Look up federal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to:

In politics:

• Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies or a federal organised monarchy
• Federal district, a subdivision in a federal state that is under the direct control of a federal government
• Federal government, the common level of government of a federation
• Federal government of the United States
  • United States federal law
  • United States federal courts
  • Union (American Civil War)
• Federal republic, a federation of republics
• Federation (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or regional governments that are partially self-governing; a union of states
• Federalism, a political philosophy
• Federalist Papers, critical early arguments about United States Constitution
• Government of Australia
• Government of Canada
• Union Government (Central Government) of India
• Government of Russia
• Government of South Africa
• Federales (Argentina), a former political party of Argentina

Places:

• Federal, Entre Ríos, a city in Argentina

• Federal architecture, an architectural style related to Georgian architecture
• Federal (album), the debut album by rapper E-40
• Federal (Amtrak), a passenger train providing an overnight Boston-Washington, D.C. service in 2003-2004
• Federal Express (passenger train), a passenger train operated by the New Haven and Pennsylvania railroads
• Federal Bureau of Investigation, the national law enforcement arm of the U.S. government
• Federal Cartridge, American ammunition manufacturer
• Federal Coach, American limousine and bus manufacturer
• Federal Corporation, Taiwanese tyre manufacturer
• Federal Express, or FedEx, a private logistical services/delivery company based in the United States of America
• Federal Records, a subsidiary label of King Records.
• Federal Reserve, central bank of the United States
• Federal Corporation, Taiwan based tire manufacturer
• Federal (film), a 2010 thriller film starring Selton Mello

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Alan Grayson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 8th district
In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Ric Keller
Succeeded by	Daniel Webster
Personal details
Born	Alan Mark Grayson (1958-03-13) March 13, 1958 (age 54) The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic Party
Spouse(s)	Lolita Grayson
Children	5
Residence	Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Alma mater	Harvard University
Profession	Attorney
Religion	Judaism[1][2]
Website	Grayson for Congress

Alan Mark Grayson (born March 13, 1958) is a former U.S. Representative for Florida's 8th congressional district, serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district Grayson represented lies in central Florida and includes portions of Orange Lake, Marion, and Osceola Counties. Most of Orlando is in the district, including Walt Disney World. Grayson was defeated for re-election in 2010 by Republican Daniel Webster.^[3]

Early life and education[link]

Grayson was born in the Bronx, New York City, New York, United States, to a Jewish family, the son of Dorothy Ann (née Sabin) and Daniel Franklin Grayson.^[4][5] He graduated from Bronx High School of Science in 1975 and worked his way through Harvard College as a janitor and nightwatchman, graduating in 1978 in the top two percent of his class, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with an A.B. in economics.^[6][7] After working two years as an economist, he returned to Harvard for graduate studies.^[2] In 1983, he earned a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and a Masters of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Additionally, he completed the course work and passed the general exams for a PhD in government.^[6][8]

Grayson wrote his masters thesis on gerontology and in 1986, he helped found the non-profit Alliance for Aging Research (AAR) in Washington, D.C., and served as an officer of the organization for more than twenty years.^[9]

Law career[link]

Grayson was employed as a law clerk at the Colorado Supreme Court in 1983,^[10] and at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals from 1984 to 1985, where he worked with two judges who later joined the U.S. Supreme Court: Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia.^[2] He was an associate at the Washington D.C. firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson for five years, where he specialized in contract law.

In 1991 he founded the law firm Grayson, Kubli which concentrated on government contract law. He was a lecturer at the George Washington University government contracts program and a frequent speaker on the topic.^[8] In the 2000s, he worked as a plaintiffs' attorney specializing in whistleblower fraud cases aimed at Iraq war contractors. One contractor, Custer Battles, employed individuals who were found guilty of making fraudulent statements and submitting fraudulent invoices on two contracts the company had with the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq.^[11][12] On behalf of his clients, Grayson filed suit under the False Claims Act and its qui tam provisions.^[11] The jury verdict was more than $13 million, which was upheld on appeal in April 2009. The case remains the only successful prosecution of those who profited illegally from the war in Iraq. The Iraq war contractor fraud case brought Grayson his first national attention.^[13] In 2006, a Wall Street Journal reporter described Grayson as "waging a one-man war against contractor fraud in Iraq" and as a "fierce critic of the war in Iraq" whose car displayed bumper stickers such as "Bush lied, people died".^[14]

President of IDT Corp.[link]

Grayson made his fortune as the first president of IDT Corporation (International Discount Telecom), which pioneered competition and discount pricing in the long-distance telecommunications industry and became a $2-billion-a-year Fortune 1000 company.^[9][15]

