I’ve been thinking about one wish I’d like to have come true during the new year: The possibility of corruption has to be prevented! The way I see it — and the way anyone looking at it should see it is this — Chancery Court Chancellor Andre Bouchard seems to be basically paying Skadden Arps right under everyone’s nose.
The appearance of those in power paying off their friends, using the power of the court, must stop! This is Bouchard’s former law firm. His best friends work there. Folks, how is it possible that we have a system in place that allows this?
In the TransPerfect case, $43 million has now been billed to TransPerfect. Skadden Arps, with the Chancery Court’s approval, continues somehow to take money from one of the most successful companies in America and funnel it into their coffers. If anyone cannot see this as I do — how truly suspect this system is — then they’re not looking. Believe me, I have been looking very closely for years now!
Even though TransPerfect took a major step by incorporating in Nevada and getting out of suspect Delaware, they somehow still can’t get away from this non-stop billing, sanctioned by Bouchard’s Chancery Court. I frankly do not understand how this is able to happen? Perhaps one of the legislators who are allowing this to continue could explain it to me?
I’ve spoken with people in the accounting department at TransPerfect and it is truly amazing what is happening! The bills from Skadden Arps that are coming through are incredible, and they are sanctioned and allowed by Bouchard! Such blasphemy! There apparently is no explanation for exactly what the work was that was being invoiced?! This stinks to high heaven! If you think the problem has somehow disappeared in the Chancery Court, I’m here to tell you, folks, think again. It continues. Unabated.
That is why I’m imploring those in power to take a real look, a serious look at what can be done to reign in the power of the Chancery Court and Andre Bouchard. This power has created, in my view, innumerable appearances of impropriety that make me wonder about real corruption.
Folks, just because Bouchard has gone quiet, in Delaware by using his power to seal proceedings and place gag orders on TransPerfect’s attorneys. according to my reliable sources, the incessant billing from Skadden Arps, which his court has allowed and enabled — apparently has not stopped!! Is this proper conduct by a Chancellor who is supposed to dispense equity??
Let’s stop this irregular activity, these suspicious actions — which appear to me to be outright corruption — in their tracks! If we do nothing else in 2020, let us make this our goal! Led by courageous legislators, who care about real equity, a change in the law to prevent abuse of power in the Chancery Court can and should be accomplished. Call your legislators; demand action!
Bouchard and his cronies Bob Pincus and Skadden Arps are apparently the perpetual Grinches who in my view, after closely observing every detail of this case from the beginning, seem to be robbing TransPerfect employees of their year-end raises and bonus — for over 5 years!!! — and it continues 2 years after the case!!
Do you see how bad this appearance of impropriety is, folks?! Please reach out and let me know your thoughts.
Best regards,
Judson Bennett-Coastal Network
OPINION
TransPerfect Sponsors Major College Football Bowl Game and CEO Phil Shawe Awarded Key to the City of Nashville by Mayor and Tennessee Governor
Dear friends,
Remember the $750 million company with 6,000 employees that Chancellor Bouchard nearly single-handedly disbanded?
That same company is now sponsoring The TransPerfect Music City Bowl. Take that, Bouchard! I wonder if this breaks the speed record for companies who have been dissolved by a suspect Chancellor for dysfunction — to now be sponsoring a major college football bowl game?!
Looking back, in my opinion, it looks like Bouchard, through his subjective rulings, milked and seemingly caused upwards of $250 million to be taken from this successful company.
So outrageous, folks! Once again, I call upon the Delaware General Assembly to investigate this — and Skadden Arps billings in particular — as the Chancellor is apparently a notorious Skadden Arps alumnus and supporter.
Better for this company to spend its money as it wishes, not as Bouchard wishes. That’s capitalism at work. I congratulate TransPerfect and CEO Philip Shawe for this exciting news. I’m a big college football fan, and you can bet I’ll be watching!
Quite a moment for the employees and the CEO of this great American success story that were and are still, in my opinion, being taken to the cleaners by Bouchard and his Good Ole Boy Delaware cronies. Credit to Nevada and Tennessee for embracing TransPerfect and treating its workers well.
Please see the Crain’s New York story below and just so you know, the company was also written up in USA Today with an Associated Press story and many other publications about this banner day for TransPerfect and its employees!
