JPMorgan Chase & Co. is being sued for defaming a man based on false claims made in a vague left-wing blog post, according to a complaint filed with the Daily Caller.
This feud was explained by a left-wing blog. harsh facts, Posted an article by Patrick Simpson. The post falsely claimed that Jacob Gitman of Florida and his business company, Monarch Air Group LLC, were affiliated with the Russian Mafia and former President Donald Trump, according to a summary obtained by the whistleblower. went.
Monarch has federal contracts and received $160,000 from the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the past 12 months. According to Spending to the United States. monarch’s Website The company says it is a private jet and air charter company that “provides mission-critical supplies” to the federal government.
The small blog, which hasn’t posted anything since 2020, reportedly caught the attention of Chase Bank. Simpson’s post claimed that “judges in multiple states” had argued that Gitman’s business was a front for the Russian mob.
However, according to the blogger himself, this claim was fabricated. Nevertheless, Chase appears to have used this blog post to justify its decision to debank Gitman.
Gitman’s other business, Sinai Holdings, suffered defamation as a result and lost a $600 million loan facility, according to the 2023 lawsuit. Sinai operates a variety of clinics, medical device manufacturers, and surgery centers. (Related: ‘Full-service bank’: U.S. Virgin Islands says JPMorgan processed more than $1 billion for Jeffrey Epstein)
he is abusing the power of the president#7 Words Why We Must Impeach Trump
— Sternfacts (@thesternfacts) October 1, 2017
Chase’s anti-money laundering (AML) prohibited list request lists “negative media” as the only explanation for Gitman and Monarch’s alleged listing, according to a motion seeking relief from the judgment filed last year. . Another reason is that he was reportedly blacked out on two separate occasions.
The plaintiffs learned that “negative media” referred to Simpson’s now-retracted blog post, the documents state.
Screenshot of a retracted post from The Stern Facts
According to the motion, Chase’s policy looks for “substantiated open-source negative media” involving terrorist financing, money laundering or other injunction-worthy charges before listing a person or company. It is said that it is a thing. One example is an indictment from the Department of Justice (DOJ), the document said.
“Chase did nothing to support the graphic claims in the blog post that falsely claimed that the judge said Monarch was a front for the Russian Mafia,” the document added.
Monarch and Gitman sued Grant Stern, the blog’s publisher and the group’s executive director. Occupy the Democratic Party According to his Twitter account.
During his deposition, Mr. Simpson admitted that the article was false. He also testified that he was unaware of any evidence that Gitman, his family, or his company were connected to the Russian Mafia, according to the documents.
“So we sued the blogger, and he admitted under oath that there was no proof of that,” Gitman’s attorney, Josh Kon of Stok Kon + Braverman, told Caller.
Miami voted early for Kamala Harris to be the next U.S. president, Congressman Mucarsel Powell to be the next U.S. senator, no to all Florida Supreme Court justices, yes to 3, and yes to 4. is.
Have you voted yet? If not, what are your plans? pic.twitter.com/575PHpttqm
— Grant Stern (@grantstern) October 29, 2024
According to Stok Kon + Braverman’s executive summary, Chase’s internal documents reportedly state:[d]During the trial, a U.S. judge ruled that in addition to the airline’s legitimate activities, [the business was] It was also used as a front for the Russian Mafia. ”
The caller reached out to Trish Wexler, a legal representative for JPMorgan Chase, who declined to comment.
The lawsuit alleges that Sinai Holdings LLC was placed on Chase’s “blocked list.”
According to the complaint, Chase allegedly forwarded messages to members of the list canceling transactions they had sent and claiming that the transactions could not be completed “due to sanctions and/or JPMC internal policies.” (Exclusive: Watchdog targets ‘debanking’ tactics weaponizing conservatives and religious groups)
The U.S. Treasury Department oversees the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which handles sanctions against certain foreign countries, terrorists, and a variety of other threats to the United States, according to the agency’s report. Website.
According to the complaint, Chase created an internal division called Sanctions Services Utilities (SSU) to contact customers and financial institutions when they attempt to send money to sanctioned countries and entities.
However, the lawsuit alleges that these transactions were never canceled due to OFAC investigation or sanctions. The complaint further alleges that Chase “falsely” told plaintiffs’ business partners, including Sinai lenders, that they could not send money due to OFAC investigations and sanctions.
Screenshot of Chase’s internal policies from the executive summary of Stok Kon + Braverman Attorneys At Law
“Essentially, it’s like a defamation policy framework where anyone who is drawn into the web is automatically defamed,” Conn told the Caller.
