Let's Get Honest! Absolutely Uncommon Analysis of Family & Conciliation Courts' Operations, Practices, & History

This gripping narrative of events in New York which began ca. 1998 is a little more complex to read than Marv Bryer’s 1997 interview “Exposing and Prosecuting Judicial Corruption through Common Law Discovery” of events occurring in Southern California which I just posted, “sticky” status (=stays near the top of the blog’s home page.). Bryer’s critical description (1997 interview) of his investigation involved getting copies of bank records (fronts and back of checks) and looking up corporate records.

However both of them entail collusion of judges and lawyers, potential money laundering (including how it’s done — through nonprofits that sound like, but are not, government agencies in his case, and through cooperation of a major NY landmark church with a major NY and DC realty investment corporation — plus of course judges and attorneys — in hers). Both of them seem to be aiming for others property, whether real estate, or simply money, and pulling a fast one on the public in general.

This author did similar things. Both did it for apparently similar reasons — after some very disturbing damages and utterly strange, abusive, behavior by institutions we typically should expect to be more honest — they didn’t just complain, or tell their story — they examined the evidence — and then told their story, with the evidence. In this case, the writer had to also overcome a retroactive, lack of jurisdiction, not a party Injunction to not tell her story in 2005.

Short background on who’s telling the tale: As I cannot personally verify this much information, here’s the author’s bio-blurb on “OpEdNews”

So, this narrative involves not only a major NYC landmark Church, but members of the NYS Unified Court System, including its current chief (Jonathan Lippman), its former Chief (Judith Kaye) and many issues. The events here started ca. 1998…

MADISON AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, NYS Unified Court System…

Betsy Combier and her family were long-time members of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church (“MAPC”): 921 Madison Avenue, NYC. She has a twin sister, and a mother who volunteered (had her office) full-time for this church. In the course of attempting to get her own inheritance, she discovered:

~ Probably embezzlement on its maintenance — i.e. invoice for plumbing repair $90K; Church paid $169k, so where is the missing about $80K? How often does this happen?
~ In looking up that, that New York actually owns the church; it is government property?
~ That MAPC (the church) doesn’t have a separate EIN# for the IRS, but uses the one of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church
~ That somehow MAPC Connections to a REIT, and commercial real estate owner “Vornado Realty Trust” (This 2009 article on the aggressive REIT (“the Vornado Tornado,” Steve Roth says it all. Namely they buy up distressed assets, almost — among largest landlords in NYC and D.C., ruthless, etc.)? to finance a co-op based on church property? Browse articles for a scope of influence (i.e., buying up Kennedy real estate, acquiring a West-Side YMCA, etc.). Selling a West Village loft @ 4 times purchase price(which was ca. $1 million)…2010; Battle of the Skyscrapers: planning a skyscraper to challenge the Empire State Building (15 Penn Plaza), etc.

~ A determination by those associated with the church to get Ms. Combier’s property, incl.? an Upper East Side Manhattan Apartment — apparently a RICO situation (also hover cursor there):

All in all it raises and addresses so many issues, I felt it relevant to put on this blog.

EXCERPT from PARENTADVOCATES.ORG and related pages on this matter:

The City of New York seems to be the “owner” of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church. Most of the congregation of “MAPC” does not know what is going on.

District Attorney Robert Morganthau, a friend of my dad, so far has expressed no interest in this RICO claim. I called Mr. Daniel Castleman, (212-335-9817) Chief of the Investigation Division, in October, and he set up a meeting with his “best” investigator, Ms. Judy Weinstock, soon after. In January, 2006, Ms. Weinstock sent me back every one of my documents, saying, “We are not looking into this because you did not give us a receipt for the two toilets’ that were repaired in May, 2004 for $169,224.”

[[Material on who is the Presbytery of New York, originally published on this post, removed; it’s background info I like to know FYI (and for future reference), not the actual narrative. That’s also one reason my posts get so long, and illegible!]]

I sent Mr. Castleman a letter in January, and he never responded. Attorney General Eliot Spitzer’s Charities Bureau told me they never investigate churches, because churches are not charities. Spitzer’s criminal division’s Mr. Bill Jorgenson told me in November, 2006, that the information I had showed “a clear-cut case of embezzlement”, but only someone at the legislature level could submit it to the Attorney General for consideration, “sorry”. He advised me not to call the Attorney General’s office about this matter ever again.

