Patriot Guard Theft

[princewally]

Someone is trying to steal the entire Patriot Guard organization. I received this email last night.
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My Fellow Patriot Guard Riders,

This email is going to be a little different than any other you have seen. In the past you have encouraged you to attend any mission you could, and been reminded that we do not expect you to do more that what you feel you can. There are some that can make it to missions on a regular basis. There are others that can only make it to one or two a year. There are others that can't make missions at all, but can and do pray for the families of those that are touched by loss. There are still others that post condolences in the mission threads.

It's never easy for me to ask anyone for anything. This time is no different. However, I'm going to ask, because I have been told if you don't ask you don't stand a chance of getting. I am not asking for myself, but for those we serve.

You are on this list because at one point in your life you felt the tug at your heart. You knew you had to make a stand for those families that were suffering. We could not allow the protesters to disturb the families during their most difficult time. Our mission has remained true. We still stand as a shield of love around the families whenever we are asked to do so. We have done so countless times. We also serve the families of those killed in action, wounded soldiers and veterans in need. We have done these things as Patriot Guard Riders through our Help on the Homefront program.

Most of you are probably aware and others may not be of the fact that there are a few individuals that are trying to take our name - Patriot Guard Riders - away from us. Those individuals believe that it is ok for them to profit personally from our mission. They are not content to serve others without personal gain. They want to use our name and logo to start a similar organization that will put money in their pockets. Legal proceedings are already taking place. The proceedings were not started by Patriot Guard Riders. They were started by one individual that challenged our right to use Patriot Guard Riders and the related logo. A few have suggested we let him have it and then start another organization.

It has taken us years to build our reputation within the ranks of military public affairs, casualty assistance officers, law enforcement, funeral directors, politicians, and most of all, our Gold Star families. You earned this reputation. You worked hard, prayed hard and answered the call. There are tremendous consequences if we do not fight this legal fight. Although we are incorporated as a legal entity in Minnesota and have our own board of directors, we are Patriot Guard Riders. This affects us equally. We, too, would have to change our name.

Those who seek personal gain would then be able to profit from our reputation, but they would no longer act out of selfless service, but rather that of personal profit. We seek to remain a 100% volunteer organization across the nation.

The following was taken from the front page of our national website. Please give it your attention.

If each member of the Patriot Guard Riders was to send in just $10.00, we should have more than enough to cover any and all legal expenses. We all know this is not a realistic expectation since many people registered are not active members. Still I would like to ask all members and supporters to consider a donation to the Legal Defense Fund to help save the legal name and logo for PGR. If you can give $10 to $20 that would be great, but any amount is adds to what is needed. If we lose our name and logo it will have a tremendous affect on our ability to continue our mission as we know it, and to generate funds that are used to meet the needs of those we serve.

As an FYI, when you make a purchase at Twister's Store or the PGR-PX, you are in effect making a donation to their legal defense fund and supporting their lawsuit against Patriot Guard Riders, Inc.

I know that you have already given much of yourselves and it troubles me to suggest that you give more, but I strongly believe this is the time for me to ask.

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FROM THE NATIONAL WEB PAGE
"Dear Fellow Patriots,

As you have probably noticed by now there is a new button on the home page just below the navigation pane on the left hand side. This button will enable you to make a donation to our Legal Defense Fund. It's labeled Defense Fund, as not to confuse it with the "Donate To PGR" button below it. This is a PayPal account and 100% of donations will go to pay our legal costs for the trademark issue. Our leadership was truly hoping it would not come to this, but they need your assistance in keeping the "Patriot Guard Riders" in the possession of its members, not one person. The board has tried at length to negotiate this issue, but their efforts have fallen on deaf ears and are left no other option but to follow all legal avenues available to them.

This is not something the BOD asks lightly. Our members already pay all of their own expenses to honor the fallen, to attend every mission. They pay for the privilege to ride in the rain or in the cold, and the Board of Directors does not wish to further add to their burden. Since the PGR is a 100% volunteer organization, it counts on donations from members and other concerned citizens to help keep us up and running.

If it appears the donations are approaching the amount of the legal costs, the button will go away. We don't want to raise one extra penny this way; our members give so much already.

If there is any amount raised in excess of the legal fees, 100% of the surplus will be given to the HOTH program.

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You can find the Legal Defense Fund donate button on the left hand side of the main Patriot Guard site, http://www.PatriotGuard.org. Checks may be made payable to "Patriot Guard Riders, Inc." and mailed to: Patriot Guard Riders, PO Box 822513, Vancouver, WA 98682. *Please* note on the check if it is for the Legal Defense fund.

I understand that there are some that are not in a position to give, but for those that can I am asking you to support our organization. In no way is this is a requirement and there are no negative consequences if you choose not to - well - except for that fact that we may be under funded for this legal battle.

It is no easier now for me to hit send than it is to ask you to join with me in funding this legal battle. However, I am able to do so because I am convinced that this organization and its mission is worth fighting for.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them of either the board or the missions team: directors@mnpatriotguard.org and missions@mnpatriotguard.org.

With respect and appreciation for all you do...