U.S. House of Representatives[link]

Grayson is considered a progressive Democrat and he represented a district that was historically Republican. He supported Barack Obama in 2008. He was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, of which he was vice-chairman.^[16]

Committee assignments[link]

• Committee on Financial Services
  • Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
• Committee on Science and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight
  • Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics

Legislation head sponsored by Grayson[link]

• Pay for Performance Act (H.R. 1664)
• Public Option Act (H.R. 4789)
• War Is Making You Poor Act (H.R. 5353)
• Shareholder Protection Act (H.R. 4790)
• Paid Vacation Act of 2009 (H.R. 2564)

Political positions[link]

Federal Reserve transparency[link]

During his first term in office, Grayson supported Ron Paul's Audit the Fed legislation.^[17] Grayson gained attention for exchanges with Federal Reserve System Vice Chairman Donald Kohn and Inspector General Elizabeth A. Coleman.^[18] The 5-minute examination of Coleman in the House Financial Services Committee was posted on the Grayson's official YouTube page. As of December 2010, it has been viewed more than 4 million times.^[19]

Following the AIG bonus payments controversy, Grayson joined with fellow freshman Democrat Jim Himes of Connecticut to introduce the Grayson-Himes Pay for Performance Act, legislation to require that all bonuses paid by companies that had received funds under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 be "based on performance".^[20] The bill was co-sponsored by eight other members of the House. On March 26, the bill was approved by the House Financial Services Committee by a vote of 38–22 and on April 1, the bill was passed by the full House of Representatives by a vote of 247–171.^[21]

Grayson was a co-sponsor of the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009, which would provide additional provisions to audit the Federal Reserve, including removing several key exemptions.^[22]

Economic stimulus[link]

Grayson made it a priority to increase the amount of federal money coming back to the 8th Congressional District. He often said that people in the 8th District have been "exporting taxes and importing debt." During his first year in office, the amount of federal grant dollars returning to the district nearly doubled (98 percent increase).^[23][24] Grayson established a grant notification system that notifies subscribers immediately when a federal grant opportunity in their areas of interest becomes available. He also hired a full-time grants coordinator who focused solely on helping people navigate the federal grants process.

Grayson twice broke ranks with Democratic leadership and joined Republicans to oppose the raising of the federal debt limit (Roll no. 46, 2/4/10, Roll no. 988 12/16/09). He said at the time of the February vote, "We need to live within our means. We need to eliminate wasteful spending. If we did those two simple things, we would not need to raise the debt limit."^[25]

Grayson supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and has been outspoken in favor of extending unemployment benefits for Americans who have lost their jobs. Grayson argues that the government has never cut off unemployment insurance when the unemployment rate was higher than eight percent. Grayson also voted for the FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products, which gives the FDA power to regulate tobacco products.

On a September 2009 Alex Jones Show segment, Grayson criticized Federal Reserve Chair Bernanke's senior adviser Linda Robertson, saying "Here I am the only member of Congress who actually worked as an economist, this lobbyist, this K-Street whore, is trying to teach me about economics!"^[26][27] Robertson had previously worked as a lobbyist for Enron.^[28] Grayson's language was widely criticized as inappropriate,^[29] and Grayson apologized.^[28]

Health care reform[link]

In response to Republican arguments that the Obama administration's preferred health care bill was too long and complicated, Grayson on March 9, 2010, introduced H.R. 4789, the Public Option Act (sometimes called the Medicare You Can Buy Into Act), a short four-page bill which would allow all citizens and permanent residents of the United States to buy into the public Medicare program at cost.^[30] The bill attracted 82 co-sponsors and was referred to the Ways and Means Committee.

Grayson later voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act^[31] and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.^[32] He voted in support of Eliminating Adjustments of Medicare Rates of Payment. He also voted against Republican substitutes for the health care amendment and insurance law amendments.^[33]

Civil rights[link]

Grayson voted in support of the Hate Crimes Expansion Act, which expands the definition of hate crimes and strengthens enforcement of hate crime laws. He also voted for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Grayson supported the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that allows victims of wage discrimination to sue for punitive damages.^[33]

Environment[link]

Grayson voted for the House's 2009 American Clean Energy and Security Act (also known as the Cap and Trade Bill). The bill would provide for a $50 million "Hurricane Research Center" in Central Florida, and Grayson claimed it would immediately generate new jobs.^[34] Grayson noted after the passage of the ACES Act his concern about our dependence on foreign oil, the need to promote green technologies and renewable energy sources, and the job creation from the bill (an estimated 95,000 jobs in Florida). "This bill unleashes American ingenuity to solve the energy crisis. It lets us solve our problems by being Americans and thinking our way out of it. We will become an international energy power," he said in a news release.

The BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico affected Florida's number one industry, which is tourism. The lack of a relief well prevented company officials from shutting down the leak immediately. Instead, it took months to drill a new relief well, while millions of gallons of oil gushed into the Gulf each week.^[35] In response, Grayson introduced the Emergency Relief Well Act (H.R. 5666). It requires that an emergency relief well be drilled at the same time as any new exploratory well.

Defense[link]

Grayson has been an outspoken critic of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In May 2010, he introduced the "War Is Making You Poor Act" (H.R. 5353). The bill requires the President to fund the wars from the Department of Defense's FY '11 base budget of $550 billion. It uses the $159 billion in "supplemental funding" to eliminate federal income taxes for everyone's first $35,000 a year. The bill does not necessitate an end to the wars or mandate a cut-off date. In addition to the tax cuts, the bill cuts the federal deficit by $15.9 billion.^[36]

Grayson has tried to combat wasteful spending by government defense contractors by introducing his "Gold Plating Amendment." The amendment requires that cost or price account for half of the evaluation of bids for defense contracts. The law at the time allowed for cost to account for only one percent of the evaluation. The amendment passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647) in June 2009. However, the language was stripped from the final bill during the conference committee between Senate and House leaders. Grayson worked successfully to get the amendment inserted into the IMPROVE Acquisition Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives on April 28, 2010.^[37]

Grayson voted for the 2009–2010 Defense Appropriations, which authorizes $681 billion of appropriations for the Department of Defense.^[38] He also supported the 2009–2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations, which provided $46.18 billion in appropriations for 2009–2010.^[39]

Combating federal waste, fraud, and abuse[link]

Grayson has worked to combat federal waste, fraud, and abuse. In the September 6, 2009 edition of The New York Times, columnist Gretchen Morgenson thanked Grayson for uncovering the fact that, due to the federal bailout of mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae, taxpayer money had been funding the legal defense fees for former top executives at the institution. Grayson requested information about these legal costs after a June 2009 hearing of the House Financial Services Committee. Grayson's work uncovered that, between September 6, 2008 and July 21, 2009, taxpayers spent $6.3 million defending Fannie Mae executives Franklin Raines, J. Timothy Howard, and Leanne Spencer. Taxpayers paid an additional $16.8 million to cover legal expenses of workers at the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, Fannie’s former regulator.^[40]

In September 2009, Grayson used a parliamentary maneuver called an “extension of remarks” to provide crucial instruction on H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009, a bill that, among other things, included a provision that prohibited funding for ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). Grayson’s extension of remarks directed that the legislation defund any organization that cheats the federal government, not just ACORN. The defunding measure passed the House with a final vote of 253–171.^[37] Grayson also encouraged the public to report companies covered by the bill and set up a method to report offending companies via his Congressional web site.^[41]

“Teach the Constitution Week”[link]

On September 14, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Grayson’s “Teach the Constitution Week” resolution (H.Res. 686). The bill urged high schools to spend one week each September teaching the United States Constitution to high school seniors and also encouraged students to petition the government on an issue of personal importance to them to demonstrate their understanding of their rights and responsibilities as citizens of the United States. The non-partisan resolution was passed by a voice vote and featured 222 co-sponsors.^[37][42][43]

New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal Act[link]

On the 40th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Grayson’s New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2009 (H.R. 2245). The bill asked the President to present Congress’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, to Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., and Michael Collins, as well as John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth. Only about 200 medals have ever been awarded in the country’s history. The New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2009 passed the House unanimously on July 20, 2009.^[44][45]

Controversial public remarks[link]

Grayson quickly gained a reputation as an elected official who was "not shy about his opinions."^[46] He was unrestrained in his criticism of right-wing positions, politicians, and pundits, particularly those employed by and/or frequently appearing on Fox News Channel.^[13] His sharp characterizations in public remarks earned him national attention both positive and negative.

Health care[link]

In September 2009, during the debates leading to the passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act by the House in November, Grayson summed up the "Republican health care plan" as "'Don't get sick, and if you do get sick, die quickly.'"^[47] His remarks were widely condemned by Republican politicians but, according to Grayson, were well received by his constituents. Grayson reported that his comments resulted in over 5,000 campaign contributions and that the positive emails he received outnumbered the negative ones by a four-to-one margin;^{[48][49][50][51]} the comments also generated funds from the Democratic National Committee towards his upcoming 2010 campaign race.^[51][52] Grayson raised $347,000 for his reelection campaign during the third quarter, much of it attributed to his remarks.^[53][54]

