Debbie Schlussel: Attention, ICE Investigators: Hollywood's ICE Movie Director/Writer Threatens to Sue Schlussel Over Immigration Fraud (Where There's Smoke . . .); Plus, Weinstein Brothers Threaten Schlussel Over Muslim Honor Killing Scene
**** UPDATE, 06/05/08: More on how "Crossing Over" a/k/a "ICE, The Movie," Lies About U.S. immigration policy and defames ICE Agents ****
Why are so many big players in Hollywood afraid of me and my website? Why do the filmmakers for "ICE, The Movie" want to shut me up?
Where there's smoke, there's fire. And I think there's something to the questions I raised, last week, about Hollywood Director/Writer, Wayne Kramer's immigration and whether or not he obtained citizenship fraudulently.
Why else did I get threatening letters from two different lawyers representing both Kramer and the Weinstein Brothers, nearly a week after my piece exposing the Muslim honor killing scene they deleted from their anti-ICE agent movie, "Crossing Over" (which also questioned how Wayne Kramer became a citizen)?
I think it's also interesting that they're upset that I posted the Muslim honor-killing scene they removed from their movie, under pressure from Muslims. I won't remove it from my site. They cite the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which does not affect my rights to fair use. Under the Fair Use Doctrine, long held and established by federal courts, I can quote and/or excerpt a portion of a copyrighted, written work for the purpose of commentary and/or criticism. A court might look at the economic value that has been decreased by my posting of the work, but in this case, the scene was removed from the movie, so it's hard to make a case that I decreased the value of the work.
Clearly, these Hollywood First Amendment clowns don't believe in the First Amendment when it comes to their critics.
I'm not worried about either of these threats, and I won't be silenced by them. But if I were an entrepreneurial ICE supervisor in Los Angeles, I'd ask my agents to immediately start looking at Kramer's immigration file. I think I hit a nerve.
Whoever replaces Julie L. Myers a/k/a "The ICE Princess" is going to have a heck of a press conference if, in fact, he gets to announce:
Today, ICE in cooperation with the Justice Department announces federal immigration fraud charges against Wayne Kramer, writer and director of "Crossing Over," starring Harrison Ford, Sean Penn, Ray Liotta, and Ashley Judd.
I think that would be fitting, given that Kramer's movie questions the "difficulties" of the immigration process in America (which is actually rife with gaping holes) and ICE agents who do their job--and took out the only accurate scene in the movie, the Muslim honor-killing scene. So, without further ado, here are the e-mails I received from Hollywood lawyers yesterday, coupled with my responses:
From: Leah Antonio-Ketcham leah@laklaw.comDate: Aug 14, 2007 3:10 PM
Subject: Wayne Kramer
To : writedebbie@gmail.com
Cc : "Kline, Laine" Laine.Kline@weinsteinco.com, Eric Roth eric.roth@weinsteinco.com
Dear Ms. Schlussel,
I represent Wayne Kramer, the writer and director of the film currently entitled "Crossing Over" (the "Picture"). A copy of your August 9, 2007 blog newsletter entitled "EXCLUSIVE: The Muslim Honor Killing Hollywood Doesn't Want You to See (Anti-Semitic Scenes Remain): Did ICE Movie Writer/director Lie to Get U.S. Citizenship?" (the "Article") has been forwarded to me for attention.
I have reviewed the Article and have found that it contains several defamatory remarks concerning my client. For example, you have suggested that Mr. Kramer fraudulently obtained his immigration status and therefore fraudulently achieved his American citizenship. You couldn't be more misinformed. The character in CROSSING OVER is purely fictional and it is outrageous that you make such accusations based on the Picture's script.
Your remarks about Mr. Kramer are baseless and without merit. You are directed to immediately cease and desist from any further defamatory actions or remarks concerning my client. In the event you fail to do so, Mr. Kramer intends to vigorously pursue all of the rights and remedies he has against you or any other third party. Nothing herein shall be deemed a waiver of any of Mr. Kramer's rights and remedies at law or in equity, all of which are hereby expressly reserved.
Yours truly,
Leah Antonio-Ketcham, Esq.
Law Office of Leah Antonio-Ketcham, Esq.
520 Broadway
Suite 350
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-496-4333
Leah@laklaw.com
My Response:
From: Debbie Schlussel writedebbie@gmail.comDate: Aug 14, 2007 3:45 PM
Subject: Re: Wayne Kramer
To: Leah Antonio-Ketcham leah@laklaw.com
Dear Leah:
I suggest you and your client take reading comprehension lessons. I asked whether he defrauded immigration. I did not state that he did.