I am happy to keep the good news coming this holiday season!
Best regards,
Judson Bennett-Coastal Network
TransPerfect to be first New York company to put name to college bowl game
AARON ELSTEIN
Senior Reporter – Finance
Boldly going where no New York company has gone before, TransPerfect announced yesterday it will put its name in front of a college football bowl game in Nashville. Next year’s matchup will be known as the TransPerfect Music City Bowl.
“Anyone who knows our company knows that our philosophy is deeply rooted in competition, drive and winning for our clients, our vendors and our employees alike,” said TransPerfect CEO Phil Shawe, a college football fan and alumnus of the University of Florida, home of the Gators.
TransPerfect, which isn’t well-known except to readers of Crain’s, is the nation’s largest translation-services company and sports a fierce history that reads like a white-collar version of Game of Thrones. TransPerfect has 6,000 employees and says 19 of its offices around the country are located within 100 miles of a Big 10 or SEC school. It may not be apparent how sponsoring a bowl game will generate business for TransPerfect, but anyone watching the game will surely see the company’s logo every few minutes.
College bowl games have carried sponsor names for many years, as can be attested by anyone watching the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl, Meinecke Car Care Bowl or even the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl. While the Pinstripe Bowl has been held in Yankee Stadium for a few years, New York companies have been mostly unenthusiastic about this sort of advertising, perhaps because the game is less popular here than in the South and Midwest.
For a few years the annual mauling of Big 10 teams in sunny Pasadena, Calif., was known as the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi, but the bank has since yielded to insurer Northwestern Mutual.
A 2015 study in the Journal of Sports Economics showed companies spend $100 million annually putting their names on college bowl games. “A cross-sectional analysis of changes in firm stock prices relative to corporate and bowl characteristics reveals that markets view sponsorships by large and high-tech firms negatively and major bowls positively,” the authors found.
TransPerfect doesn’t have to worry about the Music City Bowl tarnishing its stock price over its six-year sponsorship. The company is privately held.
OPINION
U.S. Supreme Court Will Hear Delaware Court Case on Judicial Balance in 2020
Dear friends,
As your watchdog over Delaware Courts, especially all of the wrongdoings, I have noted many of what I’ve seen as injustices in our Chancery Court under the control of Chancery Court Chancellor Andre Bouchard. I found much of Bouchard’s actions in his control over the Register of Wills office to be extremely partisan, and his adjudication of the TransPerfect case to be quite subjective.
I’ll be watching closely a case that will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020: It’s about judicial balance in Delaware courts. The bottom line is that the current law says the balance of the Courts that require multiple judges cannot be more than half of either Democrats or Republicans.
Well, folks, James Adams, who is an Independent, wants to be considered for a judgeship. Under the law, he can’t be. He took the case to the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and won. Now Delaware’s Governor John Carney is appealing the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In my view, it is unconstitutional to make it the law that you have to be a member of a certain party to be appointed as a Delaware judge. The Third Circuit court quotes the Delaware Code of Judicial Conduct, which requires state judges to be “unswayed by partisan interests.” It also quotes the Delaware Supreme Court, which has said that state judges “must take the law as they find it, and their personal predilections as to what the law should be, have no place in efforts to override properly stated legislative will.”
Therefore, it stands to reason, that to require an applicant to either be a Republican or a Democrat is unfair and should be rightfully changed. Like all-partisan Democrats, Governor Carney is in control of a true-blue state, entrenched with liberal ideas and fanatical control issues involving a justice system that in my view is an incestuous arrangement subject to various appearances of impropriety and partisan decisions. I truly hope the United States Supreme Court, in its wisdom, upholds Mr. Adam’s case, as upheld in the Third Circuit, and denies Governor Carney’s appeal.
As always your thoughts on this matter are important and I would appreciate hearing from you about it. Please scroll down and read the article below from Reuters.
Respectfully Submitted,
Judson Bennett-Coastal Network
Read the Story @ InsuranceJournal.comU.S. Supreme Court to Decide on Delaware Appointing Judges Based on Political Party
By Lawrence Hurley | December 9, 2019
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to decide whether the state of Delaware’s system of requiring ideologically balanced courts is lawful.
The nine justices will hear the state’s appeal of an April ruling by the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of challenger James Adams.
