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Video: Film About Abuse Of Undocumented Workers At Agriprocessors

"The U-Turn," a film about the abuse of undocumented workers at the Postville, Iowa Agriprocessors kosher slaughterhouse (owned by the Rubashkin family) and the masive immigration raid that took place on May 12, 2008 that victimized them all over again, is in the process of being made by noted Guatemalan-American filmmaker Luis Argueta. Here is an excerpt…

Nathan Lewin Deceives Again

Sholom Rubashkin's appellate attorney tried to make Sholom Rubashkin's case tonight. But the only way Lewin could do it was to avoid the truth at all costs.

Fight Over Agriprocessors Unpaid Taxes Shows Successor To Be Deceptive

Haredi businessman Hershy Friedman bought Agriprocessors' assets “free and clear” of liability in 2009. The county sued in 2010, claiming that Friedman's company owed approximately $500,000 in taxes for the 2007-2008 tax year that were not paid by Agriprocessors. Friedman's company pointed to the “free and clear” ruling and said it owed nothing. But in January 2012, the same judge who allowed Friedman's company to buy Agriprocessors "free and clear" of all liabilities found that Friedman's company knew about the unpaid tax bill then but hid its existence from the court. Therefore, the judge ruled, Friedman's company was “not a good faith purchaser” and the county still was owed the money.

YU Lawyer Shills For Sholom Rubashkin

A professor at Yeshiva University's Benjamin Cardozo School of Law writes an op-ed urging the United States Supreme Court to take the case of convicted felon and former kosher meat king Sholom Rubashkin. But like the other attorneys for Rubashkin that came before him, Harlan Protass doesn't seem to be able to tell the whole truth.

Alan Dershowitz Lies For Sholom Rubashkin – Again

Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz publishes an article in support of convicted felon Sholom Rubashkin that lies about a sitting federal judge. Then, weeks afterward, he repeats the same lie. After a plagiarism scandal that showed that Dershowitz was lifting his research from others and which almost got him fired, will Dershowitz's lie about a sitting US District Court judge cause Harvard to finally reach the tipping point and fire the man who is arguably its most ethically challenged faculty member? Or will Harvard continue to show that its ethics code isn't applicable to the famous (and litigious)?

Alan Dershowitz Lies For Sholom Rubashkin

Harvard law professor and noted criminal defense attorney Alan Dershowitz – known for defending Nazis, O.J. Simpson, and other high profile defendants (often with lots of cash to spend) – publishes a lie about a sitting federal judge as part of his effort to get convicted felon Sholom Rubashkin a hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Agriprocessors Fugitive Appeals Extradition To High Court

Hosam Amara, an Israel-born Arab who served as a senior manager at Agriprocessors kosher slaughterhouse in Postville, Iowa, fled to Israel with the help of Agriprocessors VP Sholom Rubashkin in 2008. Amara has now appealed his extradition to Iowa to Israel's High Court.

Former Agriprocessors Manager Appeals Extradition Order

Hosam Amara fled to Israel with the help of Sholom Rubashkin shortly after the May 12, 2008 immigration raid on Agriprocessors that resulted in 389 arrests of undocumented workers. He was indicted on harboring aliens for profit, aggravated identity theft charges, and related conspiracy and abetting charges along with being implicated in other crimes. In December of last year, an Israeli court ordered his extradition to the US. But Amara is still free in Israel, appealing his extradition order to Israel's highest court.

Federal Judge Nominee Questioned About Agriprocessors Raid

Stephanie Rose said Wednesday she was the deputy chief of the criminal division with the U.S. Attorney’s Office at the time of the raid. She said that title may be misleading because she was overseeing the “guns and drugs” cases. Her role in Postville was limited and she wasn’t in charge of the operation. She spent two weeks in Waterloo when the prosecutions took place. She acted as a liaison between the court, defense attorneys, probation, the clerk’s office and others. Most of her time was spent on the phone coordinating, she said.

Notorious Agriprocessors Manager To Be Extradited To US

The extradition to the US of Hosam Amara, a former senior manager at Agriprocessors kosher slaughterhouse in Postville, Iowa, known as the Rubaskins' "enforcer," has been approved by the Jerusalem District Court.

Large Chabad Charity Honors Rubashkin Family Members

Family patriarch Aaron Rubashkin – whose kosher slaughterhouse employed more illegal alien workers than legal ones, and which was the site of horrific animal abuses and humane slaughter violations along with of abuses of those undocumented workers, many of them children – is seated at the head table at Colel Chabad's massive annual fundraising dinner next to the head of Chabad worldwide Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky. Grandson Getzel Rubashkin is honored by reciting the chapter of psalms that corresponds to the age Chabad's rebbe would be if he were living. Getzel's father Sholom Rubashkin is currently serving a 27-year-sentence for financial fraud related to that slaughterhouse, Agriprocessors.

5 Former Agriprocessors Workers Get Visas To Work, Live In US

Life is about to change dramatically again for five Guatemalan men detained in the May 2008 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid on the Agriprocessors Inc. kosher slaughterhouse and meat-packing plant in Postville.

