NewsWithViews.com Reports

By Jon Christian Ryter

November 17, 2007 - NewsWithViews.com

A dozen FBI agents staged a raid on the Liberty Dollar's Evansville, Indiana office at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Nov. 14 and confiscated all of its property and equipment—including about two tons of commemorative Ron Paul coins. Liberty Dollar, founded by money architect Bernard von NotHaus in 1998, was created as an alternate "private, voluntary barter currency" to the US dollar. Liberty Dollar was headquartered in a strip mall at 225 N. Stockwell Road in Evansville. The future for Liberty Dollar—and its founder—who came under investigation by the US Treasury last fall, appears bleak. Read more.

NH: Liberty Dollar fever spreads after Fed confiscation

Produced by Dave Ridley of TheRidleyReport

Mother Jones Reports

A Ron Paul Supporter Explains the "Liberty Dollar"Ed. Note: Earlier this month, the people behind something called the "Liberty Dollar" saw their offices raided by the FBI. The Liberty Dollar bills itself as a "private voluntary barter currency," which I assumed was code for a libertarian scheme designed to bring about the downfall of the Federal Reserve, in the spirit of the fiercely anti-Fed libertarian demigod Ron Paul. (The Liberty Dollar folks have a coin with Ron Paul on it.) I reached out to a libertarian friend who writes the blog The Agnoptimists to get some hard answers. His thoughts are below. —JS

As a libertarian, I like to argue with opponents of my free market views by focusing on outcomes: simply put, the central question is whether centralized government programs are really more attractive than market outcomes.

Anyone who seeks the best solutions to society's dilemmas should embrace experiments that allow direct comparison between government projects and private enterprise. The U.S. Post Office is constantly improving its service due to competition from companies like FedEx and UPS, for example. Read more.

A comment from a concerned American

This message was received 5 days ago on 11/15:

I have spent the evening listening to the radio about people's concerns about what is going on with the liberty dollar. I have seen the email delivered to liberty dollar associates by Bernard Von Nothaus. This is the outrage of outrages. It is equivalent to the government confiscating all the gold held by people in 1933. How can we be certain that this gold, silver and platinum will be kept safe and that all will be returned when the time comes for the silliness to end? We cannot. These precious metals were stolen, per and simple. Those in charge of this raid AND those who took part in it should all be held accountable. More worrisome, however, is what this is the precursor of? Glen Beck has publicly accused Ron Paul supporters of being home grown terrorists. Will I have to worry about being arrested as a terrorist, thrown in jail, not allowed any phone calls, not allowed to tell my family where I am, not be allowed a trial for years, and maybe even be tortured simply because I have a Ron Paul sticker in the rear window of my car? Will something happen, a false flag attack, an action of war against Iran, the beginning of something bigger, that will cause the elections to be canceled and Marshall Law declared? This action against the people of the United States is ominous. Those in power will not go quietly, even if they are voted out.

Let's all pray for peace and justice.

CBS News Reports

Feds Seize Fake Coins Featuring Ron Paul

Raid Of Fake Currency HQ In Indiana Nets Coins Featuring GOP Presidential Candidate

EVANSVILLE, Ind., Nov. 16, 2007

(AP) Federal agents raided the headquarters of a group that produces illegal currency and puts it in circulation, seizing gold, silver and two tons of copper coins featuring Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul.

Agents also took records, computers and froze the bank accounts at the "Liberty Dollar" headquarters during the Thursday raid, Bernard von NotHaus, founder of the National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act & Internal Revenue Code, said in an interview.

The organization, which is critical of the Federal Reserve, has repeatedly clashed with the federal government, which contends that the gold, silver and copper coins it produces are illegal. NORFED claims its Liberty Dollars are inflation free and can restore stability to financial markets by allowing commerce based on a currency that does not fluctuate in value like the U.S. dollar. Read more.

