comment.
…The government has focused on a March 2009 shipment of ebony from Madagascar intended for guitar fingerboards. Madagascar law bars the export of certain unfinished wood products, according to both Gibson and the government. Gibson says the ebony had been cut into pieces and that local officials approved the export as a legal sale of finished goods.
U.S. officials described the wood as “sawn timber” and said Madagascar officials were “defrauded” by a local exporter about the nature of the product.
Gibson says the government is trying to “second guess” the Madagascar government. “The U.S. government’s startling position smacks of something from an Orwell novel,” Gibson said in a July 15 court filing in federal district court in Nashville.
One last detail of note: The article opens by observing that Gibson’s past alliances with left-wing enviro groups like Greenpeace didn’t stop the eco-nitwits from going after the company.
Here’s an article I found touting Gibson’s partnership with Greenpeace and other instrument makers to “green” their instruments.
There’ an object lesson here for other businesses small and large: Don’t delude yourself into thinking you can buy permanent immunity from Big Green or Big Government. You can’t.
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Sad that this is not the only example of Orwellian governance.
To borrow a phrase from Perry, this is almost treasonous. Matter of fact, it seems more and more that the phrase sums up the entire administration doesn’t it?
This is how the socialist do things.
Rough you up and tell you to get out of town or play by the socialist rules.
The same methods used by all gangs.
I think the lesson here is clear.
Only contribute to the campaigns of Democrats
Hard pivot.
they were supposed to be in court this week, i wonder how that is going? also, the timing of this raid, days before the last raid was in court, over gibson trying to retrieve stolen property. yes, stolen, they were never charged, and thier property was taken at gunpoint. what do you call somebody taking your property at gunpoint?
I feel like I am in some Bizzaro world right now.. I am a Proud American…but what this….is NOT America.
And Just like the Chevy and Chrysler dealerships that were Supporters of Republicans.. they got their dealer’s licenses revoked when Obama seized ownership, and only Demon-craps kept theirs…..even if they were unprofitable.
One cannot trust leftists, all they want to do is hurt people by using the government. They’ve done it in the past, and they continue to do it today, and will continue to do so.
The more that I hear of BS like this, the more convinced I am that foreign-based “Illuminati” are running America and OweBowMao/Bush are just their figureheads.
I would love to see some musicians interviewed about this. The sanctity of the guitar is at stake, isn’t it?
Also note that the Lacey Act was part of the Farm Bill which Pres. Bush vetoed twice, but Dem congress (which included then Jr. Sen. Obama) overrode his veto.
Soo right md1964, never forget.
Me thinks not. Were that the case there would be some manner of intelligence behind it. Just looks over the top hopey-dopey to me.
That would really suck to try to play on. Just imagine all the splinters….
Speaking of Gibson guitars, I just saw on Antique Roadshow, a guy had a Les Paul Gibson guitar. He paid $25.00 at a pawn shop. I am trying to remember what they appraised it at, but I believe it was something like $150,000. He needs to sell it FAST! As soon as the Feds watch that show, they will probably raid this guy’s house and confiscate it.
Concerning the Barry regime, only a politician would find it necessary to precede the word “treasonous” with “almost”.
Now we know why all the current government documents have been changed to “Federal Family”. Because they are mafia. No question about it. This reeks of thug tactics and it isn’t going to stop until WE STOP IT!! Dear lord, do they really believe we are going to call them “family”. There is no longer any doubt…they are either insane or smoking some very fine stuff.
30 million illegal aliens with illegal ID’s, illegally employed, and the Feds go after a Republican guitar maker. Welcome to Zymbabwie.
They wouldn’t have pulled this sh!te if Les Paul was still alive.
And that is because the POTUS is NOT American!
If these jack-booted thugs and their masters don’t see jail time over this, I will be severely disappointed.
What will congress do about this sort of thing?How much in lawyer fees is this costing Gibson?The taxpayers are paying the gov.lawyers who have unlimited funds to slam Gibson.