CHURCHES ARE NOT CHARITIES: It’s True, and It’s Significant! See NYState Charities Search which says this twice:

Charities Bureau Registry Search (for New York State)

{{search for “Presbyterian Senior Services” {{found, registered with the state as a CORP in 1962, but as a CHARITY (dual-purpose) in 1986) and “Presbytery of New York City” (NOT found) here…. Yet the by-laws of the Presbytery of New York City clearly state that the latter is a “corporation” and we can see that it was “incorporated” in 1899…)

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Welcome to the Charities Bureau Registry Search. To search for specific charitable organizations, use the search fields below. Please note, in order to use the Registry Search, one of the following search terms must be entered – Name, Charities Bureau ID #, or federal employer identification number (EIN). Some organizations, like religious organizations, are exempt from registering with the Charities Bureau and may not appear in the Registry.

POSTING HERE DOES NOT MEAN THE ORGANIZATION IS AN APPROVED TAX-EXEMPT ORGANIZATION UNDER THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE. THE IRS DETERMINES TAX-EXEMPT STATUS.

CONTRIBUTIONS ARE NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE UNLESS THE IRS DETERMINES THE ORGANIZATION IS TAX-EXEMPT. TO VIEW A LIST OF TAX-EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS, VISIT http://www.irs.gov/app/pub-78/ . SOME ORGANIZATIONS, LIKE RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, MAY NOT APPEAR ON THE IRS LIST BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO FILE WITH IRS IN ORDER TO BE TAX-EXEMPT.

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Essentially, these business entities (it takes money to be a church — real estate, wages, housing, collections, financial staff, secretarial staff sometimes; settlements for lawsuits against sexual abuse (or embezzlement) by leadership….they also charge rent for nonreligious use of their facilities; a lot of assets and income changes hands in the operations, MOREOVER, federal and other level public monies (grants, contracts) goes to many religious groups, directly! (see HHS) — millions, that is…. So where does anyone keep a list of who they are, and where they are run from? ???

Ms. Combier, Cont’d.:

I tried to find out. I called the accountant who did the budget,** Sandy Davies of O’Connor Davies, and was told that Mr. Davies never saw any receipts for any job. Then I called the Presbytery of New York City, and spoke with the financial officer, Simon Lai, who is supposed to look at money donated to and spent by presbyterian churches in New York City. He told me that he has never seen any financial information from MAPC in the 7 years he has worked at the Presbytery. As MAPC uses the tax exempt IRS number for the Presbyterian Church, USA General Assembly, I called over there to find out if any records of MAPC were available. There are none. Thus, MAPC is an entity doing business in New York City without any oversight by anyone.

A very large budget — see church site, and there’s a link to the 2003-2004 one in the story.

This church, like most large churches, has many outreach programs (See map of LOCAL (I count 20)). How many of those are nonprofits, and given that the MAPC doesn’t show its receipts, apparently even to its own — who’s checking how much actually made it to those nonprofits, and whether they are legitimate?
I checked out one: “New Life of New York City.” Yes, it did register as a corp. in NYS (1973, and a few name changes), and as a Nonprofit in NYS (EIN# 237344354, annual returns back to 1988). I looked up the street address (website on file with the charities page NYS no good) and found “Young Life” which dates back to 1938, says it went international by 1953, and by 1972 had remembered there are urban populations, too….
Story of its Gangleader turned Youthworker (through “Young Life”), Robert “Bo” Nixon. [A trip to a Colorado camp was involved…]

Here’s its amazing 67-page 990 (as a “Church” organization with the purpose — and this is about all it says up front for this Colorado Springs nonprofit…
Director Dennis Rydberg (out of dozens) and his $370K (+$45K from related) salary, plus the group’s $257 million of revenues ($18 million from fundraising, say $19 million from “related organizations” (churches?), oh, say $46.8 million from camp fees, etc.) … a $13 million increase (in one year) in cash and savings; they have invested in ca. $3 million in public-traded securities, and $8 million in “other” (must be private then, right?) securities… about $28.9 million was contributed (and spent from) endowments….Their assets, buildings, $208 million (depreciation,c a. $68 million)

“Young Life is a Ministry to help Adolescents become Exposed to the Person of Jesus Christ. This is accomplished in a variety of ways designed to produce personal religious experiences…”
…” [[Dennis Rydberg pulls in over $415K; about 5 other men (only) are pulling in over $150K each. travel for spouses is expected for certain purposes (like fund-raising), housing for ordained ministry, of course.
They are granting (by wire transfer) all over the world but seem particularly interested in Central America these days. The lowest paid (of their “highest-paid” employees (and what looks like the only female) was an assistant secretrary, at 449K plus $22″other.” for a 40-hour week. Everyone else listed for a 40-hr week was being paid at least twice (more like, three times) that amount. Of course, they weren’t secretaries. I wonder what their youth ministers got…. Several construction firms and one travel agency were compensated over $11 million…They also (?) own 100% a for-profit in Colorado Springs and a Yacht Charter Company in British Columbia. Perhaps to better help personally expose youth to a personal religious experience of the person of Jesus Christ, I DNK (but most likely, for profit).

