Category Archives: News

Irmo Middle School Wrestlers Capture Championships at SCYWA Elite Predator Challenge in Lugoff-Elgin

Irmo 7th Grader, Luke Sevilla, selected for the South Carolina State Team at 130 lbs.

 

Irmo Middle School Wrestling season begins on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, but, in preparation for the 2023/24 South Carolina High School League wrestling season, 1st year Head Coach, Tommy Sevilla, has had multiple Irmo Middle School Wrestlers competing in the aforementioned South Carolina Youth Wrestling League.

On Saturday, November 18, 2023, IMS wrestlers competed against the top youth wrestlers from throughout the State of South Carolina with the following results:

Ayden Floyd (8th Grade): Champion @ 150 lbs. 15u Rookie Bracket; 4th in the 15u Open Bracket

Caleb Casillas (7th Grade): Champion @ 125 lbs. 12U Rookie Bracket

Emmanuel Brown (7th Grade) 3rd Place @ 106 lbs. 12u Rookie Bracket

Kiernan Fenton (8th Grade) 4th Place @ 115 lbs. 15u Rookie Bracket

Luke Sevilla (7th Grade): Champion @ 125 lbs. 12u Open Bracket and Champion of the 12u Open Heavyweight Bracket

Luke Sevilla, a California transplant, was a Dual Champion in the Elite Predator Tournament and was also selected to compete for Team Palmetto; the South Carolina Youth State Wrestling team at “The Bear”. A NUWAY national elite level wrestling tournament. Sevilla will be wrestling for the South Carolina Duals Team at 130 lbs. and also two brackets in the individual tournament, wrestling for his 10th and 11th individual national wrestling titles of his 3-year wrestling career.

Irmo 8th Grader, Curtis Thompson, was unable to get matched up at 185 lbs. and did not wrestle.

Coach Sevilla’s 10-year-old daughter, Gracie Sevilla, a Nursery Road 5th Grader, was Champion of the 10u 100 lb. Girls Open Bracket.

Caleb Casillas – 12u 125 lb. Champion

Youth Sports LEGAL NEWS: Murrieta Superior Court Judge Denies Football Coach’s Petition for Restraining Order Against Parent of a Former Player

Murrieta Superior Court Judge Denies Football Coach’s Petition for Restraining Order Against Parent of a Former Player

Vista Murrieta High School Defensive Backs Coach, who is also Head Coach and Commissioner of the Murrieta Broncos Junior All-American Football Team and the Frat Boyz Club 7 on 7 Football Team, claims to have feared for his life and sought protection.

Temecula, California Jun 5, 2023 – On May 10, 2023, Christopher Lee Mercadal filed California Judicial Form CH-109 – a Notice of Court Hearing (Civil Harassment Prevention), accompanied by Judicial Form CH-110 – Temporary Restraining Order (see photos), in a Murrieta Superior Court, seeking to have Tommy Sevilla, a former friend, former Murrieta Junior All-American Football Associate Chapter AD and Deputy Commissioner of the Murrieta Broncos, banned from all “Southern California Junior All-American Football” fields and schools in the Murrieta area where the Defendant’s children participate in youth sports (Mercadal v Sevilla Case #: CVSW2302721 ).

Later in the week, Petitioner Mercadal had the Riverside County Sheriff serve Defendant Sevilla at his home. The Sheriff’s Deputy was obligated by law to have Sevilla surrender any and all firearms that he had in his possession in lieu of the May 11th Superior Court Hearing. Sevilla had no weapons to surrender, and Sevilla would later testify to the Court that he has never owned a firearm, nor has he been in possession of one, and that Mercadal was making false statements about gun possession to deceive the Court into granting his baseless Petition, especially as firearms have never been mentioned in any of their conversations.

Mercadal’s Petition to the Court also claimed that Sevilla was a Central American “gang member” (Sevilla is Mexican and Puerto Rican) who owned, had possession of, or had access to guns and fellow gang members that Mercadal feared could harm him. Mercadal further testified to the Court that Sevilla labeled him as a “child abuser” and was upset that Sevilla made these allegations against him to Kyle Jackson – President of the Murrieta Broncos Junior All-American Football team, the principles within the Southern California Junior All-American Football organization, as well as Vista Murrieta High School administrators and to Head Coach – Coley Candaele; former Head Coach Pederson and their athletic director – Carl Galloway.

The feud between the former friends and colleagues within the Murrieta Junior All-American Youth Football Organization and Frat Boyz team organization started when Sevilla wrote an email to Coach Mercadal as a parent and friend, touching on matters of concern that directly affected his family and his son; namely that Sevilla’s son was loyal to Merc, had chosen to skip a TrialNet Study for Type 1 Diabetes at Standford University in order to accommodate Mercadal’s request for Sevilla’s son to play up in age group with the 12u Frat Boyz team in a tournament whereby they would play the elite OG Ducks team on Sevilla’s son’s birthday no less. When Sevilla’s son, a very skilled athlete, would receive zero playing time in that game, Sevilla’s son was dejected and both were obviously miffed at the fact that all of the coach’s son’s, many of whom are not at the skill level of Sevilla, played in the game. Sevilla, in his email to Merc, pointed out these things and told Merc that the rivalries were not between the players, but rather between the coaches who get the huge trophy afterward and whose sons get the MVP trophies while the rest of the players don’t so much as get a bottle of water, according to Sevilla’s email to Merc (see attached), written in a non-threatening and even pleasant manner, ending it with an invitation to smoke cigars and drink whiskey. Mercadal’s violent and disrespectful response to Sevilla about his son would set the tone for the future marked by retaliation. First, based upon information and belief, Mercadal would immediately lobby to have Sevilla removed from the MJAAF Board, which he was, but Sevilla, also the League’s Webmaster, would never learn of such a move until it was time to log in to the website from which he was now suddenly blocked from accessing. Following these events, Sevilla and his family would be harassed and threatened by a colleague of Mercadal’s – youth football coach, Reginald Kemp, known as “Coach Kemp”, who would threaten in text messages to harm Sevilla’s kids and his wife, repeatedly telling Sevilla that he knew where his kids slept and where he lived. When Sevilla reached out to MJAAF President – Kyle Jackson and Mercadal about their colleague and to intervene – they took no action and effectively refused to protect their player. What would follow would be the incident where his son, after Sevilla pulled him from the Murrieta organizations and placed him with Menifee Wildcats and Relentless Premier Athletes, the violent hits to his son and grandson in touch 7 on 7 football and tackle scrimmages; hence the paper trail of complaints that Mercadal would be upset by and take legal action against, claiming that he now feared for his life after the allegations of harming Sevilla’s son and grandson. Sevilla never responded to Mercadal’s response, which also degraded Sevilla’s son and told Sevilla to “kiss [his] ass” and to take his son to one of the many other organizations in the area. Sevilla’s son was a key player and defensive and special team starter on Mercadal’s 2021/2022 Micro Division Super Bowl Championship team and was starting quarterback for Mercadal’s Frat Boyz 10u team.

