Thank you Mr. Populi!

Good Day Readers:

Just noticed the following article posted by The Public Eye (Truth To Power - www.accesstoinfo.blogspot.bom; vicpopuli1@gmail.com). Anyone recognize the gentleman in his customary metaphorical picture?

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk
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09 December 2009
"The MMF's Current Leadership"The following email has been edited in terms of its content.

Subject: Federally/Provincially Funded Manitoba Metis Federation Sues Website!
From: CLARE PIEUK <pieuk@shaw.ca>
Date: Saturday, December 31, 2005 1:51 pm
To: Martin.P@parl.gc.ca
cc: Alcock.R@parl.gc.ca, Premier@leg.gov.mb.ca, tflanaga@ucalgary.ca, Harper.S@parl.gc.ca, Layton.J@parl.gc.ca, Martin.Pd@parl.gc.ca, Prentice.J@parl.gc.ca, Scott.A@parl.gc.ca, Simard.R@parl.gc.ca, Stronach.B@parl.gc.ca, Toews.V@parl.gc.ca, Wasylycia-Leis.J@parl.gc.ca

Saturday December 31, 2005

Defamation Or Violation Of Basic Freedom Of Speech And Expression - You Be The Judge!

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

By way of brief background, www.CyberSmokeSignals.com is a Metis specific website established May 6, 2000. Since then it has been viewed by over 254,000 visitors from throughout Manitoba, Canada and internationally (e.g. United States, South Korea, Australia). It receives no external funding whatsoever.

The site's Founder (Terry Belhumeur) and I (Web Master) became increasingly concerned with the lack of financial accountability, transparency and corporate governance of the publicly funded (approximately $20 million annually - almost $19 million federally the balance provincially) Manitoba Metis Federation. Since its inception, CSS.com has posted several articles questioning expenditures made by the MMF's current leadership.

During late May of this year, the Federation filed a Statement of Claim in Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench alleging we had defamed the organization and 22 of its 23 Provincial Board of Directors - the exception being the elected Vice-President for the Winnipeg Regional Office. To view the incredible litany of documents submitted to date by Federation Counsel, visit www.jus.gov.mb.ca and click on "File Number Search" entering CI05-01-41955. The actual contents of some of them can be viewed in the "Archives II" link (upper left corner) of our main page.

Within approximately two weeks, a major media outlet will be covering this story. However, we have entered into a verbal exclusivity agreement not to discuss it further until the detailed article is officially public domain information. [. . . .]

Should you have further questions you can contact CyberSmokesignals' attorney Mr. Jeffrey Niederhoffer [. . .] or me.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk
Web Master
CyberSmokeSignals.com