People Against Covert Technology and Surveillance (PACTS)
 


FFCHS welcomes Derrick’s new organization, for we’re all working toward the same objectives. Nevertheless, due to Derrick’s persistent attacks on the FFCHS leadership, the FFCHS board feels that it should point out several facts about that organization and its founder.

• Derrick gives the impression that he alone founded FFCHS. He was only among several people who formed what later became FFCHS. The first leader of the group was a woman from NYC. No election ever took place. Derrick simply became the president. He made that a career for the next ten years.
• PACTS is NOT a non-profit, which means that it does not have to prescribe to the rules that govern a non-profit.
• Apparently Derrick once again will function as the treasurer as well as the president. That is what led to the problems that resulted in his being removed as president of FFCHS. In PACTS there will be no way to account for the funds collected. We note that Derrick intends to include means of collecting donations on PACTS’ newsletter and website.
• Derrick and several of his supporters have consistently attacked the FFCHS board of directors via conference calls. The truth is that the board became at odds with Derrick when it insisted on establishing greater transparency in the organization. Derrick resisted every change that the board wished to make toward that end. His continued attacks on the board members are not only unwarranted but also suggest that the board’s action in firing him possessed some validity.
• Derrick’s statement about the accountant, who was a personal friend of his, is misleading. An accountant can only deal with the financial items presented to him; he has no way to verify the income of the organization. Thus, the statements are practically useless in accounting for the funds. Moreover, Derrick was very reluctant to share the accountant’s statements with the board. Only at the strong insistence of the board did he finally circulate a few of the statements to the board.
• Although Derrick’s known income was extremely modest, he has had a savings account for years. How many other targets have savings accounts? Derrick has depended on public donations for many years.
• The board repeatedly urged Derrick to contact Ken Rhoades to attempt to iron out difficulties between him and Ken over Ken’s donation of $3,000 toward a documentary that never happened. Finally, the new treasurer of FFCHS had to deal with Ken to try to smooth over that difficulty. Derrick has no basis for attacking Ken Rhoades.
• Derrick has scurrilously attacked the duly elected treasurer of FFCHS. At first he refused to recognize her as the treasurer. He violated every notion of board confidentiality when he went outside of the board and also outside of FFCHS to enlist the help of Julianne McKinney to force the board to remove her as treasurer. The board rejected outright McKinney’s interference. In the meantime, the new treasurer discovered that the FFCHS bank account was in Derrick’s name with his social security number, that the FFCHS credit card also carried his name and social security number, and that there were several other questionable financial inconsistencies.
• Finally, Derrick sometimes acted in an arbitrary manner without first consulting the board. Apparently in his new organization there will be no checks and balances, thus allowing him to do as he wishes.
• All 7 members of the board unanimously voted to remove Derrick from the FFCHS presidency and from the board because of his intransigence in instituting greater transparency in FFCHS.

Although PACTS is a sole ownership organization, FFCHS hopes that Derrick’s followers will hold him accountable for his actions and for their donations.