He defended his comment and in a House Floor speech stated, “I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven't voted sooner to end this holocaust in America." Grayson, who is Jewish, apologized to the Anti-defamation League for those offended by his generic use of "holocaust".^[55][56][57] He also maintained that Congressional Republicans have failed to offer a feasible plan.^[58][59] In October 2009 he launched www.NamesOfTheDead.com, a website to "memorialize Americans who die because they don’t have health insurance." He subsequently read stories of the dead submitted through the Names of the Dead site on the House floor.^[60]

Political campaigns[link]

Grayson is the second Democrat to represent this district since its formation after the 1970 census (it was the 5th District from 1973 to 1993 and has been the 8th District since 1993). The only other Democrat to represent this district, Bill Gunter, gave it up after only one term to run for the United States Senate in 1974.

2006[link]

In 2006, Grayson first entered into electoral politics, losing the 2006 Democratic primary for Florida's 8th Congressional District to Charlie Stuart, a prominent local businessman and center-right Democrat.^[61] Stuart went on to lose the general election to incumbent Republican Ric Keller.^[62] In late 2007, Grayson announced that he would run again for the 8th District seat, and again faced Stuart in the primary. During the primary, his campaign retained the services of Bill Hillsman.

2008[link]

In the August 26, 2008 Democratic primary, Grayson prevailed, receiving 48.5 percent of the vote. Stuart trailed with 27.5 percent, with three other candidates splitting the remaining 24 percent.^[63] During the general election campaign, Grayson maintained a consistent lead over Keller, who had barely eked out renomination in the Republican primary over attorney Todd Long. On Election Day, Grayson received 172,854 votes, or 52 percent, to Keller's 159,490 votes, or 48 percent.^[64] Although Keller won three out of four counties in the district, Grayson won by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent in Orange County, home to Orlando and by far the largest county in the district. Grayson was also helped by a massive voter registration drive by the Democratic Party in the 8th District that gave Democrats a slight edge in registered voters.

2010[link]

Grayson was challenged by Republican nominee Daniel Webster, Florida TEA Party nominee Peg Dunmire, Independent candidate George Metcalfe, and write-in Florida Whig Party candidate Steve Gerritzen.^[65]

Grayson ran a September 2010, commercial calling Webster a "draft-dodger,"^[66] (Webster had received student deferments and a draft classification as medically unfit for service),^[67] and a later 30-second commercial calling Webster "Taliban Dan" and warning viewers that "Religious fanatics try to take away our freedom, in Afghanistan, in Iran and right here in Central Florida."^[68] Grayson's ads were criticized for editing video mid-sentence to make Webster appear to be saying things he did not say.^[69][70] Grayson released a toned-down version without the edited video or Taliban references in early October.^[71][72]

Grayson was targeted by conservatives and conservative groups in commercials and the media, and on the Internet. On Glenn Beck's radio show, Sarah Palin agreed with a co-host's remark, "It’s okay if the Republicans lose every seat in the Senate and the House except for one. As long as that one is Alan Grayson losing."^[73] Conservative Newsweek columnist George Will called Grayson "America's worst politician."^[74] Grayson was also heavily targeted in attack ads funded by groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the 60 Plus Association.^[75] The Chamber of Commerce ads were in turn criticized by Grayson and his supporters as "deeply dishonest".^{[citation needed]}

Grayson was endorsed by 8th District resident, former Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder (D-CO), who characterized Webster as having "13th-century views" on women's issues.^[76] Former DNC Chair and Vermont governor Howard Dean called Grayson a "healthcare hero."^[77] Grayson received more votes for "progressive hero" from Democracy for America than any other candidate in the country.^[78] Moveon.org, in an appeal to its members, termed Grayson "a populist hero who's never afraid to call out the pernicious corporate influence in Washington."^{[citation needed]}

Grayson conceded the race on the evening of November 2 after Webster showed a clear lead.^[79] Election results were: Grayson 38 percent Webster 56 percent^[80]

2012[link]

On the evening of July 11, 2011, Grayson announced in an e-mail to supporters that he planned to run once again for Congress.^[81] Grayson was the only Democrat running in a newly-created Democratic-oriented District (renumbered as the 9th) in Central Florida as of February 2012. The district's voters are 42% Hispanic and could favor a Hispanic Democrat if one sought the party's nomination.^[82] The new District, one of two newly created due to population growth, was designed for the Hispanic population of Central Florida.^[83]

Personal life[link]

Grayson was ranked as the 11th-wealthiest member of Congress in 2010, based on financial disclosure forms with a minimum net worth of $31.41 million, according to Roll Call.^[84] Grayson disclosed that his attorney fees and costs for the war contractor case had exceeded $4 million.^[12][14]