Adams, who wants to apply to be a judge, claims that his right to free association under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was violated by the restrictions, which stipulate that no more than half of the judges on certain benches can be affiliated with one political party. Adams, who is not a Republican or a Democrat, concluded that he could not apply to an advertised position because it required the candidate to be a Republican. In effect, only Republicans or Democrats can become judges in Delaware, Adams’ lawyers say.
Delaware courts play an outsized role in judicial matters in the United States, having a good reputation within the business community for resolving corporate disputes.
The law requires that no more than half of the judges on the state Supreme Court, the Court of Chancery – which hears shareholder disputes – and the Superior Court can be affiliated with one particular political party.
It also requires that Delaware judges have to be affiliated with one of the two major political parties in the state. Since 1978, the governor appoints judges recommended by judicial nominating commissions.
Adams says the Delaware law violates the First Amendment based on Supreme Court precedents that say the government cannot take party affiliation into account when hiring people.
In court papers, Delaware Governor John Carney, a Democrat, argues that judges are effectively policymakers and therefore the governor can take their political affiliations into account when hiring them.
The Supreme Court will issue a ruling by the end of June.
(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
OPINION
Dear Friends,
Before proceeding to the point of this article, it is necessary to provide some explanation as to how and why I think the way I do, hopefully, to establish extensive credence to this dissertation. I have been an active political pundit and operative for many years. I consider myself a reasonable man with an educated understanding of the law and the political process. I would consider myself a social moderate and a fiscal conservative if indeed I was to be categorized in some way. I pride myself on doing extensive research on the things I write about and I do my best to share my opinions based on the logic and history that I have gleaned, relative to the specific situation.
Frankly, folks, I thought I had seen it all both nationally and in my home state of Delaware, however, the lack of logic, the rush to judgment, the absurd endeavors of certain powerful people in the Democrat party and some appointed to omnipotent positions (prosecutors, Judges, lawyers, surrounded by conflicts of interest) who clearly, in my view, intentionally corrupt the system even within a democracy, simply because they can, especially when they are legally protected by layers of a huge bureaucracy tainted by complacency and cronyism.
I believe many of these same people, if they were allowed to operate with power and impunity under a different political system, such as socialism/communism, a monarchy, or a malevolent dictatorship, would take that authority to another whole level, using incarceration, torture, and execution as tools to maintain their control and power. Throughout history, this has happened in all nations. Indeed corruption and injustice continue to happen, and yes I believe it is happening again right now nationally in this absurd impeachment process.
This all being said, and admitting that I am a Republican, I must say that political partisanship has gone to a whole other level within the leadership of the Democrat party, where I have clearly witnessed acute bias, fanatical theories, extreme hatred, obvious prevarication, arrogance, inequities, and injustice.
Now let’s briefly move to the national scene where Democrat bias is beyond belief. This impeachment of President Donald Trump is unprecedented in American history. This is pure corruption, right in your face. Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and Judicial Chairman Nadler are without a doubt the most corrupt, unfair, unscrupulous idiots I have ever witnessed in my entire life. Folks in any congressional investigation, public hearings, and so on, both sides are to be afforded equal opportunities under the law. Every motion, every question by one side should be openly considered and provided equally, especially in the process of impeaching the President of the United States.
The Democrats are railroading President Trump based on hearsay, presumptions, and political bias. It is so obvious to any objective observer it is pathetic. Not only that, when a former Vice President (Joe Biden) extorts the firing of a Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating his son in return for receiving a billion dollars in aid, is truly an illegal “Quid Pro Quo” situation. Trump had every right to ask for an investigation of this apparent corruption.” Ah, but the Democrats are using their position of being in control of the house to organize a coup to unseat a duly elected President of the United States by 63 million people.
Folks, I don’t know where it will all end up in the long run. I have many Democrat friends who are shocked and appalled by the unfair way this impeachment situation has been handled. Unfortunately, I see that the Democrat party has lost its way, and has become tainted with a lack of honesty, integrity, and reality. As a result, I believe Trump will be vindicated by the Senate and will go on to win the Presidency again by a landslide in the electoral college. Likewise, both houses of congress will be taken over again by the Republicans, giving American citizens the real opportunity for continued prosperity for years to come.
