Monday, March 05, 2012

Standard-Examiner: Stewarts Family Starts, Stops, Starts, Stops Website Fundraising Effort Following State Warnings - Updated

Another example of mindless bureaucracy in action.. or is the Utah Department of Utah Division of Consumer Protection joining the Weber County Attorney in "putting in the fix"?

As a followup to last week's WCF story, wherein we reported that supporters of the defendent Matthew Stewart had "temporarily disabled donation functionality" on their Help Matthew Stewart website, Fox 13 News and the Salt Lake Tribune reported this morning that the website was again taking donations for Mr. Stewart's legal defense:
The Standard-Examiner however now reports in a story dated 03/05/2012 - 8:21pm that state officials have now shut down Stewart's fundraising again:
The savvy lumpencitizens who compose the potential Weber County jury pool begin their restless murmurings:
It certainly looks like the powers that be in Utah do not want Stewart to get a fair trial. This case most likely will have to go clear through the whole process to federal appeals before there will be any fairness at all.

There are all kinds of people seeking donations all the time and you don't see the state interjecting themselves into it and demanding they stop. Just today there was a public plea for donations to help pay for funeral expenses for a kid killed in a car wreck in Salt Lake. Do you suppose his parents will also hear from the State to cease and desist or face the power of the state government? - D. Axol
So what about it, O Gentle Ones? Another example of mindless bureaucracy in action.. or is the Utah Department of Utah Division of Consumer Protection joining the Weber County Attorney in "putting in the fix"?

Update 3/8/12 7:58 a.m.: The Standard provides this morning Utah Division of Consumer Affairs Director Traci Gundersen's further clarification of that agency's standards for enforcement of Utah's Charitable Solicitation Act:

2 comments:

Hammer said...

The State shut off donations again... Please check into this. 

rudizink said...

 Thanks for the heads-up.  I've accordingly edited the above article and included a link to the explanatory SE story.

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