While pursuing the whistleblower cases, Grayson worked from a home office in Orlando, where he lives with his wife and five children.^[13]

Grayson reportedly ran a red light on his way to a fundraiser in downtown Orlando on March 10, 2012, entering cross traffic and striking a Lynx bus. Three passengers on the bus were hospitalized with minor injuries and Grayson's 2009 Mercedes Benz was severely damaged, but he and his passenger were not hurt. Police issued a citation to Grayson, who said he did not know what color the light was when he entered the intersection.^[85][86]

References[link]

External links[link]

Find more about Alan Grayson on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Images and media from Commons
	Quotations from Wikiquote

• Alan Grayson for U.S. Congress official campaign site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Alan Grayson: "Bipartisanship Has Become Code Word for Appeasement" – video report by Democracy Now!

G. Edward Griffin
Born	(1931-11-07) November 7, 1931 (age 80) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Nationality	American
Education	BA in speech and communications, Certified Financial Planner
Occupation	Documentary film producer, writer, lecturer
Known for	Documentaries and books
Website
www.realityzone.com

G. Edward Griffin (born November 7, 1931) is an American film producer, author, and political lecturer.^[1] He is perhaps best known as the author of The Creature from Jekyll Island (1994), a critique of much modern economic theory and practice, specifically the Federal Reserve System.

Starting as a child actor, he became a radio station manager before age 20. He then began a career of producing documentaries and books on often-debated topics like cancer, Noah's ark, and the Federal Reserve System, as well as on libertarian views of the Supreme Court of the United States, terrorism, subversion, and foreign policy. Since the 1970s, Griffin has promoted laetrile as a cancer treatment,^[2] a view considered quackery by the medical community.^[3][4] He has also promoted the Durupınar site as hosting the original Noah's ark, against skeptics as well as near-Ararat Creationists. He has opposed the Federal Reserve since the 1960s, saying it constitutes a banking cartel and an instrument of war and totalitarianism.^[5] In 2002, Griffin founded the individualist network Freedom Force International.

Early life[link]

Griffin was born in Detroit, Michigan, on November 7, 1931, and became a child actor on local radio in 1942. By 1947 he was emceeing at WJR (CBS), and continued as announcer at WUOM and station manager at WWJ-TV (NBC), 1950–1955. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1953, majoring in speech and communications.^[6] Griffin served in the United States Army from 1954 to 1956, reaching the rank of sergeant.^[1]

Political advocacy[link]

By 1964, Griffin had completed his first book, The Fearful Master, on the United Nations, a challenging topic that recurs throughout his writings. When George Wallace ran for President of the United States in the election of 1968, winning five states for the paleoconservative third-party American Independent Party, Griffin served as a writer for Wallace's vice presidential candidate, Curtis LeMay,^[1] a retired General of the Air Force. In the next year, Griffin began producing political films for American Media of Los Angeles^[1] (later moving to Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village, California), of which he is president.^[7] While he describes his work as the output of "a plain vanilla researcher", Griffin also agrees with the Los Angeles Daily News characterizing him as "Crusader Rabbit".^[8]

Griffin has been a member and officer of the John Birch Society for much of his life^[9][10] and a contributing editor to its magazine, The New American.^[11] Since the 1960s, Griffin has spoken and written at length about the Society's theory of history involving "communist and capitalist conspiracies" over banking systems (including the Federal Reserve System), American foreign policy, the Supreme Court of the United States, and the United Nations.^[9][12][13] From 1962 to 1975, he completed nine books and seven film productions; his 1969 video lecture, More Deadly Than War: The Communist Revolution in America, was printed in English and Dutch. In 1974, he published World Without Cancer, and in 1975, he wrote a sympathetic biography of Society founder Robert W. Welch, which was well received by members of the organization.^[14][15] Six of his documentaries from the early period were re-released in 2001 as Hidden Agenda: Real Conspiracies that Affect our Lives Today.

Health advocacy[link]

In 1974, Griffin wrote and published the book World Without Cancer,^[16][17] and released it as a documentary video; its second edition appeared in 1997, and it was translated into Afrikaans, 1988, and German, 2005. In the book and the video, Griffin asserts that cancer is a metabolic disease facilitated by the insufficient dietary consumption of amygdalin, a view which has been rejected by the medical community. He contends that "eliminating cancer through a nondrug therapy has not been accepted because of the hidden economic and power agendas of those who dominate the medical establishment"^[18] and he wrote, "at the very top of the world's economic and political pyramid of power there is a grouping of financial, political, and industrial interests that, by the very nature of their goals, are the natural enemies of the nutritional approaches to health".^[19]