As ALWAYS, your comments are welcome and appreciated. I imagine I may get some heat on this one. Bring it on.
Best regards,
JUDSON Bennett-Coastal Network
OPINION
Dear friends,
My email inbox was awash with responses from my recent piece “Another Bizarre Ruling From Andre Bouchard’s Chancery Court” and I am so grateful for your feedback. I wanted to share some of your top pieces of feedback below.
It’s gratifying to know so many of you take the time to support my coverage of wrongdoings in Delaware and Andre Bouchard’s Chancery Court.
Your feedback:
From Ken:
Bouchard is totally out of control. The Delaware Judicial system is an incestuous quagmire run by corrupt people. Keep up the great work.
From Kelly:
Terrible that we have to wonder about our Judges?!
From Maria:
Mr. Bennett, Thank you for the service you do for Delaware. We enjoy your articles. Glad Seitz got the Supreme Court Justice job and not Bouchard! Hopefully, things will get better.
From Andrew:
It just keeps on happening. Bouchard has got to go!
From Barbara:
Time for change. Hopefully, the Republicans can regain power in the Legislature in 2020. Probably a pipe dream. Something is wrong with the system when there is a question about judicial integrity!
From Mike H.:
This is a truly a bizarre ruling! Bouchard is off the wall and should be off the Court!
From Paul:
Frankly, I think this cozy situation between the Skadden Arps law firm, the State Bar Association, members of the legislature, and the members of the Judiciary is a swamp that smells to high heaven. Whether intentional or not, this development has occurred over time and needs to be changed. Regardless, as long as the Democrats control Delaware, it won’t change! Keep up the good work.
From David:
I wonder how these idiots can justify their existence? Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving!
From Matt:
Judson, These Judges must hate you. I must say, you have developed over the past 2 years quite a scenario. I was extremely skeptical about this TransPerfect situation. However, you have made a believer out of me. Bouchard has got to go. Pure Absurdity!
From John:
This is outrageous, it seems as if Bouchard is turning contract law and corporate law in Delaware into anarchy and confusion and then the Delaware Supreme Court upholds it? Delaware used to be the best of the 50, no more. Shame!
From Mike C.:
Great work Jud. You should get a Pulitzer for your work on this. What an amazing expose of a case that you have been covering for a long time. I don’t write very often, however, just wanted to give you some kudos.
From Carol:
Judson, Apparently, considering Bouchard’s rulings, it seems that a majority stockholder can act contrary to the rules and the go back and change the rules so he/she can justify their illegal actions? This is crazy, And the Supreme Court upheld it? I am appalled. You have made us aware of these innumerable improprieties by Andre Bouchard. He needs to be investigated! Thanks for providing us with this fascinating stuff.
Thank you all for your comments both by email and on Facebook. Keep ’em coming! Rest assured, I’ll keep you tuned into the latest injustice as it happens!
Sincere Regards,
JUDSON Bennett, Coastal Network
OPINION
Dear friends,
Who is Hunter Biden? He is the son of Joe Biden the former vice President of the United States. He was kicked out of the navy for cocaine use. He was, according to public sources, apparently a crack addict. The negative stories about this guy are terrible. Yet, despite these problems, he was appointed to the board of a Ukrainian energy company and received $80,000 per month for doing nothing! His father was assigned the job of dealing with the Ukrainian government and dispensing aid. This corrupt company was being investigated by the Ukraine Attorney General. Biden tells the President of Ukraine to fire the prosecutor who was investigating his son or they would not get one billion dollars in aid.
Well folks, the AG was fired, and the Ukraine got the billion dollars! Biden went on national television and bragged as follows: “I told them I was leaving in 6 hours and if the prosecutor was not fired, the billion would not be given. Well, son of a bitch, they fired him!” He neglected to say his son was on the board during that interview.
Folks, I ask two simple questions, is it the policy of the United States government to tell another government who they can hire and fire in regard to their justice system? Is it the policy of the US to make financial aid conditional on that, especially if one’s own son is on the board of the company being investigated? The answer to both questions is a resounding NO !!!
So folks, for all intents and purposes, this appears to be influence peddling, extortion, bribery, and a clear “Quid Pro Quo”.