From MAPC,
There is also global outreach, esp. in Africa, and lots of it. Here’s an “Africa blog” (on the church site), 2012, from a young man of a missionary couple narrating his confused and “icky” feelings about being asked for a loan by a single father. I feel sad that neither I, and I wonder if they, knew how much of Africa’s misery is due to its mineral wealth, and what the British (like Cecil Rhodes and friends), the Germans (good God!!!) and the Dutch (not to mention some other countries) did in the scramble for its wealth, from the late 1800s to this day. They were in Zamibia; for more information, see “Rhodesia.” (WIKIPEDIA — hover cursor for excerpt) See esp. the section on Religion — 87% of Zambia are Christian, and 1 in 18, 7th-Day Adventists. Or, re: a former President, Frederik Chiluba was a fervent Pentecostal Christian, 5′ tall, finally cleared of corruption charges in 2009, and married three times (two children by #1, two by #2, and finally married #3). He died in 2011.

More on Zambia — a product of British Expansionism, formerly part of Rhodesia. Admittedly this is from a socialist website: The espressostalinist. However I don’t think the facts are really in dispute:

When Rhodes began his studies at Oriel College, he returned to South Africa each vacation to attend to his mining interests – which, by his mid-thirties, had made him, in today’s terms, a billionaire. By 1891, he had amalgamated the De Beers mines under his control, giving him dominion over 90 per cent of the world’s diamond output. He had also secured two other important positions; Prime Minister of the British Cape Colony, and president of the British South Africa Company {“BSA”], an organisation that was formed – in the manner of the old East India companies – to pursue expansionist adventures for which sponsoring governments did not have the stomach or the cash. The result of his endeavours produced new British annexations: Nyasaland (now Malawi), Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

And yet, the missionaries go to Zambia for the Presbyterian cause, while back at home, their church attempts to convert property of its own.. Do the missionaries really know what caused the poverty?

When it comes to human rights, social services, charity, and any churches….
The reputation for being a social benefactor should be weighed against fiscal accountability to their own people (i.e., no embezzling!), and the same people ought to hold them accountable by examining their books – -not just their declarations — in detail. moreover, what does this say about the religious exemptions AND no requirement to file the 990s that the public — which ends up affected – can examine, too?

Why Post This Information?

I am reminding us of the financial power and clout of the cloak of religious tax-exemption, plus trusting membership, and how this cloak can and does attract powerful members of the courts system (attorneys and judges), real estate investment trusts (als major landowners, and landlords) and the depth of strategizing they will and do go to in order to plunder the estates of their own, including launching bogus court cases, switching jurisdiction where there was no subject matter jurisdiction, and collaborating to target the (apparently) innocent who may take years (ten years or more) defending themselves.

It also is a message to all of us to start understanding these things better if we want any form of an honest government, and to compare the many philanthropic activities (easier to do if one is tax-exempt, cheating, and not going to be scrutinized much by local authorities, i.e., as a charity in similar activities might be) to what could plain and simple be called, just “wicked.”

I think it’s obvious to my readers that I have some serious concerns about churches (specifically– I’m talking, the Christian religion here, not Islam, not Judaism) as tax-exempt organizations, about faith-based grants, and about Outreach Efforts to engage faith-based groups to help stop their men from abusing their women. Let’s Get Real about that reality. See pre-election (i.e., see late Oct. 2012) articles filling us in on some of the Mormon stipulations about marriage and/or divorce, that is before and after death, and how people who have died may consent to some form of (separation? I DNR), however people alive and well (including Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney, before his candidacy or even governorship days) was treating a mother who had an abortion to save her life, pretty rough, including trying to talk her out of this.

Then there’s the matter of then-President George W. Bush, as a FIRST executive order of his Presidency (and pre 9/11) establishing a White House Office of Faith-Based STUFF, which has been copied at State level in several states (like Ohio) and which said Governor’s Offices sometimes get HHS funding for this purpose. After which, they get audited for misappropriation of grants. It never seems to slow the participants down much, they are well networked.