Griffin also advocates the use of Laetrile, a semi-synthetic derivative of amygdalin as a treatment for cancer, often referencing the work of Dean Burk to support the use of Laetrile.^[20] Since the 1970s, the use of Laetrile to treat cancer has been described in the scientific literature as a canonical example of quackery and has never been shown to be effective in the treatment or prevention of cancer.^[3][4][21]

The author of a critical review of World Without Cancer asserts that Griffin "accepts the 'conspiracy' theory ... that policy-makers in the medical, pharmaceutical, research and fund-raising organizations deliberately or unconsciously strive not to prevent or cure cancer in order to perpetuate their functions". The reviewer concludes that although World Without Cancer "is an emotional plea for the unrestricted use of the Laetrile as an anti-tumor agent, the scientific evidence to justify such a policy does not appear within it".^[22]

Griffin's websites refer visitors to doctors, clinics, and hospitals with alternative cancer treatments,^[23] including sellers of Laetrile.^[16][24] He does not sell Laetrile himself.^[16]

Griffin founded The Cancer Cure Foundation "in December of 1976 as a non-profit organization dedicated to research and education in alternative cancer therapies".^[25] The foundation expanded its mission in March, 2002 to include disseminating information about other medical conditions, and it changed its name to The Cure Research Foundation. During the 1980s, Griffin returned to producing films about terrorism, subversion, and Communism.

[edit] The Creature from Jekyll Island

Griffin enrolled in the College for Financial Planning in Denver, Colorado, and became a Certified Financial Planner in 1989.^[26] He described the U.S. money system in his 1993 movie and 1994 book on the Federal Reserve System, The Creature from Jekyll Island.^[1] This popular book^[27][28] has been a business bestseller;^[29][30] it has been reprinted in Japanese, 2005, and German, 2006. The book also influenced Ron Paul during the writing of a chapter on money and the Federal Reserve in Paul's New York Times number-one bestseller, The Revolution: A Manifesto, which recommended Griffin's book on its "Reading List for a Free and Prosperous America".^[31]

The title refers to the November 1910 meeting at Jekyll Island, Georgia, of six bankers and economic policymakers, who represented the financial elite of the Western world.^[32][33] The meeting was recounted by Forbes founder B. C. Forbes in 1916,^[34] and recalled by participant Frank Vanderlip as "the actual conception of what eventually became the Federal Reserve System".^[35] Griffin states that participant Paul Warburg describes the Jekyll Island meeting as "this most interesting conference concerning which Senator Aldrich pledged all participants to secrecy".^[36]

Griffin's work stresses^[37] the point which Federal Reserve chair Marriner Eccles made in Congressional testimony in 1941: "If there were no debts in our money system, there wouldn't be any money."^[32] Griffin advocates against the debt-based fiat money system on several grounds, stating that it devours individual prosperity through inflation and it is used to perpetuate war. He also described a framework of central bankers underwriting both sides of an ongoing war or revolution.^[38] Griffin says that the United Nations, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the World Bank are working to destroy American sovereignty through a system of world military and financial control, and he advocates for United States withdrawal from the United Nations.^[11][39]

Edward Flaherty, an academic economist,^[40] characterized Griffin's description of the secret meeting on Jekyll Island as "conspiratorial", "amateurish", and "suspect".^[41] Griffin's response was that Flaherty had miscategorized the book with other publications and had labeled all criticisms of the Federal Reserve as the results of conspiracy theory.^[42]

Griffin's advocation of a free-market, private-money system superior to the Fed caused Bernard von NotHaus to deploy such a system in 1998. Griffin states that von NotHaus's private silver certificates, known as Liberty Dollars, are "real money".^[43]

The "Mandrake mechanism"[link]

Also known as the money multiplier effect, the Mandrake mechanism is a term coined by Griffin in this book. Mandrake the Magician was a comic strip character from the 1940s. He had the ability to magically create things and, when appropriate, make them disappear.^[44] Griffin's view is similar to many other gold-standard supporters' critique of the fractional-reserve banking system and the Federal Reserve in particular: that it makes money "magically" appear from nothing.

In Griffin's view, the "magical" quality of this mechanism is really just a simple mathematical limit. When banks loan money, they don't actually loan existing money. Rather, they allocate money to loan, but they are limited by how much money they can create. The law basically says that, for each dollar a bank has on hand in one of its savings accounts, it is allowed to create another 90 cents to give out as a loan. (The dollar from the savings account is still there, and can still be spent by the person who owns the savings account.) This loan is then spent, and the recipient puts it into another bank, and that bank can now loan 90 cents times 0.9 = 81 cents. This can be repeated many times (depending on the demand for loans) until it approaches its mathematical limit of 10 dollars.