ALL THIS BEING SAID–Joe Biden’s son is not entitled to immunity just because he is the Vice President’s son. Likewise, Joe Biden is not entitled to immunity because he was once the Vice President of the United States or because he is running for President of the United States. So far, they have been protected by the Obama administration and by the press. NOT ANYMORE FOLKS!
The President of the United States, Donald Trump is being impeached by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives for asking the new President of the Ukraine to look into this suspicious Biden activity, especially with the insidious reputation the Ukraine has for corruption. The President has every right to ask for this to be done. He didn’t demand it , he asked it as a favor.
Furthermore, the military aid for the Ukraine which Trump actually got appropriated by Congress was never part of the deal. It was distributed well within the legally required deadline. There was no “Quid Pro Quo”. The President is totally innocent.
There is no direct evidence of any wrongdoing. There is conjecture, presumption, even misrepresentation by certain diplomats who do not agree with Trump’s new policies and by academic liberals who have total bias against our President. There is absolutely no legal grounds for impeachment. What is happening here is an intrinsically evil, malicious, and false attempt to overthrow an elected President for purely political reasons using what they think he did instead of proving it. Trump will be exonerated in the Senate.
What is happening folks is a travesty and it will be corrected by we the people. Just wait!
Respectfully submitted,
JUDSON Bennett-Coastal Network
My email inbox was awash with responses from my recent piece “Another Bizarre Ruling From Andre Bouchard’s Chancery Court” and I am so grateful for your feedback. I wanted to share some of your top pieces of feedback below.
It’s gratifying to know so many of you take the time to support my coverage of wrongdoings in Delaware and Andre Bouchard’s Chancery Court.
FEEDBACK
From Ken:
Bouchard is totally out of control.
The Delaware Judicial system is an incestuous quagmire run by corrupt people.
Keep up the great work.
From Kelly:
Terrible that we have to wonder about our Judges?!
From Maria:
Mr. Bennett, Thank you for the service you do for Delaware. We enjoy your articles.
Glad Seitz got the Supreme Court Justice job and not Bouchard! Hopefully, things will get better.
From Andrew:
It just keeps on happening. Bouchard has got to go!
From Barbara:
Time for change. Hopefully, the Republicans can regain power in the Legislature in 2020. Probably a pipe dream. Something is wrong with the system when there is a question about judicial integrity!
From Mike H.:
This is a truly a bizarre ruling! Bouchard is off the wall and should be off the Court!
From Paul:
Frankly, I think this cozy situation between the Skadden Arps law firm, the State Bar Association, members of the legislature, and the members of the Judiciary is a swamp that smells to high heaven. Whether intentional or not, this development has occurred over time and needs to be changed. Regardless, as long as the Democrats control Delaware, it won’t change!
Keep up the good work.
From David:
I wonder how these idiots can justify their existence? Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving!
From Matt:
Judson, These Judges must hate you. I must say, you have developed over the past 2 years quite a scenario. I was extremely skeptical about this TransPerfect situation. However, you have made a believer out of me. Bouchard has got to go. Pure Absurdity!
From John:
This is outrageous, it seems as if Bouchard is turning contract law and corporate law in Delaware into anarchy and confusion and then the Delaware Supreme Court upholds it? Delaware used to be the best of the 50, no more. Shame!
From Mike C.:
Great work Jud. You should get a Pulitzer for your work on this. What an amazing expose of a case that you have been covering for a long time. I don’t write very often, however, just wanted to give you some kudos.
From Carol:
Judson, Apparently, considering Bouchard’s rulings, it seems that a majority stockholder can act contrary to the rules and the go back and change the rules so he/she can justify their illegal actions? This is crazy, And the Supreme Court upheld it? I am appalled. You have made us aware of these innumerable improprieties by Andre Bouchard. He needs to be investigated! Thanks for providing us with this fascinating stuff.
Thank you all for your comments both by email and on Facebook. Keep ’em coming! Rest assured, I’ll keep you tuned into the latest injustice as it happens!
OPINION
Dear Friends,
After experiencing who I view as the worst Chancellor in Delaware history, Andre Bouchard, in his oversight of the Register of Wills office, not to mention his mishandling of the TransPerfect case with innumerable appearances of impropriety, clear bias, and irreconcilable damage done to Delaware’s credibility nationally concerning Delaware’s famous Court of Chancery.