What would have happened if the owner hadn’t contributed to the GOP either? Are we to suffer at the hands of the party in power if we differ from their goals and policies? How does freedom fit in? I guess it doesn’t. Party contributions have become protection money, paid to an elected organized crime organization. Bring out the RICO laws and charge this administration and anyone else who is involved in taking away our rights.
This is why SQ 755 was necessary.
Indeed. No need to look for conspiracies when there are so many eco-nut, multiculti big government loving idiots all around us.
It’s a widespread insane world view, not a conspiracy. Just chattering apes.
You nailed it. It is the exact same thinking giving the exact same self-labeling.
Not only is what is happening from an Orwell book, it is also from an Alinsky book.
It appears almost daily that bho, holder, and the whole slimy team are trying to go after all businesses here in America! They are making it impossible for American’s to get work because of their taxes, regulations, and thug threats to businesses. This has got to be stopped, period! We citizens better get to working to give bho the boot in 2012! I just pray we can still have a Republic in 2012 the way bho and team are distroying every aspect of our lives!
L
Bingo!
Darrel Issa it is time. Reign in Eric Holder to keep Obama looking over his shoulder.
Congress will do what they have been doing about every other illegal thing done by this illegal regime…..nothing.
When members of Congress actively and knowingly involved themselves in getting an unknown, ineligible, illegal alien community organizer on the ballot and elected in 2008, they gave the community organizer a club to hold ever them and a free pass for him and his enablers to do whatever they heck they want.
Congress is powerless and afraid to do anything……especially to speak the truth.
OT, but what is the Labor Department doing working against the interests of the US?
Labor Department Agreements Protect Illegal Workers
Isn’t that what happened to the auto dealers that were closed because they donated to the R side.
Did the LSM ever followup on that issue?
This Government violates American gun laws by smuggling guns into Mexico, but then tries to enforce foreign laws on an American company.
Weird.
Glenn is going to have the ceo of Gibson on his radio show in a few minutes talking about this issue.
L
How is it possible for me to be more tickled this isn’t “just going away”?
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2011/08/new-scandal-at-doj-as-illegal-guitars-end-up-in-hands-of-mexican-drug-lords.html
Again, any time resident trolls want to step up to the plate and explain how this is just another example of ODS, we’re all ears! Nothing to see here folks, move along…
On September 1st, 2011 at 11:21 am, BOB said:
I think you are close but I believe you should clarify. It was a democrat congress with a compliant media that ushered in Obama. And it was a democrat congress that turned over power reserved for the elected to be granted to the EPA. It is liberal democrat judges that are legislating from the bench and it is a socialist president that is encouraging them to do so.
Most of us on this board saw it coming before the election of BHO. What we are enduring is the culmination of old as dirt hippies in power getting their last freak on. Prosecutions should commence with all due speed starting in February 2013. We’re being persecuted and I will demand payback.
Trump was asked why he donated to both parties since he was gonna run as an R. He said something like “I have to do business in various places so I have to pay the piper in order to play.”
does that make him don barak? and does that make holder consigliere?
Please, please, PLEASE: Some Republican Senator (they sit in front during these “speeches to Congress”, don’t they?) invite Gibson CEO Juszkiewicz to be their guest, sitting on the front row, Fender in hand, right in Obama’s line of sight (meaning, right behind one of his teleprompters).
More than just an ‘employer’ or providing jobs ( Porkulus Census Taker qualifies in that regard )
Gibson stands for enduring quality, the culmination of Luthier Arts and skilled craftsmanship of the highest order. Unless Pete Townshend smashed it during a Who concert, even the first Les Pauls they made are still playable if not in fact, actively played.
Challenging their very existence on such flimsy grounds and jeopardizing all that skilled labor will simply find other employers is beneath contempt. Scum, our current Administration is total and utter scum.
The ceo on Glenn’s show said that any person who has ever bought a Gibson guitar MIGHT have to prove what and where each wood is in their guitar with that the feds are doing going after his company. This is beyone belief!