For example, when the Federal Reserve holds on deposit 1 billion in marketable United States Treasury security then the banks in the banking system, public and private, and bound by U.S. financial law, are able to generate 10 billion in new debt over time.

Noah's ark[link]

Also during this time, Griffin wrote and narrated the 1992 documentary The Discovery of Noah's Ark, based on U.S. Merchant Marine officer David Fasold's 1988 book, The Ark of Noah.^[45] Griffin's film said that the original Noah's ark continued to exist in fossil form at the Durupınar site, about 17 miles (27 km) from Mount Ararat in Turkey, based on photographic, radar, and metal detector evidence. Griffin also narrated that towns in the area had names that resembled terms from the Biblical story of the flood. He presented a viewpoint that the flood might have been the action of massive tides caused by a gravitational interaction between Earth and a large celestial body coming close to it.^[8]

Popular Mechanics stated Fasold had described his research as "radar imagery ... so clear that Fasold could count the floorboards between the walls";^[46] Griffin has continued to promote this view, as did Fasold's co-researcher Ron Wyatt and Wyatt Archeological Research.^[47] Creationists Andrew Snelling and John D. Morris prefer a near-Ararat site; Snelling supports geologist Tom Fenner's view that "a great deal of effort was put into repeating the radar measurements acquired in 1986 by Wyatt and Fasold ... After numerous attempts over a period of one and a half days [Geophysical Survey Systems] were unable to duplicate their radar records in any way."^[48][49] Fasold himself revisited the site evidence with geologists Ian Plimer and Lorence Collins and came to doubt his initial position, saying, "I think we have found what the ancients said was the Ark, but this structure is not Noah's Ark."^[50][51][52]

Libertarian advocacy[link]

In 2002, Griffin founded Freedom Force International, a libertarian activist network,^[7][53] whose members value individual freedom above government power. The organization's position that the exclusive role of government is to protect people's rights and property, not to provide services like welfare, reflects Griffin's view that collectivism and freedom "are mortal enemies." One of the organization's stated goals is to elect people with such views to government offices and onto the boards of nonprofit organizations — true to its motto, "Don't fight city hall when you can be city hall."^[54]

In 2006, Griffin was interviewed for the documentary film America: Freedom to Fascism.^[55] He endorsed Ron Paul for President of the United States in the United States 2008 elections.^[7]

Bibliography[link]

•   (1964). The Fearful Master: A Second Look at the United Nations. Boston, MA: Western Islands Publishers. ISBN 0-88279-102-8. OCLC 414277. 
•   (1968). The Grand Design: A Lecture on U.S. Foreign Policy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Grand Design. OCLC 6207421. 
•   (1968). The Great Prison Break: The Supreme Court Leads the Way. Boston, MA: Western Islands Publishers. OCLC 220369. 
•   (1968). A Memorandum on Supreme Court Decisions: Summaries of Key Decisions of the United States Supreme Court as Related to the Impeachment of the Chief Justice. Belmont, MA. OCLC 432181. 
•   (1969) (transcript). More Deadly Than War: The Communist Revolution in America. American Media. 
•   (1970). This is the John Birch Society: An Invitation to Membership (1st ed., 2d ed. 1972, 3d ed. 1981 Western Islands ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: American Media. OCLC 83825. 
•   (1971) (transcript). The Capitalist Conspiracy: An Inside View of International Banking (1st ed., 2d ed. 1982 Huntington Beach Patriots ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: American Media. OCLC 3263688. 
•   (1974). World Without Cancer: The Story of Vitamin B₁₇ (1st ed., reprinted 1976, 1977, 2d ed. 1997, reprinted 2001, 2006 ed.). American Media. ISBN 0-912986-09-3. 
•   (1975). The Life and Words of Robert Welch, Founder of the John Birch Society. E. Merrill Root (introduction). Thousand Oaks, CA: American Media. ISBN 978-0-912986-07-4. OCLC 1530499. 
• Wilcox Collection of Contemporary Political Movements, ed. (1986) (archival material). Ephemeral Materials, 1976-1986. Westlake Village, CA: Americans for Medical Freedom. OCLC 18761098. 
•   (1994). The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve (1st ed., 2d ed. 1995, 3d ed. 1998 American Media, 4th ed. 2002, now in 6th ed.). Appleton, WI: American Opinion Publishing. ISBN 0-912986-16-6. OCLC 31354943. 
•   (1997). Private Papers Pertaining to Laetrile. Westlake Village, CA: American Media. ISBN 978-0-912986-20-3. OCLC 61633861. 