Monica Mead
MN State Captain
Patriot Guard Riders
http://www.mnpatriotguard.org

[princewally]

And the other side of the story:
http://www.patriotguardstore.org/announcements.asp

There are reams of background on this “feud”, but the “capsulated” version is this.

In late 2006, as PGR Executive Director, I suspected the then treasurer was embezzling PGR funds (he later reportedly confessed to taking over $30,000). With the blessing of the BoD, I hired an outside accountant to get to the bottom of it. He mustered his forces while I was out of town and staged what can only be characterized as secret coup. He initiated a smear campaign based on my ownership of Twister’s Store, which had already been operating for almost a year. His coup was successful and I resigned as Executive Director only because he personally registered the PGR domain name, controlled the PGR servers and I would not risk him shutting down the PGR website. He then filed what I believe was a fraudulent application with the Trademark Office for the ownership of the PGR name and logo I created. My trademark attorney at the time was a PGR member had already filed the majority of the paperwork regarding the trademark, but apparently had not completed the final step.

When I started the store I made it publicly known through the forums that it was a private, for-profit business that would support the PGR. I did exactly what I said I would. My wife and I paid virtually all of the expenses to fund and operate the entire organization out of the proceeds of the store and would have continued to do so in the future. Once the filing with the Trademark Office had occurred, the BoD opened the new PGR store owned by a private company reportedly owned by a close friend of Ed Mueller. The basics of the new store are exactly what has been used against me…a privately, for-profit company owning the PGR Store.

This new company claims that 100% of its profits will go to the PGR. On the surface, that sounds good, but anyone with any business acumen knows how flawed this can be. Example: If the owner of this PGR outsourcing company, decides that they want a salary of $500K, a Lear Jet, an office in Tahiti, or whatever else, these become “business expenses” and come right off the top…before they declare any profit going to the PGR.

I made several attempts over the last year and a half to resolve the issue of the store with national leadership…even to the point of offering to close Twister’s and turn the entire store over to National after selling my current inventory on hand. Contrary to what National is apparently saying now, they would never agree to any proposal or even respond to any of my offers. Instead, they simply continued and encouraged the smear campaign. Contrary to the website’s TOU, they permitted, if not encouraged, the handful of negative voices in their attacks on me while immediately deleting any positive posts members made. Additionally, when everything I had told them about the previous BoD member who had embezzled a reported $30,000 from PGR and staged the coup in an attempt to cover it up turned out to be true, they did nothing for over a year. Finally, they recently merely removed him from the BoD with no full disclosure to the membership and have attempted to hush it all up. All the while, they continued their campaign against me and still would not admit that I had previously, of my own volition, turned my financial records over to their accountant who audited the records and reported to “Snap” that I had never taken one cent of PGR money.

My attorney’s final request that the BoD withdraw their fraudulent trademark application was again met with no response from National. This left me with no alternative but to file opposition to their trademark application in order to protect my intellectual property. All of this could have been settled long ago had National entered into some kind of dialogue with me. Unfortunately, due to a lack of effective leadership, it appears that now the Trademark Office will make the definitive decision.

I have repeatedly made it known that I do not want to run the entire PGR store as I did in the beginning. It’s grown too large for that. However, I do want to make sure that it’s done properly, with appropriate funding going to the PGR, quality products, fair pricing and good service. I have been approached by some fellow PGR members and plans are in the works to create a new, independent, PGR store as a source of income to fund the PGR and its missions. The initial plans are to base the new store’s donations to PGR on a percentage of the gross dollars rather than on something as unverifiable as 100% of the profit. I will assist in getting the ball rolling and in any other way I can, but will have no ownership or management position in the new store. It will be owned and operated by fellow PGR members.

Those of you who know me personally know that I have always done my best to act in the best interests of the PGR. That will not change. There are some individuals currently in leadership positions who continue to not to act in what I believe are the best interests of PGR. They appear to be making PGR decisions based on ego, greed and a lust for power. Regardless what you may hear from anyone, I will not do anything to intentionally harm the PGR. I have the utmost respect for the PGR and my fellow members and will not idly stand by and allow the actions of these individuals to continue to damage this great organization.

Those of you who know me personally know that I will not give up the fight to “do the right thing”.

Please feel free to forward this to as many PGR member as you so desire or to direct members to my website for updates. Since Bonnie and I have been banned from the PGR website, this is the only way we have to get the truth out.

As more information is made available to me, I will post it on my website:
http://www.patriotguardstore.org/

“Riding With Respect”,
Jeff “Twister”

[Kommander]

What a clusterfuck. We will see who end up on top when they finish hacking this out, but until then I would not give either of them any money.

[princewally]

One of them is still the organization with thousands of members. If they lose, the organization changes names, possibly splinters.

The other is bitter about being outed from the clique, and wants to keep his online store.


I'd suggest donating to the state-level organizations, for a while.

[Kommander]

I really don't know anything about this other than what you have posted here, and for that reason I would not feel comfortable donating to either group. I am sure there is more, there always is, but that simply adds to the fog of what is obviously an unclear situation. I hope they are able to sort it out.

[308Mike]

YUP - what a f'ing mess! Damn egos.

[princewally]

I'm planning to ignore the entire mess until it gets straightened out. Any donations will go the the MN Patriot Guard, which is an independent affiliate that organizes its own rides.