L
Hi DanMan,
Obama’s ineligibility at the time, and prior to, his appearance on the 2008 ballot and subsequent fraudulent election was well known by members of both parties. They ALL ignored it, and some, Pelosi being a fine example, actively participated in manipulating DCN presidential certification paperwork in getting Obama on the ballot, as did the Democrat Party of Hawaii with their certification paperwork. The paperwork is available to anyone who wants to see it. Very serious charges would result from these actions if there was any justice.
McCain would not demand that Obama undergo the same congressional investigation of natural born Citizenship that he underwent.
The staffer at my Republican Senator’s office once responded to a question on Obama’s eligibility with this reply, “the leaders of Congress had a meeting on Obama’s eligibility and decided no action would be taken”. NO KIDDING, those involved in getting an illegal on the ballot will not be investigating his eligibility?
The administration holds a club over Congress of exposing Congress’ part in the huge fraud/scam that is Obama, his regime and his enablers.
Congress is afraid to act for fear the club will be used. To use a non-PC term, they are being blackmailed.
As long as America ignores the only issue that is important, including the Conservative talking heads, the regime will be free to do whatever they want.
Alinsky worked………
great idea, perhaps we could ask a member of the democrats to give up a ticket to a code pink member. oh wait, they don’t invite them to obama events, sorry.
And whats this all about??
“Gibson Guitar CEO Says Feds Told Him Problems Would ‘Go Away’ if Labor Done in Madagascar”
I can remember reading about the NIXON WH, and their famed enemies list from the 70s… By comparison this WH makes the NIXON WH look like “ALICE IN WONDERLAND” All I can say is PLEASE, OH PLEASE, HURRY 2012!!!
With the border unsecured and with illegals, jihadies and F&F guns crossing the border, the fed is harassing guitar manufacturers while the TSA is groping citizens. Common sense has left the planet. This would be funny if it were not so dangerous. When gov gets too big, the employees find make work projects so they can look busy and necessary. We should not be forced to pay for stupidity!
Wow – they’re giving Gibson employees AR-15s and work visas? Nice!
Its the Chicago way.
Sure – export oil and natural gas jobs overseas and the prols think you’re sticking it to evil oil companies. Export guitar jobs and the masses arise. As well they should, but they should be doing it over energy jobs too.
Next time Obama invites musicians in for a White House concert, any of them that play guitar should loudly say no.
That is patently ridiculous! Gibson has been in business for over a hundred years and made hundreds of thousands of guitars, basses, banjos and even ukuleles! Good luck proving ‘yours’ isn’t illegal.
Given their durability as an instrument and the fact millions of Americans OWN one, I guess we’re all going to the slammer? Like all of Obama’s targets they figured they’d have them shut down and on the ropes before the public even caught wind of this.
Defend.This.Trolls NOW!
Just heard Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz speak on the last half of Glenn Beck’s show. His suggestion to everyone is to write their congressmen and senators. With all due respect to Mr. Juszkiewicz, I doubt that would do any good, although I may try it.
OTOH, Thad McCotter ought to step up and take this issue on, even though I’ve only ever seen him play Fenders. He’s still a presidential candidate, isn’t he? Perfect issue to shred (lame guitar pun, I know).
Technically, Biden would be Consigliere while Holder would be a Capo.
The Republican need to bring the hammer of Thor down on these guys. Take their GS11 jobs from them and put their bosses in jail.
BTW I’m told the Gibson CEO is a Republican and the Martin CEO is a big Dem donor. Martin though, was not raided. mmmmmmmmmmm
The world turned upside down…..
Ignorance is strength.
When we allowed a non-natural born citizen to assume the office he was ineligible for we asked for this.
The founders were very wise men and put that in the Constitution for very good reason.
We are suffering the consequences of ignoring it.
The most successful Alinsky ever is taking our country apart and still no one has the courage to call him out.