Filmography[link]

• The Grand Design: A Lecture on U.S. Foreign Policy. 1968. 
• (Lecture recorded on April 3, 1969) More Deadly Than War: The Communist Revolution in America. American Media. 1969. OCLC 5549058. 
• World Without Cancer: The Story of Vitamin B₁₇ (Visual material). American Media. 1974. OCLC 5604983. 
• Bezmenov, Yuri; Griffin, G. Edward (1984). Soviet Subversion of the Free Press: A Conversation with Yuri Bezmenov (Videotape). Westlake Village, CA: American Media. OCLC 45810551. 
• Griffin, G. Edward; Solis, Willy (1985). The Red Reality in Central America (Videotape). Westlake Village, CA: American Media. OCLC 37023488. 
• The Discovery of Noah's Ark: The Whole Story (Videotape). Westlake Village, CA: American Media. 1992. OCLC 29511807. 
• Griffin, G. Edward; Shurtleff, Howard (1994). The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve (Videotape). John Birch Society. OCLC 36245861. 
• (6 volumes) Hidden Agenda: Real Conspiracies that Affect our Lives Today. Venice, CA: Knowledge 20/20. 2001. OCLC 49289908. 
  • Vol. 1 (1972). The Capitalist Conspiracy: An Inside View of International Banking (Documentary). American Media. OCLC 5558340. 
  • Vol. 2 (1983). The Subversion Factor: A History of Treason in Modern America (Part 1: Moles in High Places, Part 2: Open Gates of Troy) (Videotape). Westlake Village, CA: American Media. OCLC 36968013. 
  • Vol. 3 (1968). The Truth About Communism: Only the Brave are Free (Videotape). 
  • Vol. 4 (1966). Anarchy U.S.A.: In the Name of Civil Rights (DVD, Documentary). John Birch Society. 
  • Vol. 5 (1962). Katanga: The Untold Story (Videotape). 
  • Vol. 6. WBTV (1982). No Place to Hide: The Strategy and Tactics of Terrorism (Videotape). Alexandria, VA: Western Goals Foundation. OCLC 10744020.  Also. OCLC 19993388. .
• UFO-TV (distributor) (2004). The Discovery of Noah's Ark: The Whole Story (DVD). Venice, CA: Knowledge 20/20. OCLC 59007573. 
• Griffin, G. Edward (executive producer); Dill, David; Gazecki, William; Harris, Bev; Mercuri, Rebecca; Rubin, Aviel D (2004). Invisible Ballots: A Temptation for Electronic Vote Fraud (Videotape, DVD). Westlake Village, CA: American Media and Reality Zone. ISBN 978-0-912986-43-2. OCLC 65199460.  Also. OCLC 56844390. .
• Jaeger, James; Baehr, Theodore; Griffin, G. Edward; Paul, Ron; Vieira, Edwin (2007). Fiat Empire: Why the Federal Reserve Violates the U.S. Constitution (DVD). Beverly Hills, CA; a James Jaeger Film: Cornerstone-Matrixx Entertainment. OCLC 192133806. 
• Jaeger, James; Baehr, Theodore; Buchanan, Patrick; Griffin, G. Edward; Paul, Ron; Vieira, Edwin. (2007). Original Intent: How Negative Influences are Undermining the U.S. Republic. [DVD]. Beverly Hills, CA: Cornerstone-Matrixx Entertainment; a James Jaeger Film.
• Jaeger, James; Baehr, Theodore; Buchanan, Patrick; Griffin, G. Edward; Paul, Ron; Vieira, Edwin. (2007). Cultural Marxism: The Corruption of America. [DVD]. Beverly Hills, CA: Cornerstone-Matrixx Entertainment; a James Jaeger Film.
• Jaeger, James; Baehr, Theodore; Buchanan, Patrick; Griffin, G. Edward; Paul, Ron; Vieira, Edwin. (2007). Corporate Fascism: The Destruction of America's Middle Class. [DVD]. Beverly Hills, CA: Matrixx Productions; a James Jaeger Film.
• Jaeger, James; Buchanan, Patrick; Griffin, G. Edward; Lillback, Peter; McManus, John; Paul, Ron; Vieira, Edwin. (2007). Spoiler: How a Third Political Party Could Win. [DVD]. Beverly Hills, CA: Matrixx Productions; a James Jaeger Film.
• What in the World Are They Spraying? The Chemtrail/Geo-Engineering Coverup. Produced by G. Edward Griffin, Michael Murphy, and Paul Wittenberger. (2010). DVD.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: G. Edward Griffin

• www.realityzone.com — Reality Zone
• Reality Zone Video
• G. Edward Griffin at the Internet Movie Database
• Freedom Force International