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Trudeau Civil Case Documents 769 Thru 771 10-15-13 Receivers Motions Re Coercive Sanctions and Trudeau Opposition
Trudeau Civil Case Documents 769 Thru 771 10-15-13 Receivers Motions Re Coercive Sanctions and Trudeau Opposition
Trudeau Civil Case Documents 769 Thru 771 10-15-13 Receivers Motions Re Coercive Sanctions and Trudeau Opposition
RECEIVERS MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE A REPLY IN SUPPORT OF THE IMPOSITION OF COERCIVE SANCTIONS Robb Evans & Associates, LLC (the Receiver), in its capacity as court-appointed receiver over the assets of Kevin Trudeau and the Trudeau Entities, respectfully move for leave to file the Receivers Reply in Support of the Imposition of Coercive Sanctions, which is attached to this Motion. In further support of its Motion, the Receiver states as follows: 1. On September 26, 2013, the Court entered an order granting in part the FTCs
Motion to Modify the August 7, 2013 Order to Terminate Trudeaus Personal Expense Allowance. [Dkt. #760.] In that order the Court found that Trudeau violated its previous orders by failing to disclose assets and income to the Receiver and indicated that the Court would address the consequences of such violations at the next hearing, which is now set for October 16, 2013 at 1:30 pm. 2. On September 30, the FTC filed a statement urging the Court to impose coercive
sanctions. On October 4, the Receiver likewise filed a statement supporting the imposition of coercive sanctions. That same day, the Court granted Defendant leave to respond to the FTCs and Receivers respective statements by no later than October 11, 2013. 3. On October 11, Defendant filed his response.
the hearing on October 16. 5. The Receiver now also seeks leave to file a reply and has noticed this Motion for
the October 16 hearing. Given the seriousness of relief urged by the FTC and Receiver, the Receiver believes that a brief reply in advance of the hearing to address a number of issues raised in the Defendants response will benefit the Court and all parties by affording them a fuller opportunity to review and consider the Receivers reasoning. WHEREFORE, the Receiver respectfully requests the Court grant it leave to file the attached Receivers Reply in Support of the Imposition of Coercive Sanctions, and grant such other relief as the Court deems just and proper. Dated: October 15, 2013 Respectfully submitted, ROBB EVANS & ASSOCIATES LLC, RECEIVER By: /s/ Blair Zanzig (One of Its Attorneys) Blair R. Zanzig (No. 6273293) John F. Hiltz (No. 6289744) Kathy Wantuch (No. 6294034) HILTZ WANTUCH & ZANZIG LLC 53 West Jackson Blvd., Suite 205 Chicago, Illinois 60604 Telephone: 312.566.9008 Fax: 312.566.9015 Counsel for Robb Evans & Associates, Receiver
Kimball Richard Anderson kanderson@winston.com Thomas Lee Kirsch, II tkirsch@winston.com Katherine E. Rohlf kcroswell@winston.com Michael Mora mmora@ftc.gov Jonathan Cohen Jcohen2@ftc.gov Amanda B. Kostner akostner@ftc.gov David OToole dotoole@ftc.gov
RECEIVERS REPLY IN SUPPORT OF THE IMPOSITION OF COERCIVE SANCTIONS In his opposition, Kevin Trudeau ignores the fact that he has already been afforded a fair trial and concomitant opportunity to prove that he is unable pay the $37 million judgment against him. Trudeau ignores the fact that the Court has already held a sufficient legal and factual basis exists to incarcerate him for contempt, finding that the overwhelming evidence at trial demonstrated that Trudeau had the current ability to pay a substantial portion of the $37 million judgment and that he had engaged in an elaborate scheme to put his assets out of reach of the FTC through his de facto control of a myriad of companies and their finances. Rather than coming clean, as the Court urged in its July 26, 2013 ruling, Trudeau has instead used the now more than two-month old receivership as a new opportunity to recycle arguments that he was unable to prove to the Court during his trial, i.e. that he lacks any substantial assets and lacks any control over, or material financial information about, the network of overseas companies and persons that constituted his asset protection scheme. In the course of its July 26 ruling, the Court expressed its concern that incarcerating Trudeau might limit his ability to pull the necessary strings to maximize recovery to consumers. (Ex. A (7/26/2013 Tr.) at 31:3-6.) Unfortunately, Trudeau has done nothing during the receivership that would demonstrate an