Ron Paul Comments About The Liberty Dollar Raid During His Visit To Iowa City 11/17

Excerpt:

You also hear about different issues at a Ron Paul event, like this week's "Liberty Dollar" controversy where a company making a private, silver and gold backed currency was shut down by the federal government. "We ought to adhere to the Constitution and get rid of the Federal Reserve System," Paul said to applause. "The constitution is rather clear, the Founders knew something about inflation." (Paul also mentions the Founding Fathers more than any candidate since Pat Buchanan.) "It says only gold and silver can be legal tender. Today, instead of protecting the value of our money, this very week we have our government arresting people who want to use gold and silver money."

Read more.

Quick! Hide Your Ron Paul Dollars

Hat Tip to RepublicAmerica

Secret Service and FBI agents raided the makers of Ron Paul silver dollars, Liberty Dollar of Evansville, Ind., early Thursday in a move likely aimed at stamping out an illegal currency.

The company started selling precious-metal coins stamped with an image of Paul earlier this year, with the first one made of silver available in July. Part of the marketing for the coins involved a promise that part of the sale price would be donated to the Paul campaign.

But if the raid results in the conviction of anyone involved, it is possible that the Paul campaign may have to return a cash donation made by Liberty Dollar.

The silver coins, which weigh one troy ounce, were sold for $25 each, with $5 being promised to help fund Paul's presidential bid. The gimmick fit in well with Paul's campaign promise to bring back the gold standard of monetary policy in which precious metals would back paper dollars.

So far, Liberty Dollar has donated $2,300 to the Paul campaign, a fact confirmed by both Paul's office and Bernard von NotHaus, who runs Liberty Dollar.

As a result of the raid, prices for the silver coins have skyrocketed, with Ron Paul silver dollars, which were available from Liberty Dollar at $25 on Wednesday, selling for $220 on eBay.

Read more here.

Feds Versus Cash Cranks in a grab-the-computers donnybrook

Feds steal

read more | digg story

Liberty Dollar Seller Looking Forward To Big Ebay Payday

A Ron Paul Gold Dollar being auctioned on Ebay has so far been bid up to $1800 and may fetch as much as $3000 by the time the auction closes on Wednesday evening.

by Walt Thiessen - (Libertarian)

John Dean of Austin, TX is a Liberty Dollar owner who is preparing to reap the rewards of having invested in hard money. As of Nov. 15th, no more Silver Liberties will be produced by Liberty Services, formerly known as NORFED, Inc., who were raided by the US Government. All their dies, metals, money, computers and records were confiscated by the FBI with a total combined value in the tens of millions of dollars. Dean realized that his latest, paid order for some copper Ron Paul coins was also confiscated and would likely have to be written off as a total loss. Said Dean:

"I had a very large order for the Ron Paul copper dollars, and I already have a large quantity of silver and gold coins, and even one platinum, so I wanted the whole set. Besides thinking that I'm not going to ever see those copper Liberties again, I wanted to take advantage of the obvious hyper-inflated value or [my coins]. So I was willing to try my luck on the market by auctioning those."

Read more.

The New York Sun Reports

Spectacular Trial' Is Seen in Case of Liberty Dollar

By JOSEPH GOLDSTEIN
Staff Reporter of the Sun
November 19, 2007

The monetary gadfly behind the Liberty Dollar, Bernard von NotHaus, declared over the weekend that he expects to be criminally charged over his currency and is vowing "a spectacular trial" that will "put this country's monetary system on trial."

Mr. von NotHaus was interviewed by The New York Sun via telephone on Saturday following disclosures that the Liberty Dollar, a gold- and silver-based currency marketed by anti-government activists as an alternative to the greenback, drew the federal government's scrutiny because the coins resembled official currency produced by the U.S. Mint.

After a two-year undercover investigation of the currency, federal agents last week raided the Idaho mint where the Liberty Dollar was produced and the Indiana offices that served as its marketing headquarters. Tens of thousands of gold, silver, and copper coins were seized, including a special edition bearing the image of a Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, a supporter of the gold standard. It is the standard edition of the Liberty Dollar, which features a profile of a crowned Lady Liberty as well as the lettering USA and "Trust In God," which federal authorities say is illegal. Read more.