This once revered Court of Equity was the reason why a majority of Fortune 500 companies chose to incorporate in Delaware, and the court was also a reason to stir Delaware pride in even the most jaded Delawarian. Bouchard has practically wrecked this court, in my opinion, and various corporations and many LLCs are choosing to relocate or incorporate elsewhere.
With that in mind, I’ve reflected on what would make a good Chancellor when it’s time to appoint a new one. Let’s start with the simple things first and focus on a few items that would be the opposite of Bouchard: 1> The new Chancellor should relate to regular Delawareans, not drive a Bentley or a Rolls Royce. 2> The new Chancellor would not hire people from his previous law firm on a case he’s overseeing. 3> The new Chancellor would actually have even one day of experience being a judge in any court, before being appointed to run the preeminent Equity Court in the U.S.A.
I also thought about previous Chancellors and how they were as they administered their duties. One ideal person comes to mind: Former Superior Court Judge and former Chancellor William Chandler. Bill Chandler is a true gentleman. Unlike Bouchard, who is from Canada, he was born and raised in Sussex County, Delaware and loves his lower Delaware Community, appreciates his state and its traditions. Being an environmentalist and possible pantheist, he wrote a fabulous book describing his home and the beauty of Black Creek, a charming stream that meanders in the lower part of our state.
This man has an aesthetic sense about him combined with a brilliant understanding of decided law. Chandler, while Chancellor, exercised an extreme propensity above all else to achieve fairness and equity. Bill Chandler was never political, unlike Bouchard who is a Democrat hack in my opinion. Bill Chandler’s decisions were based on law and were never subjective or punitive, as are many of Bouchard’s arrogant and subjective renderings, as I see them. Never would Bill Chandler enrich his friends by providing situations that would benefit lawyers rather than the litigants who were looking for true justice and fairness by going to Delaware’s Court of Chancery. Yes, folks, Bill Chandler was the real deal and he was how a Chancellor should be.
A caring, sensitive, objective, non-partisan judge, seeking only true equity with firm resolve, while avoiding appearances of impropriety and conflicts of interest must be a major priority. These are the prerequisites for being a good Chancellor. In my view, Bouchard has none of these qualities. Hopefully, someday we will once again appoint a leader of our prestigious court who is a gentleman of TRUE CHARACTER, much like former Chancellor Bill Chandler. That’s how I see it, folks.
How do you feel about how your Chancellor should be? Your responses are welcome and appreciated.
Respectfully yours,
JUDSON Bennett-Coastal Network
OPINION
Dear Friends,
It has been over a month since Andre Bouchard ordered Skadden Arps to produce the bills in the TransPerfect case and at this juncture, I have learned that nothing has happened. No bills, no resolution, no information. Bouchard made this declaration, and nothing has been done by Skadden Arps as far as I know, and apparently more bills continue to be sent.
The fact that there have been no itemized bills to begin with, means that Chancellor Bouchard wasn’t doing his job, right?! You think at least the man who court-ordered that the bills be sent and itemized, the man who approves (rubber-stamps) them each month, would at least know what’s on these bills?!
Yet, NO ONE is doing anything about this. I’m the only one even talking or writing about this, as far as I know. Bouchard hands out judgments and decisions and orders, and of course he enforces them — the man is a judge, after all, he has the power — but in this ONE instance, nothing is happening?!
His former law firm is supposed to show the bills — again, by the Chancellor’s clear-cut order — and nothing happens, and yet he is OK with this?! How is this possible? Why isn’t Bouchard holding Skadden Arps and his former partner and appointed Custodian Robert Pincus in contempt of court as he did CEO Philip Shawe?
As I’m seeing this — and I don’t know how anyone can see it otherwise — Bouchard continues, in my opinion, to oversee some sort of money-train for his former law firm. It is apparent that these outrageous and absurd, $1,475 per hour bills, in my view, clearly indicate that former Skadden Arps employee Andre Bouchard is seemingly looking out for his Good Old Boys at his old law firm! Leo Strine, Bouchard and Pincus all worked at Skadden. Aren’t there more places to find lawyers in this state?
Folks, we are talking about $15 million in unitemized, unaccounted fees over the past few years. This is serious money and any reasonable person would expect these charges to be explained? It is the appearance of an impropriety !
