Statement from Hip-Hop Summit Action Network regarding the Lobbying Commission Fine

NEW YORK (www.hsan.org) - STATEMENT: On August 19, 2004, the office of the Hip Hop Summit Action Network received an official letter from the New York State Lobbying Commission addressed to Dr. Benjamin Chavis and the Coalition for Fairness. The lobbying commission letter seeks to impose upwards of a $10,000 fine without giving HSAN nor the Coalition For Fairness a due process hearing or any finding as to why such a fine should be imposed. This is another example of the infringement of our first amendment right. We find the timing of this letter to be such that its sole purpose would have to be to intimidate and silence Russell Simmons, Dr. Benjamin Chavis, the Hip Hop Summit Action Network and the Coalition For Fairness on their strongly held beliefs about the unfairness of the Rockefeller Drug laws.
We will continue to raise our voices about the injustice of the Rockefeller Drug Laws irrespective of these unconstitutional and repressive tactics by David Grandeau and the New York State Lobbying Commission.