During the Court Hearing, Mercadal claimed that Sevilla never sought an investigation into the allegations but in Sevilla’s response to the Court, Sevilla produced letters to the Court in evidence; letters to Mercadal’s superiors and testified at length to the contrary stating that he wrote in complaint, adhering to the chain of command, by first requesting investigation by Kyle Jackson of the Murrieta Broncos (MJAAF), then Southern California Junior All American Football (SCJAAF), and only Vista Murrieta High School and District Officials after those organizations failed to respond to his written complaints and requests for investigation, informing Murrieta Valley School District Officials of a “rogue” coach whose coaching style and violent culture will expose them to liability issues and potential lawsuit from him as they, in effect, sanction and endorse his behavior by allowing him and his organizations to identify with the high school “Broncos” and utilize their facilities, warning them that other kids can fall victim in the future. According to Sevilla’s correspondence with Vista Murrieta and Murrieta Valley officials, he admonished them for choosing to remain deliberately indifferent and negligent. Sevilla has yet to receive the results of any investigation into the alleged intentional targeting of his son and grandson from Vista Murrieta High School, MJAAF, SCJAAF, or the Frat Boyz.

At the Hearing, Mercadal, after seeing the voluminous response filed by Sevilla, would return to Court, after the recess, with defaming written statements from Sevilla’s ex-assistant baseball coaches of several seasons (Sevilla was Head Coach): Destrian Vallejo and George Uhila, both of whom were brought into the aforementioned Murrieta youth football organizations by Sevilla but the Judge would cut Mercadal’s introduction of his alleged new exhibits short and admonish him about the burden he carries to prove his allegations, rather than defame the Defendant, as well as proper discovery to the Defendant, who was previously unaware of such written letters and was not previously served with them. The Murrieta Judge further informed Mercadal that Sevilla had a right to make such complaints to his “employers”, as Mercadal referred to them as being, and that Sevilla’s response to Mercadal’s alleged actions was understandable in light of the context of physical injury to his child and grandchild and that he saw no evidence of Sevilla ever having engaged in gang activity or having any recent criminal legal troubles. The Judge would however, ask Sevilla point blank if he challenged Mercadal to a fight and Sevilla admitted to the Court that his statement to Mercadal, which Mercadal produced in Court relative to challenging Mercadal to settle the matters like grown men, were true, but promised to the Court that he would not beat Mercadal up for allegedly harming his son and grandson and that the aforementioned organizations should’ve been responsible in sanctioning Mercadal.

Petitioner Mercadal’s Petition was DENIED in its fullness and the previous Temporary Restraining Order Pending Hearing was VACATED.

Sevilla adds that he was approached after the Hearing by others present in the hallway, including his young son, who overheard an adult couple ask Mercadal if he had “won” his Hearing after he exited the Courtroom and to which Mercadal reply confidently, “I’ll get him next time,” while doing the Crip Walk.

Statement from Defendant Sevilla:

“Chris Mercadal or Coach Merc as he is known is a legend in his own mind and can now also be known as one who has made many false and unprovable allegations to the Superior Court of California to cause further injury to my child, grandchild, and family. Here he is, a grown-ass man who is known within the youth football community for his lack of class, inciteful behavior, and starting shit while hiding behind his coaches and parents – teaching his players to yell out ‘SQUUUUAAAADDD’, (i.e. hit squad) along with him, his coaches and parents after scores, violent hits and simply to incite and taunt the opposing teams. He is like a little Chihuahua who is all bark and no bite. He says things like ‘come catch a fade’; squats down and throws up signs like a gang member during his photo ops but runs to the authorities and his superiors when somebody real and who doesn’t play around calls his bluff. Apparently, he thought that he could hurt me by – based upon information and belief – causing serious physical injury to my then 11-year-old son and 13-year-old grandson, most recently.

What kind of man does that?

There are many labels to describe such a man, especially when it only happened when I wasn’t present as he knows better than to do that shit when I’m there! I had to hear about it from multiple parents, coaches, and team officials who – based upon information and belief – all believed that it was intentional and at the very least, unwarranted, classless, and illegal. To this very day and even in open Court, Merc has yet to deny the allegations and apologize to all affected but would rather double down and cause further damage with his many false allegations that he failed to prove in Court.

The dude is all about himself as a Coach and should fear every parent whose child is seriously injured by his team’s classless culture and disrespectful style of play. The best thing we ever did was take my son to the Menifee Wildcats and Relentless; those coaches and organizations have shown themselves to be the real deal and have valued my son’s play and leadership, with Coach Darris and Coach D being exceptionally involved and protective against Murrieta Broncos and Frat Boyz bullshit and gossip. Those dudes don’t play either.

For God’s sake, my grandson was clotheslined in a touch football game by Merc’s Frat Boyz team and he and his coaches, parents, and players celebrated the hit and a near riot ensued while he hid behind his coaches and parents as usual.

My son? Merc’s players – my son’s former teammates – called him a ‘traitor’ at JAAF Weight Certification, and he and his coaches were heard by our Menifee coaches and parents all telling their players to ‘get violent’ – according to their statements – before they took my quarterback son out at his knees well after the whistle.

Shame on Celeste Scallion, Vista Murrieta Principal and Coach Pederson, and Candaele and his staff, along with Kyle Jackson of MJAAF, for not taking the matter seriously and not even investigating and responding to me with the results of the investigation. To this very day, I have yet to receive a response from his superiors on my request for investigation, but rather, they have chosen to coddle the one alleged to have acted inappropriately and illegally. They share in Merc’s responsibility, and in Court, I will hold them accountable for their liability in these matters.

Any coach who coaches with or for him and any parent who allows their kid to play for such a guy needs a character check.

The awesome part about all of this and evidential of my son’s character is that he never once complained or raised these issues, however, it greatly affected him emotionally as we as parents could readily see. It was the principals within the organizations, video evidence, and other parents who confirmed Merc’s alleged behavior and that of his players when I wasn’t present and out on business or with my son for the California State Wrestling Championships. he’s a fiercely loyal kid who never complains and can sure as hell handle himself. My follow-up to all of this shameful behavior – as a coach myself for more than 41 years – is to protect other kids and to warn those in the authority of one who doesn’t belong in the coaching ranks or among kids. Hell, Merc has failed to acknowledge my son personally at the subsequent football games and especially in Court where he acted pridefully and arrogantly. At least my son sees now what that dude is all about.”

Sevilla’s son would suffer total pancreatic failure – Type 1 Diabetes – during this timeline of events and season. However, he continues to excel in sports (wrestling, boxing, basketball, baseball, and football) and set an example for others while Insulin-dependent.