More From The Washington Post

News of a federal raid last week on a "sound money" outfit that is selling "Ron Paul Dollars," reported in Saturday's Post, is generating no end of quips in the blogosphere about what this development says about the Paul campaign's eye-popping recent fundraising success. Wags ask: How much of that record $4.2 million one-day haul that Paul collected earlier this month actually came in the form of dubloons imprinted with Paul's face, not U.S. legal tender?

But these jokes may be missing the point entirely. In fact, the lack of confidence that many Paul supporters have in U.S. currency may well be one reason why they are sending so many of their greenbacks to Paul's campaign, and thereby making his outsider libertarian bid for the Republican presidential nomination a force to be reckoned with. For sound-money supporters who fear a coming collapse in the value of the dollar, it makes eminent sense to send a few hundred dollars to the one candidate who is arguing for a monetary revolution, instead of simply watching that money rapidly crumble in value.

Read more.

“They raided right after the Ron Paul shipment got in. I thought that was amazing,” von NotHaus said.

2 tons of Ron Paul coins, 500 pounds of silver seized by feds, claimed to be ‘illegal’

Currency made by anti-Federal Reserve Group
By Ryan Lenz | AP | Date: 11/19/2007

EVANSVILLE – Federal agents seized two tons of copper coins featuring Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul and 500 pounds of silver during a raid on the headquarters of a group seeking to dissolve the Federal Reserve.

Agents also took records, computers and froze the bank accounts at the “Liberty Dollar” headquarters during the Thursday raid, said Bernard von NotHaus, founder of the National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act & Internal Revenue Code.

--------snip---------

“They’re running scared right now and they had to do something,” von NotHaus told The Associated Press on Friday. “I’m volunteering to meet the agents and get arrested so we can thrash this out in court.”

--------snip----------

“They raided right after the Ron Paul shipment got in. I thought that was amazing,” von NotHaus said. “It isn’t endorsed by Ron Paul, even though Ron Paul is a friend of mine. It came as a total surprise.”

Read more here.

USA Today Reports

Federal agents have reportedly seized illegal "Liberty Dollars" and other currency, including two tons of copper coins bearing the likeness of GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul.

The raid took place yesterday in Evansville, Ind., at the headquarters of the National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act & Internal Revenue Code, a group that the government accuses of producing and distributing illegal currency.

A spokesman for Paul says the GOP lawmaker has nothing to do with the group or its currency.

"We have no connection with that," Jesse Benton tells AP. "He was using Ron as a marketing technique. We didn't have anything to do with that or sanction it or give permission in any way."

Bernard von NotHaus is identified by the Evansville Courier Press as "the group’s monetary architect." NotHaus says he expects to be indicted on charges of money laundering and wire fraud.

“I see this as a golden opportunity to go into court and vindicate the Liberty Dollar as being legal and being the solution to our great country’s monetary problems,” von NotHaus said. “This is going to be a big trial. We’re going to be putting Evansville on the map. Because money is going to be on trial right there in Evansville.”

Read more here.

Commentary From FreeRepublic.com

Posted on 11/15/2007 7:50:21 AM PST by Attention Surplus Disorder

Frontal Assault on Freedom: FBI Raids Liberty Dollar Posted by BJT on Nov 15, 2007 Read this email closely. I just got it this morning. Those of you who consider the gold standard a quaint anachronism, pay extra close attention. If Ron Paul supporters, gold standard advocates and the Liberty Dollar were nothing but harmless kooks, why would the FBI raid their offices when no crime was ever committed? This is a currency competing with the USD, yes, but they never, but never make the claim that it is legal tender or anything other than what it is: private currency. And private currencies are numerous in the USA.

No. This raid happened because the Liberty Dollar, the second most popular currency in the country, threatens to usurp the entrenched power of the Fed’s Almighty Dollar. People can see the buying power of the greenback eroding, and they will choose something else if it is available, and the Liberty Dollar is ready and waiting. And that’s why the government must resort to force in order to protect its stranglehold on the economy. Read more.