How else can you explain it? Just to be sure I’m correct about this, I called a couple of employees in the accounting department to confirm that indeed the bills have not stopped coming in. So new bills are coming in, while the old bills have not been itemized or seen by the people paying the bills?! What gives, folks?! What gives!
It’s outrageous, Chancellor Andre Bouchard is providing no oversight on this. At least not to the public or the media from what I understand.
It is apparent to this investigative reporter, that since TransPerfect and its CEO Phil Shawe have had to fight to receive actual itemized bills, this must mean the court doesn’t have them?! Am I correct in my assumption? Bouchard is ordering one party to pay another — blindly, with no line-by-line explanation as to what work was done and why? Can you imagine?! What a crazy gravy-train of funds established here by Bouchard and his former firm!
It would be great to see the Delaware News Journal or Delaware Business Now or any other reporter or editor at a Delaware publication get to the bottom of this.
If any of you, my many readers, have any idea what’s going on here, please let me know if I’m missing something.
Either way, I’d love to hear your feedback on this.
Respectfully yours,
Judson Bennett, Coastal Network
OPINION
Dear Friends,
I watched every minute of the judicial, impeachment Committee hearing held yesterday, Tuesday, November 4, 2019 where Chairman Nadler (the most biased, unintelligent, insipid, hypocritical Committee Chairman in United States history) continued the impeachment witch hunt against President Donald Trump. During the hearing he denied every Republican request and allowed every Democrat request, tabling every Republican motion. It was a freak show of pure bias and despicable unfairness.
Before going further, I must admit to being a Republican partisan, having been involved in the past in every aspect of the political process, including being a county campaign manager manager (once for Governor and once for US Senate). I know all about opposition research as I have done it big time. I admit to being an active Trump supporter from the very beginning.I totally believe and support his successful platform involving jobs, trade, national security, border control, 2nd amendment rights, and much more. Regardless, I believe I have the ability to recognize an inequity and political sham when I see it. That being said, the exhibition I witnessed yesterday was without a doubt the worst yet.
The Committee brought forward 4 Professors, 3 who were chosen, prepared, and dedicated to destroying President Donald Trump using their totally biased view points on the constitution, clinging to the specific concept that Trump used his office to demand an investigation of a political opponent to influence the 2020 Presidential election by holding back military aid to the Ukraine. I will name them: Noah Feldman from Yale, Pamala Karlen from Stanford , and Michael Gerhart from North Carolina. They actually, in their testimonies, changed the specific wording in Trump’s infamous call to the Ukraine President. Folks, never did Trump demand a Quid Pro Quo from Ukraine in return for military aid. NEVER< NEVER< NEVER ! Each of them have given substantial money to the Democrats, each of them have used pure vitriol against Trump in the past, and one actually is a Democrat activist. The total bias and this absolute malicious presentation was the worst I have ever seen in my entire life. Professor Karlen actually took a shot at the President's teenage son Baron Trump, saying "he might be named Baron, but he was not royalty." She was without a doubt the most self absorbed, prejudiced, horses ass to ever testify before a House Committee.
Interestingly, these are the types of people who if you don’t comply with their liberal agenda, give you lower grades in your University studies. I have many conservative friends whose children have suffered under this liberal despotism while in college.
The 4th witness was John Turley from Georgetown University who clearly stated the charges against Trump did not come close to reaching the standard of impeachment. This gentleman was calm, reserved, and although a Republican was not partisan or biased. He said he did not vote for Trump, nor support him, however he believed logically and legally the process and evidence was invalid.
The only real criminal here is Joe Biden who actually as Vice President of the United States extorted the firing of a Ukranian prosecutor who was investigating the gas company on which his son Hunter was serving for the fee of $80,000 per month in return for a billion dollar loan. The Ukraine actually did it, fired the prosecutor, and Biden bragged about it on national television. This is Bribery, Extortion, Quid Pro Quo, influence peddling–clear illegal activity which surely requires an investigation. That combined with evidence that the Ukraine tried to meddle in the 2016 election, gave the President every right to ask the Ukranian President to investigate it. Never was the military aid a condition of that request.
Folks, Trump is being railroaded. I know it and the majority of Americans know it. The Democrats are truly evil with a false agenda to overthrow our duly elected President. We will not let this happen and although impeachment seems inevitable, Trump will be found not guilty in the Senate, the insidious, socialist, liberal Dems will be ousted in both houses, and then we can and will complete the restoration of America.
