U.S. Chamber of Commerce to Sue Itself for Fraud and Self-Parody?

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Thursday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter (http://tr.im/CQCf) to an internet provider threatening legal action if it did not shut down the Yes Men parody website, http://tr.im/CQCu, because the website falsely portrays the Chamber's position on global warming. However, in its letter, the Chamber falsely inflated its membership by 1,000 percent and falsely alleged copyright infringement (http://tr.im/CQFu). The Yes Men lawyers strongly opposed this take-down demand and the site remains up at www.chamber-of-commerce.us.

"It is ironic that the Chamber, one of the biggest funders of front groups that smear non-compliant public officials, is now complaining that the Yes Men are poking fun at its anti-science positions. If the Chamber's pattern of behavior continues, it will soon be taking itself to court for fraud and self-parody," said David Swanson of www.StopTheChamber.com, a coalition of nonprofit organizations. "The Chamber has publicly claimed that people do not cause climate change, minimum wage laws harm workers, financial deregulation creates jobs, unions are bad for workers, the Family and Medical Leave Act undermines families, healthcare bankrupts businesses, and Wall Street bailouts promote free enterprise. These preposterous claims are usually made by late night comedians but, when made by the Chamber, they fit perfectly into its pattern of fraud, deception and disinformation."

StopTheChamber.com urges local chambers of commerce to join corporations in ending their membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in order to express their opposition to its flat earth positions and its belief that free enterprise should consist of deceit, threats, intimidation, and political favors. StopTheChamber.com asks the DOJ to launch a broad based criminal RICO investigation of the Chamber and its CEO, Tom Donahue, based on their decade-long pattern of criminal racketeering. StopTheChamber.com asks Congress to hold hearings, under oath, to look into the unethical, fraudulent and criminal conduct of the Chamber and is top staff. StopTheChamber.com asks whistleblowers and insiders to come forward with evidence and documents proving criminal activity by the Chamber and its top staff.

"It is time to look out for the American people rather than the profits of the very companies that have wrecked our economy and polluted our environment," said Mr. Swanson. "The Chamber and its executives must be held accountable for their unconscionable pattern of unethical conduct."

SOURCE www.StopTheChamber.com