The message also says the cancellation includes an “OFAC investigation,” and the message’s subject line is said to include “OFAC investigation.” – “Cancellation of payments,” according to the complaint. (Related article: ‘It’s dangerous’: Daily Caller reporter Regan Reese slams Christian organization John Eastman’s ‘debanking’)
“For powerful forces in government to use financial institutions to blacklist people with dissenting opinions not only restricts basic economic freedoms, but also threatens those who dare to disagree with the prevailing narrative of the time. “It sends a powerful repressive message,” Bledsoe said. The person who called. “This is an unconstitutional, extrajudicial restriction on free speech and religious practice that sends us down a dark path toward totalitarianism.”
According to the complaint, Mr. Chase told Mr. Gitman and his company’s business associates, including Mr. Sinai’s financiers, that they could not send money due to OFAC investigations and sanctions.
Chase’s banned list is managed by the Gibraltar Financial Intelligence Unit (GFIU) department.
According to the 2023 motion, in addition to the blog post, Mr. Chase’s GFIU also disclosed that “money transferred between organizations by Monarch” was potentially involved in possible interference during the 2016 presidential election. He is strongly speculating that this is the case.
Gitman testified that the bank was motivated by “personal and political malice,” according to the documents. The motion said the bank’s edits attributed Russian interference claims to Simpson’s blog post.
California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters subpoenaed Monarch, but “nothing suspicious was found,” according to the documents. She then reportedly used Monarch on two flights to foreign countries, the motion states. Chase allegedly refused to testify under subpoena.
Our goal was to make a meaningful difference. @Tracking bank. And by the grace of God, we did.
ADF’s Jay Hobbs talks about his efforts to hold businesses accountable through the Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index.https://t.co/85SmSJTsPh pic.twitter.com/4cmUlXCIHm
— Alliance Defending Freedom (@ADFLegal) June 19, 2024
Gitman and Sinai lost the deal, and their lenders canceled their loans after Chase claimed the deal was canceled due to OFAC sanctions, according to the documents.
The complaint states that Gitman and his companies’ bank accounts at institutions including Bank of America were closed as a result of the alleged defamation. According to the documents, Sinai was unable to make payments because it lost the line of credit, and the plaintiff’s lender canceled loans under Sinai’s line of credit because of Chase’s statements.
Gitman and Sinai have been unable to pay construction projects and rent bills, and are being sued by the pharmaceutical company for $12 million in unpaid bills, according to the complaint.
“Essentially, this blog made up something about what the judge never said, and Chase took that false and unsubstantiated claim, added his own wild Russian interference claims, and used it to make all the difference in the world’s The deal was blocked and canceled,” Stockcon+Braverman said. The summary of the incident states:
The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction restraining Chase from publishing “falsehoods” about OFAC sanctions in canceling transactions involving Gitman and his company. (Related: Biden administration reinstates Russian election interference bogeyman in time for November)
🚨 Representatives from JPMorgan Chase have attended nearly every DHS meeting regarding federal efforts to censor disinformation on social media.
Are they laying the groundwork for “debanking” to become a (further) mainstream strategy?
https://t.co/yTIeLvQjr2 pic.twitter.com/BFehCIupDQ— Natalie Winters (@nataliegWinters) October 31, 2022
This isn’t the first time Chase has been accused of “debanking.” Last year, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) exposure How JPMorgan Chase canceled checking accounts and retired National Committee for Religious Freedom bank accounts in 2022.
“The Supreme Court and legal scholars have consistently linked economic freedom to people’s ability to exercise their First Amendment free speech rights,” said Eric Bledsoe, a senior fellow at the Government Accountability Foundation. , said Eric Bledsoe, senior fellow at the Government Accountability Foundation.
Republican Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody requested JPMorgan Chase announced it would end allegations of discrimination against religious and political beliefs in 2023.
“This latest example of politically motivated bank closure should send a chill down the spine of anyone who values the Constitution and America’s core values,” Bledsoe told the Caller.
“Policymakers at the state and federal level have the power to prohibit this practice and protect their constituents from the same fate.”
Trump’s lawyer, John Eastman, previously told the Caller that Trump has been “debanked” by Bank of America and USAA. Mr. Eastman, who has come under fire for advising Mr. Trump on the 2020 presidential election, told the Caller that he was “99.9% sure” that the bank’s closure was politically motivated.