Then there is this “thang” that the Unification Church has a nice influence on the Marriage Promotion field which is so close to the heart of why we have things like “National Parents’ Day” and the entire movement (Children’s Rights Council-related, plus more) that ties the Moons (True Parents) and this international, money-laundering (or so alleged) religious — cult — involved in coronation ceremonies (mock, of course) in a U.S. building, i.e., the Dirksen Building, with the crown carried forwards by Illinois legislator, Congressman Danny K. Davis, who also sponsored (yet another) Responsible Fatherhood bill. In the 113th Congress, he sits on the subcommittee (of House Ways and Means) whose jurisdiction closely meshes with the topic of this blog:

That’s one thing. But this situation here — Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church (“MAPC”) New York City, brings up the entire question of money-laundering and real estate issues under the cover of religion. I guess someone had to give the Vatican a run for its money?? (not really, but still…..). Of course with its huge budget it is very active in human rights causes, including shelters, etc. — in between trying to steal the inheritance of one of its faithful members and running, apparently, a number of scams, plus treating its janitors abusively, and trying to force Betsy here into counseling or therapy with one of their own when she sued.

I FOUND THIS STORY FOLLOWING UP ON PRIVATE NONPROFITS NATIONALIZING AND CENTRALIZING THE COURTS (NCSC, SJI) AND AFTER REALIZING A CERTAIN JUDGE (FEATURED IN THIS ACCOUNT)HAS JUST BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE ON ONE OF THOSE NONPROFITS. I’d been aware of ParentAdvocates.org (from parenting perspective), but never read this before. Jonathan Lippman, Judith Kaye, Cardozo, Proskauer Rose (powerful global law firm) and others are featured in this story. MAPC is a powerful institution around since 1901.

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How I came to this site — in reviewing my links and highlighting how private nonprofits are Nationalizing and Centralizing the courts (policy operations, and funding) — I already brought up how the NCSC (National Center for State Courts) became “secretariat” for Association of Family and Conciliation Courts in the early 1980s. Said AFCC is a private organization who are not “the good guys” and whose agenda doesn’t seem very philanthropic (or justice-oriented) when its behavior and its books are scrutinized. Of course, I’ll just hazard a “guess” here based on the accounts of people who have viewed the evidence, and its state-skipping and truly odd incorporation history, plus their habit of getting into top judicial positions and from there re-arranging the courts, lobbying to get accommodating laws, and fees for friends (in the fields that AFCC promotes through its ranks), and in general playing dirty with the public while converting their assets, disrupting their families, and destroying in many cases, their livelihoods, incarcerating some who confront them, labeling others, and at times trafficking kids into foster care for which there appears to be a bounty.

So, I was going to add the State Justice Institute, yet another nonprofit which was formed by LAW in: 1984, basically to steer, I mean, administer grants to improve justice. Its 11 person Board is appointed by the President (POTUS) and approved by the Senate:

SJI
“Supporting the Nation’s Judicial System and the Public It Serves”

About SJI

The State Justice Institute (SJI) was established by Federal law in 1984 to award grants to improve the quality of justice in State courts, facilitate better coordination between State and Federal courts, and foster innovative, efficient solutions to common issues faced by all courts.

SJI is unique both in its mission and how it seeks to fulfill it.  Only SJI has the authority to assist all State courts – criminal, civil, juvenile, family, and appellate – and the mandate to share the success of one State’s innovations with every State court system as well as the Federal courts.

{{Representative Government at its best — the US President appoints an 11-member board of a nonprofit (Senate must approve) and it administers grants to steer the courts — including on Criminal, Civil, Juvenile, Family and Appellate law…}}

SJI is a non-profit corporation governed by an 11-member Board of Directors appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. By law, the President must appoint six State court judges, one State court administrator, and four members of the public (no more than two of whom may be of the same political party).

{{I wonder how a lowly member of the public gets appointed. However, no matter who does — if they are voting, the courts always have the majority (7 to 4).}}

SJI also has a professional staff who oversee operations, to include grant management and other government relations.  Per 42 U.S.C. 10704, the Executive Director is responsible for the executive and administrative operations of SJI, and serves at the pleasure of the Board of Directors.  The Executive Director is also a non-voting ex officio member of the Board.

One of the rather disturbing initiatives SJI is working on (with “NCSC”) is called “Court Re-engineering”:
<a href=”http://www.sji.gov/reengineering.php;&#8221; title=”The Strategic Initiatives Grants (SIG) program provides SJI the flexibility to address national court issues as they occur, and develop solutions to those problems. SJI uses its expertise and the expertise and knowledge of its grantees to address key issues facing courts across the United States. The state courts are also facing severe budget reductions as a direct result of the current economic situation in the United States. The budget crisis in the state courts is an emerging and national issue that is being addressed by the SIG program. The short-term cost reductions taken by the state courts (hiring freezes, furloughs, and layoffs) will have long-term effects, but are not enough to meet the current economic demands for reduction in costs. SJI awarded a Strategic Initiatives Grant (SIG) to the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) in FY 2009 to focus on reengineering in the state courts in response to severe budget cutbacks. NCSC began these efforts by establishing the Budget Resource Center (BRC) – a website to track the latest budget issues and cost saving measures in the state courts, listed by state. NCSC also provided direct technical assistance to several states. Through SJI SIG funding in FY 2010 and 2011, NCSC continues to provide technical assistance to courts at the state and local level. SJI has also partnered with the Department of Justice/Office of Justice Programs/Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) on reengineering projects in the state courts. BJA funding has lead to additional reengineering program sites. …In addition to support provided by the SIG program, SJI has also funded individual grants to state and local courts for reengineering in response to budget reductions. The final reports of those projects are available below, and new reports will continue to be provided on this website.
“>State Court Reengineering (hover cursor or click through to read).

