GWP described itself as "a not-for profit world healing organization... [with] a healing technology... along with telepathic abilities... designed to restore and regenerate a person's energetic structure when used one time in a person's life." John Miller claimed to receive telepathic impressions from the spirit world. Miller claimed that he used these impressions to create "healing instruments". These instruments were made available to the public in exchange for set donation prices, ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.[1]
Legal issuesedit
Litigation initiated by GWPedit
International anti-cult educator Ian Mander[2] published a collection of information about GWP on the internet, as did two former followers, Judy Garvey and Jim Bergin, who wrote about their personal experiences with GWP during seventeen years as followers and board members.[3] In response, in May 2004, GWP leaders filed a lawsuit in Maine U.S. District Court, consisting of federal racketeering (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) and Lanham claims, plus state claims, including defamation.
In January 2006, Garvey and Bergin won their Motion for Summary Judgment in January 2006, resulting in dismissal of GWP's federal claims on the merits, and dismissal of the remaining state claims without prejudice for lack of jurisdiction, by Senior District Judge Gene Carter.
In January 2006, after the dismissal of the federal litigation, GWP leaders refiled their lawsuit in Maine State Court (York County, Alfred, Maine). They brought the remaining state claims against Garvey, Bergin, and Mander.
Charges filed by Maine Attorney General against GWPedit
The Attorney General of Maine filed charges against GWP and its officers and directors, citing false claims and fraud. The complaint charged that the defendants falsely claimed that the instruments can improve mental, emotional, and physical well-being. The officers and directors were further charged for improperly disbursing hundreds of thousands of dollars to themselves.
The Attorney General asked the court to end sales of the "healing instruments", dissolve the corporation, ban the parties from serving as officers and directors of nonprofit corporations, order the return of all funds, and provide for restitution.[4]
GWP dissolvededit
On August 14, 2006, the case was resolved by a consent decree in which the defendants "agreed to pay civil penalties and costs and to an injunction that prohibits them from making certain health and research claims about the "healing instruments" or from serving as fiduciaries or advisors for any other Maine nonprofit. The parties have also agreed that GWP will be dissolved, and its remaining assets distributed by the Attorney General as restitution to consumers who purchased a "healing instrument" since 2003 and to a Maine charity whose charitable mission is to provide services to those with mental health disabilities, according to a press release from the Attorney General's office. Garvey and Bergin described the proceedings on their website.[5]
Family Systems Research Groupedit
The Millers have formed the Family Systems Research Group to continue much of what the Gentle Wind Project had been doing. The new organization is apparently in New Hampshire and sells its products, rather than seeking "donations".[6]
^Randi, James. 5 October 2007. "A Call for More Teeth in the Law". Accessed 19 November 2009.
Sourcesedit
Motion for Summary Judgment against GWP's Federal claims, provided pro bono by Berkman Center at Harvard Law School
January 01, 1970
gentle, wind, project, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, . This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Gentle Wind Project news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2010 Learn how and when to remove this message This article relies excessively on references to primary sources Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources Find sources Gentle Wind Project news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2010 Learn how and when to remove this message Learn how and when to remove this message Gentle Wind Project GWP was a new age group based in New England Founded circa 1980 by John Tubby Miller and Claudia Panuthos now Mary Moe Miller in Arlington Massachusetts GWP members moved to Kittery Maine in 1984 The organization was dissolved as part of a consent decree following a fraud lawsuit brought against the group Contents 1 Activities 2 Legal issues 2 1 Litigation initiated by GWP 2 2 Charges filed by Maine Attorney General against GWP 3 GWP dissolved 4 Family Systems Research Group 5 References 5 1 SourcesActivities editGWP described itself as a not for profit world healing organization with a healing technology along with telepathic abilities designed to restore and regenerate a person s energetic structure when used one time in a person s life John Miller claimed to receive telepathic impressions from the spirit world Miller claimed that he used these impressions to create healing instruments These instruments were made available to the public in exchange for set donation prices ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars 1 Legal issues editLitigation initiated by GWP edit International anti cult educator Ian Mander 2 published a collection of information about GWP on the internet as did two former followers Judy Garvey and Jim Bergin who wrote about their personal experiences with GWP during seventeen years as followers and board members 3 In response in May 2004 GWP leaders filed a lawsuit in Maine U S District Court consisting of federal racketeering Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and Lanham claims plus state claims including defamation In January 2006 Garvey and Bergin won their Motion for Summary Judgment in January 2006 resulting in dismissal of GWP s federal claims on the merits and dismissal of the remaining state claims without prejudice for lack of jurisdiction by Senior District Judge Gene Carter In January 2006 after the dismissal of the federal litigation GWP leaders refiled their lawsuit in Maine State Court York County Alfred Maine They brought the remaining state claims against Garvey Bergin and Mander Charges filed by Maine Attorney General against GWP edit The Attorney General of Maine filed charges against GWP and its officers and directors citing false claims and fraud The complaint charged that the defendants falsely claimed that the instruments can improve mental emotional and physical well being The officers and directors were further charged for improperly disbursing hundreds of thousands of dollars to themselves The Attorney General asked the court to end sales of the healing instruments dissolve the corporation ban the parties from serving as officers and directors of nonprofit corporations order the return of all funds and provide for restitution 4 GWP dissolved editOn August 14 2006 the case was resolved by a consent decree in which the defendants agreed to pay civil penalties and costs and to an injunction that prohibits them from making certain health and research claims about the healing instruments or from serving as fiduciaries or advisors for any other Maine nonprofit The parties have also agreed that GWP will be dissolved and its remaining assets distributed by the Attorney General as restitution to consumers who purchased a healing instrument since 2003 and to a Maine charity whose charitable mission is to provide services to those with mental health disabilities according to a press release from the Attorney General s office Garvey and Bergin described the proceedings on their website 5 Family Systems Research Group editThe Millers have formed the Family Systems Research Group to continue much of what the Gentle Wind Project had been doing The new organization is apparently in New Hampshire and sells its products rather than seeking donations 6 References edit Ronson Jon 2006 The Men Who Stare at Goats Simon amp Schuster pp 34 35 ISBN 978 0 7432 7060 1 Gentle Wind Project Closeup at the New Zealand Cult List Wind of Changes published by Judy Garvey and Jim Bergin former followers of GWP National Council Against Health Fraud Consumer Health Digest 06 32 August 08 2007 Settlement by Wind of Changes Randi James 5 October 2007 A Call for More Teeth in the Law Accessed 19 November 2009 Sources edit Motion for Summary Judgment against GWP s Federal claims provided pro bono by Berkman Center at Harvard Law School A summary of GWP s lawsuits Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gentle Wind Project amp oldid 1215860048, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