The Court transcripts and case information may be accessed here: Media Information (ca.gov)

 

 

 

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Categories : Family , Legal , Lifestyle , Society , Sports
Tags : chris mercadal , vista murrieta football , coley candaele , kyle jackson , murrieta broncos , frat boyz , southern california junior all american football , murrieta junior all american football , coach merc , mercadal defensive backs coach

PCA Summary of FDA’s Proposed New Requirements for Tobacco Product Manufacturing Practices

OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS FOR THE PREMIUM CIGAR ASSOCIATION

PCA Summary of FDA’s Proposed New Requirements for Tobacco Product Manufacturing Practices

 

[Washington, DC — Tue, March 14, 2023] The Premium Cigar Association has completed its initial analysis of the Proposed Rule for Tobacco product Manufacturing Practices published in the Federal Register on March 10th, 2023. The nearly 300-page document contains several provisions that will affect the “business of specialty tobacco retailing” both domestically in the United States and commerce internationally. Because a federal court has held that the FDA acted arbitrarily and capriciously in deeming premium cigars subject to the Act, it is the PCA’s position that FDA lacks jurisdiction to apply this rule to premium cigars. The PCA will urge the agency, and if necessary, the courts, to make clear that the proposed rule should not, cannot, and will not reach premium cigars. Furthermore, the proposed rule has several fundamental flaws in it that would inordinately harm smaller manufactures and lead to overall market contraction that would limit the products offered on retail shelves.

 

This is an economically significant rule that aims to apply a combination of standards used in the pharmaceutical and foods industries to tobacco products. This rule is far reaching in that it sets standards on international companies producing tobacco products and threatens to block importations of these products if the factories do not comply with widespread mandates that range from environmental standards to requiring the use of certain building materials. If the rule were to be implemented as written, you could expect the boutique cigar factories to be hit the hardest as well as producers of pipe tobacco.

 

The association is convening a working group of premium cigar manufactures and discussing the specifics of the proposed rule with our legal and regulatory teams to discuss the best course of action. The comment period will be open for at least 180 days and the association will be submitting a comment or comments. The scope of the comment(s) will be determined in the coming days after the proposed rule is fully vetted by relevant stakeholders and feedback is solicited/analyzed.

Menifee Valley Little League President, CJ Bruner; a Convicted Gambling Enforcer – Retaliates Against Coach and Player

Bruner is alleged to have violated the civil rights of a popular championship winning coach and all-star player and the Board of Directors and District 28 – led by Richard Piqueno – engage in a code of silence alleged to have cause irreparable harm

Menifee, California –

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On 4/23/22, Tommy Sevilla’s Menifee Valley Little League’s Majors Division Dodgers, played the Angels, a team led by League President – CJ Bruner. That game was a disaster to the Dodgers on account of the disrespectful and aggressive behavior of Dodger parents, Johnny and Alisha Osornia, who have been the subject of official Western Region Little League Baseball Appeals (case numbers: Western Region Case 508107 and 507282) and are Defendants in Sevilla’s impending lawsuit, alleging that Johnny Osornia, with foresight of malice, slandered Coach Sevilla in the presence of board members, parents, Sevilla’s players, wife and children, causing them emotional distress and a subsequent campaign of retaliation and cruel punishment by League President, CJ Bruner and the Menifee Valley Little League Board of Directors.

On that day, Sevilla alleges that Alisha Osornia, a friend of his wife and his pitch counter at all previous games and one he considered an alternate coach for her extensive knowledge and zeal for the game, was visibly angry and disrespectful, controlling her son from the stands and encouraging him to be disrespectful to his Manager, Sevilla, and at one time even walking up to the dugout, standing directly behind Coach Sevilla and stating, “Fuck the bullshit son, you do what you do. Don’t let anyone else tell you what to do. Fuck the bullshit, you just do what you do.” Later in the game, Alisha Osornia, according to Sevilla and his wife, Melodie Sevilla, would deny having an attitude and acting in such a manner when Coach Sevilla had enough of the game and team being affected by Mrs. Osornia and her son’s bad attitude towards him, and cause a scene behind the backstop after calling her son to the backstop and exclaiming, “What did he say to you son?!”, after Sevilla put her son at the Pitcher position and had a mound conference with him. After trying to understand why she showed up in such a foul mood, according to Tommy and Melodie Sevilla, Alisha Osornia, raised her voice and was saying to Coach Sevilla, as he walked away, “Don’t put words in my mouth, don’t put fucking words in my mouth”, after Coach Sevilla raised the issue of her using profanities while speaking to her son directly behind Coach Sevilla. Alisha Osornia’s husband, Johnny Osornia, a friend of Coach Sevilla, would then intervene by walking up and saying out loud, “What’s going on over here?!,” and to which Coach Sevilla, already back in the dugout would walk up to Johnny Osornia and state, “you tell me what’s going on, Johnny, your wife is disrespecting me and the game. Your son is disrespectful to me today and she’s telling him to be like that.” Johnny Osornia would then loudly and oddly exclaim in the presence of at least 2 dozen people made up of Sevilla’s wife and children, parents, coaches, board members, other children and players, a very disturbing and slanderous comment about Coach Sevilla’s wife. Sevilla, stunned, would ask him what he meant by that and why did he say such a thing and to which Johnny Osornia would later admit to League President, CJ Bruner, according to Tommy Sevilla’s wife, Melodie Sevilla, that he said that what he said was not true, was all he could think of at that moment and that he only said that to “make him mad”..

Coach Sevilla would immediately order the Osornia’s to leave and told them that they were no longer part of the Dodgers team but what would follow adds to the slander and adds to Sevilla’s legal claims against the League and the Osornia’s. However, the game would be called a forfeit on account of the Osornia’s disruption and League President, Bruner, would call a meeting of the Dodgers Coaches at Manager Sevilla’s home, that would focus on the Dodgers and an allegedly abusive Dodgers Coach – Destrian Vallejo – the subject of numerous parent complaints throughout multiple seasons whereby angry parents complained that Vallejo, would pick on their kids, would belittle and discourage them and punish them physically to the point of no longer believing they were good baseball players and to the point of quitting and not wanting to play baseball anymore; facts that League President, CJ Bruner was well aware of historically and seemed poised to finally do something about it. However, Sevilla’s longtime assistant coaches would suddenly and repeatedly make excuses to not attend the meeting in Sevilla’s Home Cigar Lounge, where all have been to repeatedly throughout the past few years, especially Coach Vallejo, and these coaches, according to Sevilla and based upon information and belief, would disparage him to the League President and parents and turn against their friend and Manager, Sevilla, making him the focus, especially Coach Destrian Vallejo, who was to be removed that day as an Assistant Coach due to his repeated history of allegations of physical and emotional abuse towards the Dodgers players.

“This is when the campaign of retaliation and the code of silence began,” states Sevilla. Cj Bruner, then the Board, then the District and Region, would act in misconduct and they would collude and band together, causing repeated ongoing and significant emotional injury to his player son and family.

League President, CJ Bruner, would falsely claim that Sevilla willingly resigned as Manager when Bruner, according to Sevilla, unilaterally removed him as Manager without notice, due process and without cause and when Sevilla attempted to remove allegedly abusive Coach, Destrian Vallejo from his coaching staff, suddenly, Bruner wouldn’t allow it, claiming that Vallejo’s removal could only come as a “Board action” and that Vallejo had “due process rights and would have to appear before the Board and despite a documented history of written complaints from parents, group chat conversations and personal oral conversations; all of which League President Bruner was immediately aware of as they were lodged, according to Sevilla and his documents.

