Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jon Scoles heard arguments in federal court this afternoon on the possible release of Sholom M. Rubashkin, the former chief executive of Agriprocessors in Postville. A written ruling is expected tomorrow.
Rubashkin, 49, has been in the Dubuque County Jail and under the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Office since his arrest last Friday on multimillion-dollar bank fraud. It was his second arrest, the first coming at the end of October on illegal-immigration-related charges.
Rubashkin was represented in today’s detention hearing by New York attorney Baruch Weiss, who was granted permission by the court earlier today to practice in the Iowa federal courtroom. Weiss will only represent Rubashkin in relation to the detention hearing. His counsel in the case will be F. Montgomery Brown of West Des Moines.
Although prosecuting attorney Peter Deegan argued that Rubashkin is a flight risk and that he has shown a propensity to tamper with case evidence, Weiss said that the man’s significant ties to the Postville community would keep him in the northeastern Iowa town. In response to the tampering accusation, Weiss said that his client could be limited only to his home, or relocation.
Rubashkin is accused in this case of redirecting funds that were intended for deposit in an account set up to repay a bank loan. The monies, received from Agriprocessors customers, were placed in accounts to fund the Jewish school and kosher grocery in Postville at least temporarily. Although the funds were later deposited into the correct account, the redirecting allowed the meatpacker’s accounts receivable to appear inflated, and draws on the bank’s line of credit were tied to the accounts receivable total.
In addition to the bank fraud charges, Rubashkin also faces federal charges for conspiring to hire undocumented workers.
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