Years After Immigration Raid, Postville Feels Poorer And Less Stable

When the plant was raided one spring morning in May 2008, most of the workers on shift were Guatemalan and Mexican, and undocumented. Many workers later said they had been physically or sexually abused at the plant, and at least 57 minors were illegally employed there, some as young as 13.

RUBASHKIN APPEAL DENIED

A federal appeals court has denied a former Postville meatpacking executive’s request for a new trial, saying he failed to show the judge in the case was unfairly biased in favor of the prosecution.

Postville Officials May Have Hated The Actions Of The Town's Black Sheep Jewish Landloard – Not Jews, Postville Author Says

"Maybe these local officials want the people who came to town to leave. It's not because they are Jewish. It may be because of the things they did," Stephen Bloom, a journalism professor and the author of a book on Postville said. "Postville was a pastoral, bucolic, beautiful town. ... Now Postville, by and large, is a very different kind of town."

Magen Tzedek: The Sham(e) Behind The Shield

Yated Ne'eman 'exposé' reads like a North Korean government report on worker satisfaction.

Video: Rubashkin PR 'Documentary' Trailer

The men who made the Unity music fundraising video for Sholom Rubashkin are in the process of making a 'documentary' on Rubashkin's case. Here's the trailer:

And You Think Rubashkin Got Shafted?

This is what could have happened to Sholom Rubashkin. And it makes 27 years in prison look almost benign.

New Questions About Judge's Impartiality In Rubashkin Case

The court schedule of a federal judge who faces allegations of bias in the financial fraud trial of Sholom Rubashkin has raised fresh questions about judicial impartiality.

"Unprecedented" Campaign Launched For Sholom Rubashkin

The "Sholom Across America" fundraising campaign will start in the Chabad stronhold of Crown Heights, with the intention to visit 16 major Jewish communities across the United States and Canada.

Audio: Voices Of The Raid

The PBS show The Story has three perspectives of the Agriprocessors raid, three years later: a worker, a community activist, and  an attorney for undocumented workers.

Agriprocessors 3 Years After

Today (right about now, actually) marks the third anniversary of the massive immigration raid at Agriprocessors in Postville, Iowa. Agriprocessors was the largest kosher slaughterhouse in the world. At the time of the raid, it had a workforce that was largely (75% according the government estimates) made up of undocumented workers from Guatemala and Mexico. 389 undocumented workers were arrested. Hundreds more fled in terror.

Conservative Ethics Hechsher "A Falsification Of True Judaism," Agudath Israel Says

The goal of Magen Tzedek is to redefine kashrut. Its exclusive purview is food.  In its own literature, it calls itself the “gold standard of kashrut,” prominently claims to offer “kashrut for the 21st century,” and states its objective: to “improve our consciousness, understanding and practice of kashrut by extending the definition beyond ritual to reflect ethical, environmental and social concerns.”

Sholom Rubashkin's Reply To The Government's Motion Against His Appeal Contains A Small Surprise

Rubashkin's brief was filed with the court on Monday, April 18, and made public during the first two days of Passover – and it contains a small surprise.

Chabad School To Honor Leah Rubashkin

Cheder Chabad of Monsey is honoring Leah Rubashkin, the wife of convicted felon Rabbi Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, as the "essential aishes chayil," woman of valor.

Pictures: The Palatial Home Of A Former Agriprocessors Manager

Hosam Amara is accused of extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from undocumented Agriprocessors workers, and of raping and sexually abusing some of them. Amara fled indictment by escaping to Israel, allegedly with the help of Sholom Rubashkin. Amara was arrested on March 31 and is now facing extradition to the US. For the first time, here are pictures of Amara's home in Kfar Kana, Israel.

Former Agriprocessors Manager Arrested In Israel

A former Agriprocessors manager was arrested in Israel March 31 following a U.S. request for extradition from Israel issued in 2009 in connection with federal charges pending in U.S. District Court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Wednesday.

From Prison, Sholom Rubashkin Launches Contest For "All Jewish Children Across The World"

"…Even here in prison, we encounter many nisyonos, or difficulties. There are those who laugh and mock our holy Torah and mitzvos, and we need all our strength and courage not to become influenced by them. Thus, I would like to introduce the 'Rubashkin Purim Contest.' I beg all Jewish children across the world to write down, in about 200 words, how you learned from the story of Purim to be strong against the tide, against those who mock our faith.…"

Did You Miss The Sholom Rubashkin Profile On CNBC?

American Greed: The Slaughterhouse is being rebroadcast. Here are the dates and times, including times for later tonight.

Sholom Rubashkin and Agriprocessors

If you're looking for a summary of the various scandals surrounding Sholom Rubashkin, his family and Agriprocessors, and links to all posts related to them, here they are.

Tonight: Sholom Rubashkin On CNBC's American Greed

CNBC's American Greed profiles Rabbi Sholom Rubashkin, the former VP of Agriprocessors.

Chabad School Adopts Sholom Rubashkin As A Pen Pal

"At Darchai Menachem, we are extra proud of our students when they take the initiative to suggest new projects or activities. We were therefore super excited when Simcha T. asked his English teacher Rabbi Welton if they could write letters in class to Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin."