“Why wasn’t I afforded ‘due process rights’ and get to appear before the ‘Board’ like CJ stated Vallejo would have to? Why wasn’t I ever notified of a secret Board action removing me as Manager for cause, according to Western Region Administrator, Kit Golden, and why, to this very day, have I not been told what that cause was?! I have never even received a disciplinary action in my 4 seasons of coaching. CJ told my wife that year in and year out I am the most requested Coach by the parents, and I win championships. My players are repeatedly dropped off at my house and spend time with my kids. i have brought them into wrestling and football and the ‘Sevilla Train”, as it’s affectionately known, runs all over town picking up my kids (i.e., players) taking them to football and baseball practice. The Osornia’s are who caused a disturbance on May 23rd and I’m not the coach who has repeatedly been accused of being physically and emotionally abusive by multiple parents over multiple seasons – what in the hell did I do wrong and what in the hell did my son and family do to deserve this?! Menifee Little League does not value my volunteerism or that of others and have shown themselves to be child abusers by not protecting these kids from coaches accused of abuse and by abusing my own son by what they have subsequently done to him.”

Sevilla’s legal claims would go on to document how his written and oral complaints to Menifee Little League and subsequently, District 28 Administrator – Richard Piqueno, a Western Regional Administrator – Kit Golden, and multiple faxes to Little League International, urgently complaining about “ongoing irreparable harm” to his son and other players would be ignored in a code of silence and that Menifee Valley Little League’s campaign of retaliation would be, in effect, endorsed, supported and strengthened by Little league’s refusal to intervene.

Allegedly abusive Coach, Destrian Vallejo, would be promoted to Manager after Menifee Valley League President, CJ Bruner, unilaterally and later codified by a Board hearing and action that Sevilla was not made aware of and not invited to participate in.

Based upon information and belief, Dodgers Coaches: Siaosi “George” Uhila and Destrian “Joe” Vallejo – Sevilla’s longtime assistants – would collude with League President Bruner and remove Sevilla and his wife, a Menifee Little League Board Member, appointed by Bruner to help unseat and lessen the power and ultimately remove a married couple who sits on the Executive Board, who is considered to be tyrannical and bad for the League, according to a former Executive Board Member and others, and would delete Sevilla and his wife from the GroupMe team group chat, change practice locations, and remove the Sevilla’s from all League communications with 3 games left in the regular season going into the playoffs tournament.

Sevilla asks, “who gave the order to remove us from League communications; change practice locations and deem my son ineligible or not worthy of All-Stars? Why didn’t the Board punish Coach George Uhila and Coach Joe Vallejo for plotting a revolt against me and my son? Why weren’t the Osornia’s banned or punished for their dissention and slander? How come not a single Board Member investigated this matter or contacted us, even my wife, a fellow Board Member? If my son was shut out by CJ, Coach Joe and George, from the final 3 games and tournament, how can they now claim he, on his own, didn’t meet the minimum number of games for All-Stars?”

“Cutting us off as parents from all League and Team communications; effectively shutting my son out of Little League Baseball and planning to walk off the field and forfeit the game if my son showed up to play, could only have come by the authority of CJ and Robert Holman – schedular and communications person for the League and based upon information and belief, other Executive Board Members led by Coach Joe and Coach George; why the other parents would consent to such a thing is disgusting and they too should be ashamed. Yet, no discipline was meted out to the Osornia’s for causing all of these problems, nor has Coach Vallejo or Uhila been punished for organizing this planned revolt that unquestionably would’ve cause great emotional harm and permanent damage to my undeserving son. The League, the District and the Region knew about it before it was allowed to happen and their response was to be witness it happen; we, as parents, were unwilling to subject our son to such egregious harm and shielded him from it yet, I have abundant written proof of Little League’s failure to act proactively; failure to punish the offenders and their deliberate indifference towards these matter in their totality leading up to this still traumatic event and after this stunt.”

Sevilla states in his complaint that despite this planned revolt that he was unwilling to subject his son to; his son being shut out of the remainder of the season by the coaches and League officials, his son not being invited to participate in League ending festivities, it’s team party and not receiving his team award like all other players did, Sevilla’s son was also disrespected and retaliated against by not being selected for the All-Star team and based upon information and belief, was either intentionally not chosen by collusion of those on the All Star Committee or was left of the selection board entirely by Player Agent, Melodie Morse, the self-professed “Queen of Little League” and she who in an email, told Coach Sevilla that he could resign from the League when he asked a question about the Draft process for Assistant Coach, Joe Vallejo.

“My son is without question, the best all-around athlete in the Majors Division and a top player in that division and the League. He was batting over .600 with more than 40 stolen bases. He had just hit for the Cycle and had multiple home runs on the season, including a Grand Slam. He regularly takes the ball to the fence and can steal his way home. Hi on base percentage, slugging percentage are video game like. As a Pitcher, when he’s on it, and when Chad Morse isn’t umpiring, he’s unhittable. He’s a quiet, unassuming, humble, respectful kid; a coach’s dream and CJ begged me to not coach all-stars so that he can have him on his all-stars team yet, they did him dirty. Menifee All Stars and Little League is an absolute political circus made up of vindictive ego maniacs. One of the Board Members kids hates baseball according to a former executive board member and is forced to play. This poor kid, below average in skill, is a perennial al star not because of his skill, but because of Mom and Dad. Bruner’s kid, other Board Members kids; they all make the ALL STARS and not a single one of them that I know of and have seen play or have coached, are of that skill set, with the exception of my son, whose accomplishments you can read about all over the Internet and speak for itself. Even my own Coaches kids, who hit below or at .100, repeatedly strike out and can barely catch or throw the ball, made the team this year after maliciously snubbing my deserving son who works harder than any kid I know or have ever coached in my 40 years of coaching youth sports.”

Menifee Valley Little League, a non-profit affiliated with the global entity, Little League International, is ultimately governed by the national body of the international entity, more closely by the Regional and District offices and all bodies are sworn to a codified Little League Code of Conduct, for both parents, coaches, administrators and athletes, that in part states:

“…The essential elements of character-building and ethics in sports are embodied in the concept of sportsmanship and six core principles: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Good Citizenship. The highest potential of sports is achieved when competition reflects these ‘six pillars of character’.”

Superseding these rules and principles of behavior, meant to foster a safe and productive organization environment and experience for young athletes is the laws of American and specifically, California society, says former Popular and Championship Winning-Menifee Valley Little League Manager, Tommy Sevilla, who in a lawsuit prepared for filing in the Central District Court of the United States, which alleges both State and Federal Civil Rights Violations against him and his family, particularly, his minor child, one of the League’s top players, who is alleged to have suffered on-going irreparable harm, with foresight of malice, by his former Assistant Coaches: Siaosi “George” Uhila, Destrian “Joe” Vallejo, League President – CJ Bruner, Regional Administrator – Kit Golden, District 28 Administrator – Richard Piqueno, and the Menifee Valley Little League Executive Board: Chad Morse, Melody Morse, John Dreher, Troy De Leon, Kristin Kelly, Robert Holman and Amy Frahn, who all are alleged to have conducted themselves with a deliberate indifference, foresight of malice toward him, his son and family, and in a campaign of retaliation endorsed by Administrators Richard Piqueno and Kit Golden, who allegedly, willingly failed to intervene and stop the on-going harm and who allegedly failed to enforce league rules, the Code of Conduct and who allegedly failed to protect the Plaintiff’s civil rights.

