Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 11:59:52 +0000
Cc: Iaccarino, David<David.Iaccarino@jud.ct.gov>; Martin Libbin<Martin.Libbin@jud.ct.gov>; <melissa.farley@jud.ct.gov>
Subject: Re: Your phone messages
Pursuant to the FOI Act, your duties in the judiciary are strictly administrative in nature.
The AFCC is not a division of the judiciary, but a registered independent organization with the Secretary of State's Office as of March 26, 2013.
You were listed in the papers filed by Mr. Robert Zaslow on March 26, 2013 with the Secretary of State's Office as President Elect as President Elect of the Connecticut Chapter of the AFCC.
In addition to the documents requested that you produce yesterday, Pursuant to the application of the FOI Act, I am asking you to produce all expense reports which were filed with the State of Connecticut which involved your reimbursement for expenses associated with your membership and participation of the creation of the AFCC, CT Chapter paperwork on a State of Connecticut computer or email address.
Robert Zaslow was listed on the papers submitted to the Secretary of State as a member of the Board of Directors and he indicated that there was a meeting of the AFCC Chapter Board of Directors on February 22, 2013.
I am requesting that your provide all communications which you either received or sent from your mailbox associated with the judiciary, specifically from your mailbox Marilou.Giovanucci@jud.ct.gov for any communications with any member of the Officers or Board of Directors of the CT AFCC Chapter, "The CT AFCC Coordinating Committee", or any of the 690 people you emailed commencing on the date of January 2010 through the date of your compliance with this FOI request.
Inasmuch as you participated in a panel discussion (Listed as Panel 37) at the Los Angeles AFCC Convention in between May 29 and June 1, 2013.
Since this AFCC activity is not a "job responsibility" associated with your position as Manager of Court operations, please provide the email which was sent to your supervisor which granted you permission for you to attend this conference and whether you took personal vacation time for the participation in a non-judicial function or whether the taxpayers of the State of Connecticut funded your trip to Los Angeles.
If there were expenses which were applied for reimbursement for you personally or any other members of the Officers or Board members of the AFCC which were submitted by you or through your offices, who are not employees of the State of Connecticut through grants of the judiciary to private contractors from 2010 to the date of compliance, whether through you or CPS budgets, for the GAL and AMC seminars conducted at Quinnipiac University (which were outline in the materials for AFCC 50th Anniversary Convention Workshop 53: Improving Connecticut's Child Advocates), please provide all "private contractor" reimbursements for participants in the GAL and AMC training seminars .
It is apparent that you, members of your staff, in an administrative capacity may have been asked by members of panel 37 (you and Karen Largent, LCSW) and panel 53 (The Honorable Lynda Munro, Sharon Wicks Dornfeld J.D., Howard Kreiger Ph.D. and Sydney Horowittz Ph.D.) the AFCC to prepare presentations for the panelists, the majority of whom are not employees of the State of Connecticticut's'Judiciary.
Pursuant to the application of the FOI Act, all records stored on State of Connecticut computers which are administrative in nature, relating to members of you and your staff which were allocated to the preparation for the AFCC CT Chapter meeting on April 12, 2013 you assisted in organizing as a Connecticut State employee.
Included in this FOI request for records, is any payments which may have been made to the AFCC for the attendance of judiciary employees to attend the AFCC conference at taxpayer expense which may have been approved by you.
Any payments from judiciary funds for panelists from Connecticut Judiciary funding for the April 12, 2013 CT AFCC First Annual Conference must be also produced as part of the FOI compliance. and all records stored on State of Connecticut computers.
All internal communications you may have sent or received from you mailbox Marilou.Giovanucci@jud.ct.gov relevant to the April 19, 2013 decision by the Committee on Judicial Ethics which raised issues of potential violations of the Canons of Judicial Conduct which you either sent or received from April 19, 2013 to the present between Officers or members of the Board of Directors must be produced as part of the FOI compliance.
Similarly, all relevant communications sent or received by you from your Connecticut judiciary supplied mailbox relevant to the manpower allocated to the physical preparation and reproduction of materials distributed to AFCC members at the Los Angeles AFCC Convention must be produced at this time.