If Barry isn’t wearing a ring, what are we supposed to kiss?
Yeah, this is a curious statement if there ever was one. Who in Madagascar is hoping for a payoff? There has to be more to it than just helping out the locals with a factory.
Not off-topic at all. The Constitution mandates that the Federal Government is the guardian of the nation and the mentor of its economy. That the government, as administered by Democrats and other Marxists, is directly working to undermine that mandate speaks volumes. The Democrats who condone this abuse of government power are traitors and enemies of the nation.
No other nation in the world undermines and hamstrings its own economy and businesses, but the American government does. The US government, run by Democrats, is demonstrably America’s greatest enemy. Not China, not Russia.
His Wagyu.
+1000!!
Do you have to wait until it stops wagging?
All plate, no meat.
Not the half of it. While Gibson ( or Martin for that matter ) are rather pricey, they’re by no means the most expensive. These are in the end, Production Instruments.
The market for high end, exotic tonewoods has moved almost entirely upstream to exclusive all custom “one off” guitars. Most of which trades on offshore Ebay sites in the EU. There they fetch prices of $10k to upwards of $50k.
Why isn’t anyone going after ‘them’?
Some pigs are more equal than others.
I own 23 guitars……..but not a one of them is a Gibson.
Methinks I’m overdue for a nice Les Paul Custom…..black, w/gold hardware.
(And it is VERY disappointing that no famous musicians – Gibson players or not – have begun b|tching about this.)
One has to wonder how this guitar thing ever came up on the government’s radar to begin with. I can’t imagine some attorney, or investigator sitting at their desk and out of a clear blue sky thinking, “wow, I wonder if Gibson guitars are being made with legal wood?”
Could it be the Martin group (or another competitor) who dropped a dime to their “friends” in the administration to create havoc for Gibson? That would be a business decision, thuggish, but legal.
If not, it has to be a purely political thing. I have to wonder, what were the raiding agents told that made them handle this like a drug raid? One agent in a suit could have handled the contact with the CEO perfectly safely.
Marshall_Will said:
Not everyone will go to jail, only those that they want to go after. Selective enforcement will be the rule, and they will be “shocked, shocked” when the charge of cherry picking political or personal opponents for prosecution is leveled at them.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I thought I heard that the feds told them it would all go away if they’d just manufacture the guitars in another country…yea that’s the ticket…send more jobs overseas…/sarc
My first guitar was a Gibson LG-1, so yes I am a fan of Gibson guitars and not the DOJ; at least not THIS DOJ.
Sure, let the Obamanation attack another American icon. After all, their agenda is to destroy everything good in the USA.
2012 better work out or we’re all [enter your own word here].
Yes, that is what the ceo said about jobs in another country. On the other thing, I thought he said ‘MIGHT’ have to look up the wood in any guitar. Here is an audio from Glenn’s show. I haven’t listened to it all so I can not be 100% sure of what I heard.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/update-gibson-guitar-ceo-says-feds-told-him-to-outsource-labor-to-madagascar/
L
This is politics the Chicago way, i.e. blackmail and intimidation.
Obama tries to blackmail Gibson Guitars.
So sorry to say that my Fender Squire Bass is made in PRC. I won’t do that mistake again.
no worries about getting raided on that one, and it might even have contraband wood in it.
Now we know why the Federal Government is so HUGE! Most of their agencies are full of employees who spend 8 hours a day finding something they can use to blackmail or intimidate republicans. Easy. They just get a list of registered republicans or those who donate to the republican party. Then they give each agency a list and tell them to get the dirt. How else would they be finding this stuff out?
DOJ’s next stop? Steinway Pianos. There’s ebony in them thar black keys, Eric Holder.
Not only ebony, but ivory! Double whammy for the pianos.
L
There are a number of elected and appointed officials, as well as a number of Federal Government employees, who need to be unemployed or in jail. This is nothing but Chicago style thuggery being taken to a national level.