“The Menifee Valley Little League Executive Board and especially President and Player Agent – Melodie Morse, Coaches: Destrian Vallejo and George Uhila, as well as malicious and disrespectful parents: Johnny and Alisha Osornia, have engaged in classic ‘little league politics’ and have as a result, caused emotional harm to me, my wife and my minor children and especially my son, by virtue of malicious slander, petty retaliation for exercising our right to free speech and by thoroughly violating our civil rights and that of our minor children. Additionally, Little League Administrators have also violated our civil rights by failing to act and by in effect, endorsing the malicious and disgusting actions of Menifee Valley Little League. As their parents, and as a youth sports coach of many years and an executive board member who sits on many youth athletics boards, I refuse to allow someone, anyone, cause harm to my children and family without defending them. The cruel and unusual punishment towards me and my son; the total deprivation of due process rights and the humiliation they have cause us all, will not be left to stand. It’s sickening and pathetic how this privileged, white, executive board of vicious narcissists who bite and devour one another and stab each other in the back as a matter of strategy, would come together against me and us and violate every principle and rule that Little League Baseball stands for and ultra-aggressively seek to harm a 10 year old Majors Division Player; a perennial All-Star and unquestionably, one of the top players in the League, by cruelly punishing him, exposing him to harm and refusing to protect him and subjecting him to a campaign of retaliation, while at the same time, protecting the offenders. It’s mind-boggling and each and every one of these board members and coaches should resign and face the consequences of their actions, as they’ve had every opportunity to do the right thing but have foolishly and maliciously refused to”

According to Sevilla, Bruner is an illegitimate League President according to Little League policies; he is a convicted gambling enforcer who was sentenced to federal prison and he is a disgrace to the League:

Read FBI Press Release here:

“Beyond the requirements of league administration, the league president is also the face of your local Little League program and personify the best public image in reflection to the community at large and all of Little League. Each league president should take an active role in gaining support and winning friends and supporters for the league program.”

Sevilla states, “CJ Bruner has lied and mislead the Executive Board about these matters and should immediately resign or be removed by the Board.”

Pepperhead Mammoth LTD Release

 

Subject: Re: Pepperhead Mammoth LTD Release

Isabela Cigar Company is releasing our first Ltd Edition of 2022, the Mammoth 660 PepperHead ! Based off of our extremely popular “Mammoth” larger guage portfolio, the Mammoth 660 is in a ‘more accessible” 6 x 60 vitola, with a hopped up blend of higher priming tobaccos, to give the smallest release in the Mammoth line some extra punch, and more transitions . Blended to reveal ever-changing flavor profiles of honeys, vanillas, chili-peppers and spices, with 2+ years of post -production aging, to take the top off the spices, revealing an exotic journey of spinning flavor changes !
Msrp is $12.95
Total production of 2000 cigars

Available at All Official Isabela Retailers , a list of which is available at our website:

www.isabelacigarcompany.com

We had many many requests over the years for Larger Guage Huge Guage…cigars,,,and as I mentioned upon release of the Mammoth 770 and 880 last year…the large guage stuff was probably one of the most difficult blends ever,,,to get such a large vitola to reflect our identity of multiple transitions….we also wanted to craft a blend that wouldnt require extensive post production aging, and were able to accomplish that with the 770 and 880. We also wanted to have a “sizzler ” availabel in the Mammoth line, a blend that went much further with depth of flavors and more transitions, so we blended the Mammoth 660 in what we call our “PepperHead ” format, dual wrapper, withmore of a baseline Nica Habano prieto wrapper, and a smaller Ecuad Conn wrapper…., with added higher priming binder and fillers…..

We wanted to release all 3 at the same time….so we blended and produced the 660s 2+ years ago, let them age for a year, then crafted the 770s and 880s…When our tentative release schedule for the Mammoths arrived, the 660 was still not quite where we wanted it to be, as far as the flavor reveals, so we held it back, and just released the 770 and 880., in 2021
Finally , the 660 is ready , so here we go !!
Feel free to email me with any questions etc…anything…anytime !!

JOHNNY
ISABELA CIGAR COMPANY

 

For Immediate Release   Matt Stell’s Brand-New Single “Man Made” Hits Country Radio Today With A Whopping 40 Stations
For Immediate Release

Matt Stell’s Brand-New Single “Man Made” Hits Country Radio Today With
A Whopping 40 Stations

Matt Stell – Behind The Scenes “Man Made” Music Video Download HERE –
Photo Courtesy Wide Open

“Man Made” Official Music Video
Premieres Today

Nashville, TN – May 23, 2022— RECORDS Nashville Platinum-selling artist Matt Stell has officially released his brand-new single “Man Made,” to country radio and the response has garnered a whopping 40 combined stations making it among most added on Billboard and Country Aircheck/Mediabase charts.

“Man Made” is the lead single from a forthcoming new project, due later this year. Written by Brett Sheroky and Ian Christian and produced by Stell and Ash Bowers, “Man Made” pays tribute to how man might have made a lot of things, but it is a woman who made the man.

The official music video for “Man Made” also premieres today and can be seen HERE. Directed by Dustin Haney and shot between Nashville and Napa Valley’s scenic Regusci Winery, the video highlights men from all walks of life, with the important women who continually lift them up and support them.

In only the last three years, “versatile” (Billboard) artist Matt Stell has quickly made his mark on country music, amassing more than half a Billion music streams across his catalog, including back-to-back No. 1s “Prayed For You,” which is quickly approaching 2x Platinum status, and “Everywhere But On,” along with fan favorites “Boyfriend Season” and “That Ain’t Me No More.” He has since made his Opry debut and performed on “Good Morning America,” “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s” #LateShowMeMusic digital series, “Bachelor In Paradise” and sung the national anthem for NASCAR and NFL events. He launched his Give A Damn Foundation, kicked-off his hugely successful 8-week Instagram-live series, Penned Up, and was the first-ever artist to receive a virtual plaque from the RIAA for “Prayed For You,” an ASCAP Pop and Country most-performed song awards winner. In 2020 he released his new EP,  Better Than That, the follow up to 2019’s  Everywhere But On, and is prepping a new project for 2022, led by new single “Man Made.”