It is quite apparent that significant time of employees of the Judiciary of the State of Connecticut and financial resources of the taxpayers of the State of Connecticut have been expended on the GAL/AMC training, the AFCC CT Chapter's First Annual Conference on April 12, 2013 and the preparation and attendance at the AFCC Conference.
On April 19, 2013, the Committee on Judicial Ethics issued four advisory opinions regarding the close association between judges and lawyers raises serious issues of disclosure and conflicts of interests which compromises the "integrity and impartiality" of the judiciary members---including the support staff who may have been directed to utilize State of Connecticut Resources to support a non-judiciary function of the AFCC.
Ms. Giovanucci, you are reminded to the obligations to acknowlege the receipt of this FOI request within four days of its receipt with an expression of intent to comply within thirty days to avoid an FOI Commission complaint from being filed.
Thanks in advance for your cooperation in compliance with the FOI Act.
Please do not hesitate to call or email me with any questions you might have about the requests for compliance with the FOI Act.
I am copying Attorney Melissa Farley on this communication in order to ensure efficiency on the FOI compliance requests previously lodged with Attorney Farley.
Cordially,
Michael Nowacki
When we say "AFCC," obviously the handle they use as if starting from 1963 incorporation (the folk history of the organization in its own words) it should be understood, and word has been getting out since the late 1990s, and again now in this century -- that it's something of a misnomer -- UNLESS it's retained a consistent incorporation record as itself.
ReplyDeleteActually, one of the tricks of the trade appears to bet the "forgot to incorporate" with the "oops, got caught -- let's go for another state" shapeshifting chameleon habit. Cute for an animal, not for an organization taking public funds.
For example, HQ Wisconsin, 6525 Grand Teton Avenue? Go check state of Wisconsin business entity site. I did.
https://www.wdfi.org/apps/CorpSearch/Search.aspx
Searching the word "conciliation" only (nothing under "AFCC" relating to this group) -- we see a 2012 incorporation:
W060179 WISCONSIN CHAPTER OF THE ASSOCIATION OF FAMILY AND CONCILIATION COURTS, INC.
06 - Non-Stock Corporation 10/15/2012 Incorporated/Qualified/Registered
10/15/2012
Registered agent:
CARLTON STANSBURY
10850 W PARK PL STE 530
MILWAUKEE , WI 53224
Searching that street address, I get:
http://county.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/cntyCourts/documents/SupplementalCtCommisionersJuly.pdf
And find that a Barbara L. Burbach (same address, Suite 530) is one of two "Supplemental Court Commissioners" for Judge Dennis P. Munroney.
=???
And (searching registered agent name), here are Burbach, Stansbury and one more individual in a family law practice together which says "AFCC and FRIEND"S from top to bottom:
http://www.burbach-stansbury.com/
(see attorney profiles for which related positions they hold, influencing either at the ABA, or the Court level. For example, it looks like Stansbury has been, or is, a court commissioner also
This link went looking for legitimate AFCC chapters and has some lookup tools:
http://wp.me/PsBXH-1wC
this gives a (date 4/20/2013) rundown from various database of which chapters were incorporated (and show up on IRS list as tax-exempt) when -- and CT didn't show up yet. CA had registered as a 501(c)4, etc. AFCC ("the mother ship") shows under Wisconsin -- but you can't find it there at the state level as a legitimate corporation: examples:
86-0578107 Arizona Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Phoenix AZ
45-4875183 La Chapter of Association of Family and Conciliation Courts in Baton Rouge LA
26-3911822 Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Minnesota Chap Chanhassen MN
22-3792393 New Jersey Chapter of the Assoc of Family and Conciliation Courts Union NJ
27-5214137 Washington Chapter of Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Gig Harbor WA
EIN# 95-2597407 Association of Family Conciliation Courts Madison WI
~ ~
This group is better at playing incorporation dodge-ball and "hide the conflict of interests" than most people trying to catch up with it. I suggest we communicate regarding a strategy, and resources to expose the structure and funding. I've been staring at it, as a noncustodial, no-contact with kids overnight, parent since 2009. Feel free to link to the blog for more info.
Thanks for this information. The more we know and can dig up, the more we get deal with these people more effectively!
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