As an aside, how come, famous, democrat, litigator, and professor, Alan Dershowitz was not asked to testify? We all know the answer to that.
Dr. Mike Savage once said, ” Liberalism is a mental disease”. I agree with him. So be it.
As always your comments are welcome and appreciated.
Respectfully Submitted,
JUDSON Bennett-Coastal Network
OPINION
Dear Friends,
The ink wasn’t even dry on my article from last week, and the Delaware Supreme Court backed the ruling of Andre Bouchard’s Chancery Court. Feels like the same old story here. I’d like to think that Delaware Supreme Court Justice Seitz is going to make some changes, but I’m not holding my breath.
In what I see as a rubber-stamp, one-paragraph ruling, the Delaware Supreme Court backed yet another bizarre Chancellor Bouchard decision that breaks from precedent that is decades old — and companies can now do things to break a contract, then retroactively re-write history to make it OK. It’s baffling, as you’ll read in the WDEL News Radio article below.
I don’t like what I’m seeing folks. It starts with Bouchard, and then it appears that his buddies upstairs at the Delaware Supreme Court automatically have his back. I’m hopeful that new Chief Justice Seitz realizes he can’t let the “Good Old Boys Club” run things — and takes an independent stand based on decided law. Unfortunately, I’m less hopeful with each passing day. We just had Leo Strine mysteriously resign from our Supreme Court, but Seitz is not Strine. He’s not Andre Bouchard’s ex-intern who I believe was beholden to him. Therefore, I’m sure everyone joins me in expecting more out of the Delaware Supreme Court. Let’s hope this isn’t indicative of things to come.
Let me know what you think! And stay tuned for more coverage here, folks!
Sincerely yours,
JUDSON Bennett-Coastal Network
Citizens for a Pro Business Delaware Denounces Delaware Judicial Overreach and Calls for reforms to Hold Judges Accountable
Published Nov 25, 2019 at 10:26 am | Updated Nov 26, 2019 at 1:03 am | By Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware
DOVER, Del., Nov. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Last week, the Delaware Supreme Court broke from decades of precedent and permitted a company to completely rewrite a clear, unambiguous contract simply because the company didn’t like the outcome.
Said Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware Campaign Manager Chris Coffey, “Sadly, this decision is just the latest in a string of baffling court decisions that have dealt decisive blows to Delaware’sjudicial credibility.”
Historically, Delaware has burnished a reputation as the most “contractarian” state in the country. Parties to Delaware contracts and investors in Delaware corporations could rely on the State’s courts to enforce clear contracts respecting shareholder and stakeholder rights regardless of whether a particular party to the contract, or the Court, benefited from the outcome.
But with one paragraph in the Delaware Supreme Court’s Almond v Glenhill ruling, a straightforward breach of contract case yielded a remarkable outcome: a controlling stockholder issued itself millions more shares than its admittedly unmistaken contract entitled it to, but the Court ignored the contract’s plain terms and rewrote them instead.
Said CPBD Campaign Manager, Chris Coffey, “This decision is an affront to all standards of judicial accountability and a symptom of the corrosion of the American justice system. If we cannot rely on the Delaware courts to enforce the fundamental right to contract, then what can we rely on them for? Unfortunately, this decision is consistent with a ruling class of judges who are all part of an old boys’ club designed not to serve justice but to serve the personal interests of Delaware judges.
I am ashamed for the Delaware judiciary, and call on all Delawareans to join our relentless crusade for transparency, accountability, and diversity in the Delaware court system. Without reform, self-serving Delaware judges will continue to rule according to whim and self-interest rather than according to fact and fairness. Now is the time for all Delawareans to stand up and hold their courts to task for their many, many failings.”
Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware is a group made up of more than 5,000 members including employees of the global translation services company TransPerfect, as well as concerned Delaware residents, business executives and others.
They formed in April of 2016 to focus on raising awareness with Delaware residents, elected officials, and other stakeholders about the issue. While their primary goal of saving the company has been accomplished, they continue their efforts to fight for more transparency in the Delaware Chancery Court. For more information on Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware or to join the cause, visit DelawareForBusiness.org.