The 6’7” Arkansas native has come a long way from playing college basketball for Drury University and making the choice to head to Nashville instead of Cambridge, MA where he was accepted into Harvard University’s Extension School Pre-Med program. Following his dream of writing and performing, the self-taught vocalist and guitar-player made the move to Music City in 2014, landing a management deal with Wide Open Music and a record deal with music industry powerhouse Barry Weiss’ RECORDS Nashville. Stell has received “Ones To Watch” shout-outs from multiple partners, including Vevo DSCVR, MusicRow’s Next Big Thing, CMT Discovery Artist, YouTube Music Artist on the Rise and more.
Twitter I Facebook I Instagram I YouTube I TikTok I mattstell.com

ABOUT RECORDS NASHVILLE 
RECORDS Nashville is the country division of RECORDS—the New York-based record label run by founder Barry Weiss in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment. Launched in 2020, it houses a dynamic roster of modern country talent, including multiplatinum rising star Matt Stell, Erin Kinsey, George Birge, and more. The team comprises sought-after Nashville A&R executives and creatives. The label brings the entrepreneurial spirit and career development philosophy of RECORDS to Nashville and country music at large.
# # #

For Matt Stell, contact:
Monarch Publicity
Cindy Hunt / Heather Conley / Taryn Pray
Matt Stell – “Man Made” Music Video
Matt Stell “Man Made” Cover Art – Download HERE
Matt Stell – Download HERE
Credit Matthew Berianto
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Copyright © 2022 Monarch Publicity, All rights reserved.

CHRIS YOUNG LEADS AS MOST NOMINATED ARTIST AT ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS

For Immediate Release

CHRIS YOUNG LEADS AS MOST NOMINATED ARTIST AT
ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS

SEVEN NOMINATIONS INCLUDING
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
AND SINGLE OF THE YEAR
FOR FAMOUS FRIENDS

 

Nashville, TN — February 10, 2022 — Multi-platinum, global entertainer Chris Young is thrilled with this morning’s Academy of Country Music Awards nominee news, as he leads with the most nominations totaling seven, including the coveted Album of the Year (Artist and Producer – Famous Friends), and Single of the Year categories (Artist and Producer – “Famous Friends”).  Young is also up for Music Event of the Year (Artist and Producer) and Video of the Year, sharing three of the nominations with friend and collaborator, Kane Brown, for their Platinum-certified multi-week No. 1 which also topped the Billboard year-end Country Airplay Songs.

The pair shared their excitement via socials:
“7 NOMINATIONS!!!! Are ya’ll serious??? ACM – Academy of Country Music THANK YOU and see you in VEGAS! #LUCKYNUMBER7 Kane Brown” – @ChrisYoungMusic

“YESSIR/MAM 🔥” – @KaneBrownCountry

Catch the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards live from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Monday, March 7, exclusively on Prime Video.

Marking his second ACM Album of the Year nomination, his 8th studio album Famous Friends set a career first-week streaming record for Young at release. The 14-song project features several of Chris’s famous friends, including collaborations with Lauren Alaina (“Town Ain’t Big Enough”) as well as Mitchell Tenpenny on new single, “At The End Of A Bar,” plus background vocals from Sarah Buxton and Hillary Lindsey. Chris co-wrote 13 songs on the new record and co-produced the entire project, including a solo producer credit on the final track.

The multi-nominated title track cataloged an astounding 15 weeks inside the Top 5 on Billboard’s country radio chart and amassing over 200 million streams, “Famous Friends,” the “upbeat salute to the small town folks who keep the real world running” (Tennessean), took home the trophy for the fan voted CMT Collaborative Video of the Year and numerous CMA and AMA nominations. The song is also nominated for Country Song of the Year at the 2022 iHeart Radio Music Awards.

An anthemic tribute to the names, faces, and legendary stories that make up each hometown, “Famous Friends” is Chris and Kane’s first collaboration since working together on Kane’s 2017 song “Setting the Night On Fire.” Additionally, the song reunites the former tour mates from Chris’ 2018 Losing Sleep Headlining Tour — which included a sold-out hometown show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena — and is a full-circle moment since Kane’s first live concert experience as a young Country fan was a Brad Paisley and Chris Young tour stop.

ABOUT CHRIS YOUNG: Multi-platinum RCA Records Nashville global entertainer Chris Young has accumulated an impressive list of accomplishments, including membership in the iconic Grand Ole Opry, nearly 5 Billion on-demand streams, 13 Million singles sold, 12 career No. 1 singles, 22 R.I.A.A. Gold/Platinum/Multi-Platinum certified projects, 6 Country Music Association nominations, 4 Academy of Country Music nominations and 2 Grammy nominations,  along with wins for Performance of the Year and Collaborative Video of the Year at the CMT Music Awards. These accomplishments and more landed him in the Top 20 of Billboard’s top country artists of the decade.

“Famous Friends,” – Chris’s platinum-certified, multi-week chart-topping song with Kane Brown – is the title track to his “most personal album to date” (Forbes). The track earned the top spot on Billboard’s year-end Country Airplay Songs chart. In addition, the “booming duet” (Tennessean) “At The End Of A Bar” with Mitchell Tenpenny is the newest single from his 8th studio album, Famous Friends.

Named “one of his era’s finest traditionalists” by the Associated Press, Chris is an international ambassador for country music, performing to capacity crowds around the world. With a hit-packed set that highlights his twelve chart-toppers — including back-to-back No. 1s “Losing Sleep,” “Sober Saturday Night,” “Think Of You,” and “I’m Comin’ Over” — the Grammy and ACM nominated vocalist’s most recent headlining tour played to over 400,000 fans in 3 countries.

For more information and to catch a Chris Young show on the road, visit chrisyoungcountry.com and join @ChrisYoungMusic and his more than 6 Million fans on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT KANE BROWN: continues to expand the perception of Country music and break musical boundaries. Noted as the “future of Country” (Billboard) and one of “31 People Changing the South” (Time), the chart-topping entertainer earned an ACM Album of the Year nomination for Mixtape Vol. 1, (2020) and won an ACM Video of the Year Award for his anthem “Worldwide Beautiful.” Brown first broke through with his No. 1 self-titled debut album, which spent 13 weeks at the top of the chart and helped him become the first artist in Billboard history to top all 5 Billboard Country charts simultaneously. Brown’s “Heaven” and “What Ifs” are the 3rd and 7th most streamed country songs of all time. Brown’s sophomore album Experiment debuted No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and solidified Brown as the only male country artist in more than 24 years to achieve this all-genre chart feat. Experiment produced three back-to-back Double Platinum No. 1 hits and was ranked by The New York Times as one of the Top 10 Best Albums of the Year. One of only 10 country artists to sell out Los Angeles’ famed STAPLES Center (recently renamed CRYPTO.com Arena), Brown recently repeated this milestone on his newly launched Blessed & Free  headlining tour, where he is the first country artist to visit all NBA Arenas in one tour.  Brown’s current top 5 and climbing hit, “One Mississippi” released on the heels of his three-time ACM and CMA nominated multi-week Platinum-certified No. 1 single with Chris Young, “Famous Friends.” Brown recently released his latest collaboration, “Blessed & Free” with Grammy and Oscar Award winning artist, H.E.R. to critical acclaim from the The New York Times, Billboard, Rolling Stone, American Songwriter and UPROXX. For more information on Kane Brown, visit www.kanebrownmusic.com.
# # #

