Rubashkin Attorney Accuses Catholic Church Of Suborning Perjury To Smear Rubashkin

“As much as it pains me to say it, this Catholic church was a longterm adversary of Agriprocessors,” said Rubashkin attorney F. Montgomery Brown.

Sholom Rubashkin trial: Notes from opening statements
BLOG POST BY JENS KROGSTAD • Des Moines Register

1:15 p.m., Waterloo, Ia. — About two rows in the courtroom are filled with supporters of Sholom Rubashkin, largely male students from Postville.

Sholom Rubashkin, left, talks with Defense Attorney F. Montgomery Brown during a break following open statements of the child labor changers trial at the Black Hawk County Courthouse on May, 10, 2010, in Waterloo, Iowa. (Rick Tibbott / pool photo)

In the morning, they shared the bench with some members of the Catholic church in town, which has been highly critical of Agriprocessors since the raid.

One of the ministers looked at his colleague in surprise when the defense attorney accused the church of not only coaching, but essentially blackmailing, the Hispanic families caught up in the May 2008 raid on the plant.

“As much as it pains me to say it, this Catholic church was a longterm adversary of Agriprocessors,” said attorney F. Montgomery Brown.

He said a mantra within the church’s walls was: To continue to receive support from the church after the raid, immigrants had to say they were mistreated by the company.