Since many characters in this film, including the one that is a Jewish South African (just like your client), defraud immigration--and since he said he went through all the experiences of the characters in his film, I suggest you tell your client to be more careful with what he tells the public, these days. Apparently, I need to remind you of this quote from YOUR client, Mr. Kramer:
"I've lived every step of the way in the screenplay."
Then your client speaks of people trying to get citizenship here: "the people caught up in it and forced to do fraudulent things."
If he lived every step of the screenplay, it's a fair conclusion that he did fraudulent things. So, did he, in fact, defraud immigration?
As Shakespeare might say, Thy client doth protest too much through a lawyer. Sounds to me like your client is actually worried that the many ICE agents who read my site might actually investigate your client and discover something. Will they? A Hollywood director who defrauded immigration--assuming your client did not lie when he said he lived every step of the screenplay--would be a big get and the subject of a big press conference for whomever replaces ICE chieftess Julie Myers.
Please provide me with a detailed account of under what circumstances your client arrived in America and how he went about getting any visas, green cards, identifications, and, ultimately, American citizenship. Did he work in America at any Hebrew or Jewish schools? Was there an Israeli woman who was a principal at a Jewish school, who deliberately looked the other way and knowingly allowed him to defraud immigration? If that is not the case, then clearly, your client lied to the press in the interview about his movie. And he's lying and defrauding the international movie-going public about what goes on in Jewish schools in America, that they don't, in fact, deliberately defraud ICE and CIS, as you and I and Mr. Kramer all know.
Please also provide me with a list of all rabbis he knows, including any who were in any way involved in your client's immigration and citizenship quest. If there is no rabbi like the one in the film, then, again, your client lied to the press and lied about the Jewish people for the purpose of making a fraudulent movie.
Ms. Antonio-Ketcham, it is either one way or another. Either his movie is a lie--defaming ICE and CIS agents and adjudicators, Jews, Israelis, and Rabbis, in order to sympathize with Muslim extremist illegal aliens--or your client is a liar about his immigration experience. You cannot have it both ways.
Please also provide me with your client's complete immigration file and the names of all immigration adjudicators (probably under the now-defunct INS). I will look forward to reviewing it. And I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Debbie Schlussel
When they were unable to faze me with that, they sent me this:
From: Kline, Laine Laine.Kline@weinsteinco.comDate: Aug 14, 2007 5:20 PM
Subject:
To: writedebbie@gmail.com
Dear Ms. Schlussel
My name is Laine Kline, and I am the Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs for The Weinstein Company and am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyrighted works currently posted on your website.
Pursuant to the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, I am writing to you to request you immediately disable access to the following link, which includes pages from the script for our film "Crossing Over", which has not been authorized by us to be used on your or any other website at this time:
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2007/08/exclusive_the_m.html
I hereby confirm that I have a good faith belief that use of these materials is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agents, or the law. The information in this notice is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that I am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.
I trust that this matter will be addressed promptly and with the utmost care. Would you please let me know when these have been removed from your site?
This letter is sent without prejudice to The Weinstein Company's rights or remedies in connection with this matter, all of which are expressly reserved.
Very Truly Yours,
Laine R. Kline
Senior Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs
The Weinstein Company
5700 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 600
Los Angeles, California 90036
tel: +1 (323) 207-3098
facsimile: +1 (323) 954-7028
Email: laine.kline@weinsteinco.com
My Response:
From: Debbie Schlussel writedebbie@gmail.comDate: Aug 14, 2007 9:09 PM
Subject: Re:
To: "Kline, Laine" Laine.Kline@weinsteinco.com
Dear Laine:
The amount used on my site is a tiny percentage well within the fair use restrictions, as you well know. I look forward to your response. Say hi to the Weinstein Brothers for me. FYI, you are the second lawyer to threaten me with regard to "Crossing Over." Why are you guys trying so hard to silence me?
Regards,
Debbie
I expect this will be the end of The Weinstein Company and Wayne Kramer trying to harass me into silence. But if it isn't, and they do sue me, it will be very, very interesting.
And not for them. Everyone will want to know what's in Wayne Kramer's immigration file and why the Weinsteins are trying so hard to squelch a Muslim honor-killing scene.
Like I said, I think I hit a nerve.
Posted by tomscerbo on August 15, 2007 12:58 PM to Debbie Schlussel