Media Contact for Chris Young:
Monarch Publicity
Cindy Hunt / Heather Conley / Taryn Pray

Label Contact for Chris Young and Kane Brown:
Sony Music Nashville / Allen Brown
allen.brown@sonymusic.com

Media Contact for Kane Brown:
Jennifer Vessio
jennifer.g.vessio@gmail.com

2021 Murrieta Broncos Micro D1 Junior All-American Youth Football Team Captures Super Bowl Championship

2021 Murrieta Broncos Micro D1 Junior All-American Youth Football Team Captures Super Bowl Championship

Coach Chris Mercadal and staff’s 12-0 Broncos prevail in an intense defensive battle against the league’s top seeded Fontana Skyhawks, who were also undefeated going into Saturday’s epic battle

SCJAAF Conference President, Charlie Valencia, presenting Championship Trophy to Chris Mercadal

SCJAAF Conference President, Charlie Valencia, presenting Championship Trophy to Chris Mercadal

2021 Murrieta Broncos Micro D1 Junior All-American Youth Football Team Captures Super Bowl Championship

Broncos Coaching Staff (Coach Shane Granger - not pictured)

SCJAAF Micro D1 Super Bowl Trophy

SCJAAF Micro D1 Super Bowl Trophy

Fontana Skyhawk Rushing Attack

Fontana Skyhawk Rushing Attack

2021 Murrieta Broncos Micro D1 Junior All-American Youth Football Team Captures Super Bowl Championship

SCJAAF Conference President, Charlie Valencia, presenting Championship Trophy to Chris Mercadal

Broncos Coaching Staff (Coach Shane Granger – not pictured)

SCJAAF Micro D1 Super Bowl Trophy

SCJAAF Micro D1 Super Bowl Trophy

2021 Murrieta Broncos Micro D1 Junior All-American Youth Football Team Captures Super Bowl Championship

Murrieta Broncos D1 Micro Team

Murrieta Broncos D1 Micro Team

Temecula, California Dec 15, 2021 The Division 1 – Murrieta Broncos Junior All-American Football Team, who finished the 2021 season 12-0 (#2 seed), outlasted #1 seed Fontana Skyhawks (now 11-1) in an epic defensive battle that saw Chris Mercadal’s Broncos prevail with a 7-6 score.

Both teams compete in the weight and age-based Southern California Junior All-American Football Conference (SCJAAF) that encompasses both elite and non-elite level youth tackle football teams, grouped in divisions ranging from Division 1 to Division 2 and 1-A and 1-AA in between, with all teams eligible to earn playoff berths and ultimately the SCJAAF Super Bowl Championship games, if they win out; in the Elite Micro D1 Division, it came down to the conference’s #1 offense and #1 defense in Murrieta and Fontana – perennial league powers – with a coin flip determining the #1 seed – Fontana Skyhawks.

The game started with the Skyhawks driving down the Norco High School Field (host site) with a brutal ground and pound rushing attack with off-balanced formations and crucial blocking schemes that were often effective for the but, Murrieta Broncos high powered offense, which combines the league’s #1 passing attack with an equally effective and top-rated rushing attack, the Broncos scored, then converted an extra point but, it was their solid and tenacious goal-line defense that secured a Murrieta 7-6 victory in the final seconds.

Youth tackle football leagues, such as the SCJAAF league, are essentially feeder programs to the team’s and corresponding city’s local high school football programs. The Murrieta Broncos are modeled after the area’s powerhouse high school football team – the Vista Murrieta Broncos – with the Fontana team heavy on future Summit High School football players – a snapshot of local area Freshman High School Football in 3-4 years, with many of the youth football teams’ coaches, also coaching currently or formerly at the high school level. Countless former Junior All-American youth football league players have gone on to have outstanding high school football careers, received college football scholarships, and have also gone on to have stellar NFL careers as coaches and players.

Murrieta Broncos Micro D1 Head Coach, Chris Mercadal, also coaches the Elite Murrieta Frat Boyz 10 – 12u 7 on 7 Passing League team (founded by Chris Claiborne and Lonnie Ford) and is currently the Varsity Defensive Backs Coach for the perennially California State Top 50 Ranked High School Football Team – Vista Murrieta; Murrieta Junior All-American League President – Kyle Jackson – is also on the Vista Murrieta Staff.

Mercadal’s players, whose son, Payton Mercadal, a key, skilled veteran on the team, is made up of many first-year tackle football players, fellow Frat Boyz 7 on 7 football team players, who also compete simultaneously in other sports both during and after the tackle football season, such as wrestling, baseball, basketball, boxing, jiu-jitsu, soccer and motocross, some even attend sports training academies but, for a rigorous yet enriching 5-6 month period in Summer, Fall, and Winter, commit themselves to the top youth football program in the area.

The 2021 SCJAAF D1 Micro Division Champs and their entire league, during the month of October, supported Breast Cancer Awareness Month by wearing pink socks and ribbon decals on their helmets, and the MJAAF Website shows support for Type 1 Diabetes awareness, as it relates to warning signs, symptoms and the youth.

The Murrieta Junior All-American Youth Football League accepts donations, is always in need of volunteers: www.MurrietaYouthFootball.com

2021 Murrieta Broncos Micro D1 Championship Coaches: Chris Mercadal (Head Coach), Christian Dekker, Shane Granger, Efrain Soto, Patrick Ford, Darren Joseph, David Jones, Joseph Tilt, Adrian Smith, Shawn Moore

Athletic Director: Charmaine Mercadal

Team Mom: Charmain Mercadal

Film: Carlos Frutos

2021 Murrieta Broncos Micro D1 Championship Players:

Jace BARELA, D.J. BERCASIO, Mason BOOKER, Aayden BOSBY-SMITH, Noah CHALFANT, Tavoi CRAVENS, Declan CRILLY, Mason DEKKER, Jaquori FORD, Cruz FRUTOS, Shane GRANGER, Gavin HOLLEY, Austin JONES, Payton MERCADAL, Detavian MILLER, Chadd MITCHELL, Steven MOORE, Carl PAYNE III, Teagan PEOPLE, Chase PEREIRA, Aaron PEREZ, Luke SEVILLA, Jael SOTO, Michael VALLEJO

Media Contact

Tommy Sevilla

tommy@sevillalocalmedia.com19512891710http://socallocalsportsmedia.com

Source : Sevilla Local Media

Categories : Event , Family , Lifestyle , Society , Sports
Tags : murrieta broncos junior all american youth football , mjaaf , scjaaf , coach chris mercadal , payton mercadal , micro d1 super bowl championship , fontana skyhawks , kyle jackson football coach , luke sevilla , youth football

Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen and USAID Administrator Samantha Power Pen Op-Ed in Washington Post on Fighting Global Corruption

Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen and USAID Administrator Samantha Power Pen Op-Ed in Washington Post on Fighting Global Corruption
12/06/2021
U.S. Department of the Treasury

Office of Public Affairs

Press Release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 6, 2021

Contact: Treasury Public Affairs; Press@Treasury.gov

Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen and USAID Administrator Samantha Power Pen Op-Ed in Washington Post on Fighting Global Corruption

WASHINGTON — Today, Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen and USAID Administrator Samantha Power penned an Op-Ed in the Washington Post on how the Biden-Harris Administration will be leading the fight against global corruption. Read the full Op-Ed below.