I’ve no idea what our response is supposed to BE against such broad, sweeping and unsubstantiated allegations!? What can you do but laugh about it.
Fight irrational fire w/ irrational FIRE!
Nice touch! Make mine a triple pickup model. In truth ( my nickname should be “Mr. Pawnshop” ) Most everything I play came out of a parts bin or similar “basket case”.
Friends upgrade their necks, pickups etc. and I’ll say “You’re not getting RID of those are you!?” Even strings are salvaged for Slide or short scale guitars. Waste not want not. Then there’s my one true gift, getting an amp to crank “[one] last TIME!”
Got Any Gum?
Because unemployment is the ticket to a healthy economy?
My Fender Mustang Bass was “Made in Japan”..short scale but nice for my smaller hands…lol
This will teach Mr. Gibson not to pay off the Democratic Obama machine. For Pete’s sake, Obama is from CHICAGO!! It’s how things are done there.
This stinks all around. I own a Martin Sigma acoustic guitar from 1973 and I love it. But now I hate to think that the company manufacturing these great instruments is so crass and petty that they’d stoop to going after a worthy competitor in Gibson.
And now, a note to Martin, Fender & Gibson – well, a note to all businesses: The American people aren’t idiots, no matter what your geniuses of marketing and PR want you to think. If we believe a product has value, we’ll spend our money on it. If we don’t, we won’t. We know what quality is and if that’s important to us, we’ll pay for it. If not, we’ll buy something lousy, let it break and then buy something lousy again. If that’s how we roll, that’s how we roll. Most Americans appreciate quality, though, and value companies that produce great products. If they produce them here in the U.S., we’re that much more impressed. And we say “thanks for trying to keep Americans working.”
There’s room for all of you in the marketplace if you work your hardest, provide a quality product that stands the test of time and if you respect and value your customers. Let’s face it: You’re nothing without us. Some people may only buy Martins – or Fenders – or Gibsons. Many people will likely own one or more brands. And it’s OKAY. We will decide — NOT THE GOVERNMENT.
So far, we’ve decided that we like all three of you. If the government ever decides that Americans will buy Martins only or Fenders only or Gibsons only, watch us not buy any guitars. Don’t force our hand. This applies to all other companies, too. We’re more principled than you think.
This is America. We don’t want only one freaking guitar brand — or any brand — to choose from. That’s the Communist way. We want ALL of you companies competing. It’s healthy for all of you because it keeps you innovating and trying to produce the best possible products.
So Martin, Fender, Gibson, all other companies: Stop with the crybaby BS tactics and get back to turning out excellent guitars, assorted instruments and what have you. You’ll be fine if you focus on doing that instead of running to the DOJ, got it? Sheesh.
Eric Holder has to go. He is the muscle behind Obamas destructive agenda for the country. Why they can’t indict him after Fast and Furious is maddening.
By the way-they didn’t treat them like drug dealers- if they had they would be joining the administration!
I just got an email about the outsourcing suggestion made by DOJ as asserted by Gibson’s CEO Henry Juszkiewicz on “The Chris Daniel Show”:
Something tells me that that pleading is going come in handy for November 2012.
We need a copy of that!
Maisy and those of you who would like to see him go, our esteemed Attorney General knows where all the skeletons are in the closets of the Congress and three administrations; Clinton’s, Bush’s and Obama’s. As a result, he is relatively bullet proof, unless someone blows the whistle on him big time.
He may even know a lot more than any of those three Presidents and some key people in Congress. And he can command the most powerful investigative agencies in the world with thuggish tactics to keep them in line.
His many appointed officials cannot afford to lose their gravy trains by crossing him, let alone risking jail. Their subordinates and the line personnel are career people who are obligated to follow orders, unless they are blatantly illegal.
That said, giving up a $75,000 to $100,000 dollar a year position with excellent benefits and a pretty good pension is not easy to jeopardize by being a whistle blower, unless you know you won’t lose it!
It may be good for it all to be exposed now.
Wikileaks anyone?