Was Rubashkin's Sentence Excessive?

When Sholom Rubashkin was sentenced to 27 years in prison for financial fraud, it was two years more than prosecutors had sought. It was also an unusually tough sentence compared to those of high-profile, white-collar criminals, such as Enron's Jeffrey Skilling and Tyco's Dennis Kozlowski.

Video Preview: Rubashkin On CNBC

Here's a video preview of Wednesday night's episode of CNBC's American Greed profiling Rabbi Sholom Rubashkin and Agriprocessors.

Growing Number Of Undocumented Workers Report Employers Steal Their Wages

Complaints about unpaid wages among Latinos in central Iowa have sharply increased in the past four months, immigrant advocates say, mirroring the abuses done to Latino workers by Agriprocessors and the Rubashkin family.

Government's Response To Rubashkin Appeal

The evidence against Sholom Rubashkin.

Battle For Agriprocessors' Assets Continues As Trustee Tries To Recover Questionable And Illegal Payments Made To Charities And Kosher Supervisors

The Agriprocessors bankruptcy case could drag on for another two years because missing business records required a massive effort to search for fraudulent payments and equalize payments among creditors. Kosher supervisor United Mehadrin Kosher of St. Paul, Minnesota, led by Chabad Rabbi Asher Zeilingold, was asked to repay $2.8 million. Various charities have also been told they need to repay money "donated" by Agriprocessors at the direction of the Rubashkin family. "There are some very worthy priority claims [to Agriprocessors money],” the trustee said, including workers who were owed money, and claimis for doctor bills for employees and their families that weren’t paid.

Postville Documentary Plays To Hushed Hometown Crowd

You know going in that a 90-minute documentary film about the 2008 Agriprocessors immigration raid and its aftermath will not end happily for most of its imprisoned and deported main characters. But “Abused: The Postville Raid,” holds out hope of an eventual happy ending if enough people appreciate filmmaker Luis Argueta’s vision of immigrants “not as the other but as ourselves.”

US Attorney Talks About Rubashkin

“The goal of this case was to prevent future crimes like this, as well as to punish Rubashkin,” Rose said. “This case was important for those that are taking advantage of and employing illegal immigrants but all of that got lost with this other stuff. We are hoping the appeal process will correct some of that.”

Guatemalan Families Reunite In Postville

26 family members from Guatemala were reunited with 8 former Agriprocessors workers whom they had not seen in years. Many of the travelers were children whose mothers left Guatemala several years ago to earn money in Postville to send back to their hungry families. Some were parents or siblings of former underage teen workers.

Former Agriprocessors Supervisor Among Top 10 Most Wanted By US Department Of Homeland Security

Zev Levi is wanted on immigration and identity theft-related charges.

Postville Chabad Landlord Files Discrimination Suits Against City

Gabay G. Menahem alleges in federal and state-court lawsuits that city officials subjected his business to discrimination, retaliation and interference. City officials also allegedly made "negative comments designed to direct business away" from Menahem and his company, GAL Investments Ltd.

Agriprocessors Wins 2010 Turnaround Management Association Turnaround Of The Year Award

Shortly after Agriprocessors became operational, Triax discovered Sholom Rubashkin's bank fraud. As a result of those fraud and immigration violations, Agriprocessors and Rubashkin were criminally indicted. The ensuing chaos prompted First Bank to require that the company be quickly sold or liquidated.

Prosecutors: Rubashkin Judge Did Not Know Agriprocessors Was Raid Target

The judge who presided over Sholom Rubashkin’s fraud trial did nothing improper when she met with federal agents prior to the massive 2008 immigration raid at Agriprocessors, Inc., prosecutors say.

Government Files Response To Rubashkin Motion For New Trial

 Details:

Rubashkin Case: Justice Denied Or Truth Obscured?

It's one thing to pretend your client is innocent or was unjustly sentenced. It is quite another to lie in support of those claims as Rubashkin's attorneys repeatedly do.

Audio: A New Beginning For A Glatt Kosher Meatpacker

In 2008, federal agents walked into a kosher meatpacking plant in Iowa and walked out with almost 400 people. At the time it was the biggest immigration raid in U.S. history. For the tiny town of Postville and its main employer, it was devastating. Now, the plant is trying to get back on its feet.

Audio: Former Deputy US Attorney Avi Moskowitz Speaks About The Rubashkin Motion For A New Trial

Moscowitz is a former deputy Assistant US Attorney for the Southern District on New York and is currently a noted defense attorney,

Audio: Rubashkin Attorney Nathan Lewin Says Judge Lied, Equates Her To Biblical Arch Enemy Of Jews

Before a large gathering of haredi Jewish community leaders broadcast tonight, Rubashkin Attorney Nathan Lewin again misrepresents sections of the FOIA documents he released Thursday, as he accuses the prosecutors and Chief Judge Linda Reade of misconduct.

Tonight: Rubashkin Lawyer Nathan Lewin Reaches Out To The Yiddish Speaking Market

Lewin to appear on Kol Mevaser tonight speaking about the Rubashkin appeal and his motion to have Judge Reade recused due to 'conflict of interest.'