But this is what grabbed my attention — as of January 1, 2013, this Strategic Justice Initiative has a new appointeed:

Justice Jonathan Lippman – who took over from NYS Chief Judge Judith Kaye back in 2009 — was appointed by President Obama last May and has been confirmed by the Senate as a board member of this SJI:

He is named in the material which is the topic of this post, mainly writings by Betsy Combier:

It seems to me I had heard this Judge’s name in going out of the way to protect child sexual abusers…

. . .Characterized as writing more dissents than most, and is liberal. Here’s a NYT 2011 article which mentions a 13-year old’s confession of sexual abuse:

Here, he joins others in dissenting from a civil confinement despite a contested mental illness diagnosis, in that a repeat sex offender (impregnating 16 yr old etc.) has a mental illness related to preoccupation with sex with, nonconsenting pubescent girls and involving their suffering. (Reuters, 2012 article)
http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/New_York/News/2012/10_-_October/State_can_hold_sex_offender_with_controversial_diagnosis__high_court/. While I can see the point, someone was trying to stop this guy from his repeat-raping habit. If Lippman has a problem with restraining people on contested diagnosis of a mental illness, which makes sense, then he should radically reverse the family court’s habit of doing this to parents (especially women) who protest abuse of their children, including rape and molestation, as “high-conflict.”

At the bottom of this post, I”m putting an article from “Expose Corrupt Courts” protesting this appointment to the SJI and citing some reasons why. It will be in a “table” to identify it as from one source.

Over billing by about 50% repairs for children’s toilets — embezzling.

More on Jonathan Lippman, for comparison:
Source: ExposeCorruptCourts page

Only as part of my general look-up of Ms. Combier’s father (P. Combier Hodges?), I ran across a VERY interesting case, ca. 1963, involving descendants of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. — and his grandchildren, plus whether adopted children are or are not “Issue” (at least the underlying matter). In short, a granddaughter Ms. McCormick Hubbard, knowing she was diagnosed of incurable cancer (from which she died in 1959), goes about to adopt three or four children (two in Yuba County, California, tried another in Nevada; Connecticut is also involved) — but possibly in order to defeat a brother’s access to some trust. She had no biological issue, hence the trust was divided about three ways to charities, with LINCOLN CENTER (see “John D. Rockefeller Plaza,” where it is) wanted its $9+million out of the $10million to distribute. There was a GAL as well, and Lincoln Center wanted to see (or to prohibit consideration of — read the case) the adoption records.
http://law.justia.com/cases/california/calapp2d/189/741.html
Also about halfway down there are some paragraphs on adoption and a passing reference to the “full faith and credit” clause, plus this phrase that the state stands “Parens Patriae” for all children within its borders:

What then is the status of the adoption decrees in California? They are beyond collateral attack on any question whether of jurisdiction or otherwise. Concededly, Lincoln makes a collateral attack in New York. Adoption proceedings [189 Cal. App. 2d 750] are of statutory nature and our Legislature has established a complete legislative scheme whereunder adoptions may be granted or denied by the courts to which the resolution of all issues has been committed. Proceedings are initiated by the filing of a petition in the superior court of the county of residence of the proposed adoptive parents. The state actively participates in the proceedings, and to all intents and purposes is a party thereto. The statutes require that upon filing the petition notice shall be given to the state, which, of course, stands in the position of parens patriae to all children within its borders. The notice is served upon a state agency, the Department of Social Welfare, which represents the state and which must actively examine into all matters touching the propriety of the proposed adoption, being charged at all times, as is the court also, to keep foremost in consideration the welfare of the child proposed to be adopted.

Again, ‘WHOSE children are they?” even if both birth parents are alive and well? Sounds like, parens patriae, the state. A sobering thought…..keeping in mind that it was Rockefeller and others, probably, who helped set in place the systems which eventually resulted in birth certificates for children….