Washington Post:

Janet L. Yellen and Samantha Power: To uphold democracy, the U.S. must fight global corruption
12/6/21

Just a 30-minute drive from the White House is another estate — a six-bedroom, nine-bathroom mansion outfitted with a movie theater and a seven-car garage. When the home was purchased in 2010, it wasn’t immediately clear who the new owner was. The purchase, according to a civil forfeiture complaint, was made via private trust.

It was only years later that the public learned the buyers behind the trust were Yahya Jammeh, the former president of Gambia, and his wife. Jammeh fled Gambia after committing serious human rights violations and embezzling millions of dollars from his people. He allegedly transformed a portion of that stolen money into several thousand square feet of Potomac, Md., real estate.

Around the world, in countries as varied as Russia, Venezuela and China, the wealthy and the well-connected launder their assets through complex networks of shell companies or transactions involving art, real estate and, occasionally, cryptocurrencies. Sometimes those gains are ill-gotten and sometimes they are legitimately earned but illicitly hidden to evade taxes. But what links all corrupt acts is that they take resources from citizens, undermine public trust and — ultimately — threaten the progress of those who fight for democracy.

This week, representatives of more than 100 nations will gather virtually for President Biden’s Summit for Democracy. The gathering is a recognition that the world’s democracies need a new strategy. For the past 15 years, the number of people living under authoritarian regimes has been rising, while leaders of many democratic countries have been chipping away at fundamental rights and checks and balances.

Corruption has made this possible. Autocrats use public wealth to maintain their grip on power, while in democracies, corruption rots free societies from within. Unchecked conflicts of interest and the unequal application of the law erode our trust in common institutions.

The same kleptocrat that the U.S. Agency for International Development helps expose abroad often tries to funnel his money into domestic markets overseen by the U.S. treasury. Indeed, corrupt actors hide their money in the United States all the time. We can no longer provide them a shadow under which to operate.

Combating corruption abroad, therefore, begins at home, and our first step must be to expose the owners of shell companies and other illicit funds. Moving forward, the U.S. government will require many U.S. and foreign companies to report their true owners to the Treasury and to update us when they change hands. We’re also working toward new reporting requirements for real estate transactions and will be enlisting other nations to address these issues.

Second, the United States must be a model for the wider world. The idea of democracy is inseparable from the idea of America, and we cannot support free government abroad if our institutions wither at home. But that is what’s happening.

Last year, for example, more than $600 billion was effectively withheld from U.S. taxpayers disproportionately coming from top earners and large corporations, who take advantage of our broken tax system and get away with evasion. Obviously, there’s a difference between a tax evader and an autocrat who drains the public treasury, but the financial implications are the same. The Treasury needs more resources, including more auditors, to go after evasion, and provisions in the Build Back Better Act will help us do that.

Of course, combating corruption also requires significant efforts abroad, so the United States will deepen and expand support for those fighting kleptocrats and bad actors through a new anti-corruption response fund. In the Dominican Republic, Moldova and Zambia, we’ve seen politicians win landslide victories by running on anti-corruption platforms. We want to support their reforms.

The United States is also increasing its support to media organizations and other watchdogs who risk their lives to expose corruption. These brave activists often play the greatest role in bringing down dictatorships, because while corruption may fuel autocracies, it can also be their Achilles’ heel. In 2019, a record year for global mass protests, roughly half were driven by exposed corruption, six of which led to changes in government.

We will also seek to protect international journalists from lawsuits — the latest tactics of oligarchs and autocrats seeking to suppress stories exposing corruption. USAID is launching a global Defamation Defense Fund to offer journalists coverage to survive defamation claims and deter suits in the first place.

Finally, because the government doesn’t have a monopoly on good ideas, USAID will work with civil-society and private-sector partners to crowdsource new tools and technologies to stop corrupt officials from plundering their countries’ resources and transferring them across borders.

These steps, part of the new U.S. Strategy on Countering Corruption, will embolden good-government activists, shine a light on dark corners of the global financial system, bring in more tax dollars for the public benefit and prevent criminals from laundering money through the U.S. and international financial systems.

There may always be some level of corruption, public officials on the take or illicit dollars flowing through our economy. But to uphold democracy, we must strive to make those acts difficult and rare — not easy and common.

###

CFPB ISSUES CREDIT REPORTING GUIDANCE DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 1, 2020

MEDIA CONTACT:
Office of Communications
Tel: (202) 435-7170

CFPB ISSUES CREDIT REPORTING GUIDANCE DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) today released a policy statement outlining the responsibility of credit reporting companies and furnishers during the COVID-19 pandemic.  In response to the pandemic, many lenders are being flexible when it comes to consumers’ making payments.  The Bureau’s statement underscores that consumers benefit if lenders report accurate information about these arrangements to credit bureaus so that the credit reports of consumers are accurate.

“During this time of uncertainty, we are providing clarity to ensure the consumer reporting industry can continue to function,” said Director Kraninger.  “Consumers rely on their credit report to purchase a new car, their new home, or to finance their college education.  An effective consumer reporting system is critical in promoting fair and efficient access to credit in the consumer financial services market.”

As lenders continue to offer struggling borrowers payment accommodations, Congress last week passed the CARES Act.  The Act requires lenders to report to credit bureaus that consumers are current on their loans if consumers have sought relief from their lenders due to the pandemic.  The Bureau’s statement informs lenders they must comply with the CARES Act.  The Bureau’s statement also encourages lenders to continue to voluntarily provide payment relief to consumers and to report accurate information to credit bureaus relating to this relief.  The continuation of reporting such accurate payment information produces substantial benefits for consumers, users of consumer reports, and the economy as a whole.

In addition, in response to staffing and resources constraints on lenders and credit bureaus due to the pandemic, the Bureau’s statement also provides flexibility for lenders and credit bureaus in the time they take to investigate disputes.   The Bureau specifically states that it does not intend to cite in an examination or bring an enforcement action against firms who exceed the deadlines to investigate such disputes as long as they make good faith efforts during the pandemic to do so as quickly as possible.

Earlier this month, the Bureau provided consumers with resources to protect their credit.  The Bureau’s blog outlines the steps consumers should take if they cannot make a payment, how to dispute inaccurate information on their credit report, and how to obtain a free copy of their credit report.  The blog can be found here.

Statement on Supervisory and Enforcement Practices Regarding the Fair Credit Reporting Act and Regulation V in Light of the CARES Act.

###

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a 21st century agency that helps consumer finance markets work by regularly identifying and addressing outdated, unnecessary, or unduly burdensome regulations, by making rules more effective, by consistently enforcing federal consumer financial law, and by empowering consumers to take more control over their economic lives.  For more information, visit consumerfinance.gov.