Liberty Dollar Raids

I hope these raids against the Liberty Dollar people give us a sense of realism about we’re up against. These coins have been around for years and no enforcement action was taken against them until a certain candidate started rising in the polls, proving all their prior smears had failed or backfired.

read more | digg story

Associated Press Reports

Feds Raid 'Liberty Dollar' HQ in Ind.

By RYAN LENZ – 21 hours ago

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Federal agents raided the headquarters of a group that produces illegal currency and puts it in circulation, seizing gold, silver and two tons of copper coins featuring Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul.

Agents also took records, computers and froze the bank accounts at the "Liberty Dollar" headquarters during the Thursday raid, Bernard von NotHaus, founder of the National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act & Internal Revenue Code, said in an interview.

The organization, which is critical of the Federal Reserve, has repeatedly clashed with the federal government, which contends that the gold, silver and copper coins it produces are illegal. NORFED claims its Liberty Dollars are inflation free and can restore stability to financial markets by allowing commerce based on a currency that does not fluctuate in value like the U.S. dollar. Read more.

Washington Post Coverage

As if Ron Paul's supporters needed any more motivation to storm the battlements and wreak havoc on the Republican presidential primary, now comes this: the feds are trying to take away their money.

Federal agents on Wednesday raided the Evansville, Indiana headquarters of the National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve and Internal Revenue Codes (NORFED), an organization of "sound money" advocates that for the past decade has been selling what it calls Liberty Dollars, a private currency it says is backed by silver and gold stored in Idaho, with a total of more than $20 million in circulation, according to the group.
Read more here.

TV News Covers FBI Looting of Liberty Dollar.

Local Evansville IN NBC News Coverage



Local Evansville IN NBC News Coverage

Hat Tip to openyourmindseye

Discussing The Liberty Dollar Raid Today On RBN

If you were an RCO ie. a Regional Currency Office for the Liberty Dollar - or have any firsthand knowledge of what happened in the raid Wednesday morning at the Liberty Dollar's corporate office in Evansville Indiana please call into the show and share your information. The show will air from 10-11 am eastern and the call in number is 800-313-9443. Click here to listen "live".

FBI Raids Liberty Dollar – Confiscates All Ron Paul Dollars

At about 8:00 am on November 14th a dozen FBI and Secret Service agents raided the Liberty Dollar office in Evansville. For 6 hours they took all the gold, silver, platinum and almost TWO TONS of Ron Paul Dollars. They took all the files, all the computers and froze the bank accounts. They want to destroy the ALD because it competes with the dreaded Fed.

read more | digg story

FBI Raids Liberty Dollar – Confiscates All Ron Paul Dollars

Dear Liberty Dollar Supporters:

I sincerely regret to inform you that about 8:00 this morning a dozen FBI and Secret Service agents raided the Liberty Dollar office in Evansville.

For approximately six hours they took all the gold, all the silver, all the platinum and almost two tons of Ron Paul Dollars that where just delivered last Friday. They also took all the files, all the computers and froze our bank accounts.

We have no money. We have no products. We have no records to even know what was ordered or what you are owed. We have nothing but the will to push forward and overcome this massive assault on our liberty and our right to have real money as defined by the US Constitution. We should not to be defrauded by the fake government money.

But to make matters worse, all the gold and silver that backs up the paper certificates and digital currency held in the vault at Sunshine Mint has also been confiscated. Even the dies for mint the Gold and Silver Libertys have been taken.

This in spite of the fact that Edmond C. Moy, the Director of the Mint, acknowledged in a letter to a US Senator that the paper certificates did not violate Section 486 and were not illegal. But the FBI and Services took all the paper currency too.

Read more here.

Editor's Note: Here's an example of the perfection of Divine Providence as follows:

I (9) Am (14) Ron (965) Paul (7133) = 8121

Yesterday, November 14, 2007 - the day of the raid - was 8121 "I Am Ron Paul" days from 19850820, Ron Paul's 50th birthday.