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.
Federal authorities have upped the ante for Agriprocessors and four former members of plant management. Not only will the parties face the penalties originally outlined in a Nov. 21 indictment, but they may have to forfeit a host of items that have been defined as proceeds of criminal activity.
The modified indictment, which was filed today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, specifies that the Agriprocessors, Inc. corporate name, trademarks and corporate stock are subject to forfeiture. The trademarks would include such well-known brands as Iowa Best Beef, Shor Habor, Aaron’s Best and Rubashkin.
Sholom M. Rubashkin, son of company founder A. Aaron Rubashkin and a former chief executive at the Postville plant, remains in federal custody pending trial in this case and others. He is charged with various immigration and bank fraud-related charges.
Brent Beebe, Hosam Amara, and Zeev Levi, all former members of plant management, also face immigration-related charges. Amara and Levi fled the jurisdiction after a May 12 immigration raid at the plant and are currently been sought by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Human resources employee Karina Pilar Freund signed a plea agreement yesterday while admitting to one misdemeanor count of aiding and abetting a pattern or practice of hiring undocumented aliens. The charges she previously faced as a part of the November indictment have been dropped.
Federal authorities allege in the complaint that the company name, trademark and stocks were proceeds of the believed offenses of harboring undocumented aliens for profit and conspiracy to harbor undocumented aliens for profit. In addition, the modified complaint also seeks the forfeiture of all property used to facilitate the alleged offenses.
Agriprocessors has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It is unclear how this move by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa will affect the bankruptcy or the claims of numerous creditors. In addition, the plant in Postville, which briefly ceased production following Sholom Rubashkin’s arrest and detention, has resumed limited poultry production as bankruptcy trustee Joseph Sarachek negotiates with potential buyers. It is not publicly known if Sarachek’s negotiations have involved the facilities, corporate name and trademarks the government is seeking.
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