'Shriners of North America' vs. Vernon Hill

The "SLAPP" lawsuit against Shriner Whistleblower Vernon Hill is carrying on, despite Sandy Frost's investigation and the recent allegations against the Royal Order of Jesters, the secretive Shriner insider group. Here is a copy of an email update on the doings of Vernon's fight with the Shrine H.Q. in Tampa FLA. Vernon hooked up with a former IRS investigator a couple of years ago and started going through Shriner public financial records after having his complaints of fundraising irregularities first ignored and later taken notice of - by being removed from his volunteer position in a local Shrine unit. At one time Vernon and the Investigator had a website that contained quite a number of financial documents from their investigations, but it was taken offline shortly after the Shrine HQ launched their suit against them. Of note the endowment for the Shrine is something like $8 Billion Dollars, the largest in the U.S., so the battle is a somewhat unequal one financial resource wise. After the New York Times articles were published, which basically covered the same ground of Noble Vernons investigation, it remains unclear what continued purpose the suit by Shrine HQ still serves. Surely members of an organization like this should be able to bring their concerns to light.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bill Young b.young1932@gmail.com
Date: Mar 12, 2008 3:51 PM
Subject: Noble Vernon Hill
To: blemieux@shrinenet.org

I and hundreds of other masons that are watching the progress of the lawsuit, 'Shriners of North America vs Vernon Hill," are very disgusted. New Yorks Times on March 19, 2007 exposed the Shrine in a front page article writtten by Stephanie Strom. If you are not aware of it, you can find it by going to www.nytimes.com. Then search for "Strom." The article will be about # 50, "In Shriner Spending, A Blurry Line Of Giving." Then go to http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com and to the Buffalo news paper of Sunday march 9, 2007. There you can read Sandy's 22 articles that tell all about the shriners and Jesters and the Jesters (Shriners) alleged violations. No one from the Shrine has rebutted any of those "alleged" violations. None of you have challenged those reporters. How can your lawyers say he defamed the Shrine organization if all of this has gone unchallenged by the Shrine? Whereas, your Tampa based law firm filed a lawsuit against Noble Vernon Hill in about September 2006 for defamation. Vernon Hill is a friend of mine. He was a cancer survivor and a member of Sudan Temple. Being very conscientious, he asked for transparency in the millions of dollars the Shrine collects and controls. Now as a result of a multi billion dollar organization bringing those charges, they have caused him to suffer a mild stroke and is now stricken with Bell's palsy. Has under gone recent operations for skin disorders and above and beyond all of this, he has to this date spent thousands of dollars fighing those charges. A lawsuit surely he could win but cannot out spend the endless funds your organization can use in an attempt to destroy him. it is like David and Goliath. They have already destroyed his health. What more do they want? What little assets he has for him and his wife to live the remainder of their lives on!!

You have almost absolute power over the Shrine Organization. Therefore, I beg you to intervene in this lawsuit immediately and stop it. Doctor/Imperial Potentate, you will do your organization a great service by not allowing this lawsuit to get into the media. If you have ever taken anything seriously and I suppose you have including the Master Mason's obligation, you can use that obligation and help this worthy brother. Believe me, this lawsuit will not go away unless you take charge. Your reply to your decision would be greatly appreciated.

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Bill Young