Ex. A refers to the transcript of the July 26, 2013 hearing in this matter, which is attached as Exhibit A of the Receivers Statement Supporting the Imposition of Coercive Sanctions [Dkt. #764]. 2
The Receiver previously adopted and joined Sections II-IV of the FTCs Statement Regarding the Need for Coercive Sanctions [Dkt. # 759]. The Receiver now also adopts and joins the FTCs Reply in Support of Coercive Incarceration [Dkt. #767-1]. 4
Respectfully submitted, ROBB EVANS & ASSOCIATES LLC, RECEIVER By: /s/ Blair Zanzig (One of Its Attorneys) Blair R. Zanzig (No. 6273293) John F. Hiltz (No. 6289744) Kathy Wantuch (No. 6294034) HILTZ WANTUCH & ZANZIG LLC 53 West Jackson Blvd., Suite 205 Chicago, Illinois 60604 Telephone: 312.566.9008 Fax: 312.566.9015 Counsel for Robb Evans & Associates, Receiver
NOTICE OF MOTION PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that, on Wednesday, October 16, 2013, at 1:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as counsel may be heard, the undersigned shall appear before the Honorable Robert W. Gettleman, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, or such other judge as may be sitting in his place in Courtroom 1703, 219 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60604, and shall present the attached Receivers Motion for Leave to File Receivers Reply in Support of the Imposition of Coercive Sanctions, a copy of which is hereby served upon you. Dated: October 15, 2013 Respectfully submitted, ROBB EVANS & ASSOCIATES LLC, RECEIVER By: /s/ Blair Zanzig (One of Its Attorneys) Blair R. Zanzig (No. 6273293) John F. Hiltz (No. 6289744) Kathy Wantuch (No. 6294034) HILTZ WANTUCH & ZANZIG LLC 53 West Jackson Blvd., Suite 205 Chicago, Illinois 60604 Telephone: 312.566.9008 Fax: 312.566.9015 Counsel for Robb Evans & Associates, Receiver
Kimball Richard Anderson kanderson@winston.com Thomas Lee Kirsch, II tkirsch@winston.com Katherine E. Rohlf kcroswell@winston.com Michael Mora mmora@ftc.gov Jonathan Cohen Jcohen2@ftc.gov Amanda B. Kostner akostner@ftc.gov David OToole dotoole@ftc.gov
DEFENDANT KEVIN TRUDEAUS OPPOSITION TO THE FTCS AND THE RECEIVERS MOTIONS TO FILE REPLY BRIEFS I. INTRODUCTION Defendant Kevin Trudeau respectfully opposes the FTCs and the Receivers motions to file reply briefs (Docket Nos. 767 & 769), as there is currently no motion pending under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (and therefore no reply is warranted). In addition, the FTCs and the Receivers proposed reply briefs contain new matter that should be stricken as a matter of law. In the alternative, Trudeau moves for leave to file a response to the FTCs and the Receivers reply briefs within seven days of the filing of this opposition (to be due on October 22, 2013). II. ARGUMENT A. The FTC Filed A Statement, Not A Motion, And Is Not Entitled To A Reply.
On September 30, 2013, the FTC filed an unsolicited statement not a motion explaining why it believes coercive incarceration of Trudeau is warranted. (Docket No. 759.) The Receiver filed a similar statement (again, not a motion) on October 4, 2013. (Docket No. 764.) The Court allowed Trudeau the opportunity to file a response to these statements, but provided no prospect for the FTC or the Receiver to then file any additional papers. (Docket Nos. 763 & 765.) Then, just two days before the October 16, 2013 hearing in this matter, the 1
Even if the FTC and the Receiver were entitled to file reply briefs (they are not), their proposed reply briefs are impermissible under settled law that new material is not permitted in reply briefs as explained further below. 1. New Matter Is Not Permitted In A Reply Brief.
It is settled in this Circuit that new matter is not permitted in a reply brief unless the opposing party has an opportunity to respond. Black v. TIC Invest. Corp., 900 F.2d 112, 116 (7th Cir. 1990) (a court should not consider new evidence in reply unless the opposing party has an opportunity to respond). A reply brief is for replying not for raising essentially new matter that could have been advanced in the opening brief. Autotech Tech. Ltd. Pship v.
Automationdirect.com, Inc., 235 F.R.D. 435, 437 (N.D. Ill. 2006) (citing Hussein v. Oshkosh Motor Truck Co., 816 F.2d 348, 360 (7th Cir. 1987) (Posner, J., concurring)); see also Third Wave Techs., Inc. v. Stratagene Corp., 405 F. Supp. 2d 991, 1002 (W.D. Wis. 2005) (A party cannot bring up new matter in a reply brief to which its opponent has no opportunity to respond.). Similarly, arguments that first appear in a reply brief are deemed waived. Hart v. Transit Mgmt. of Racine, Inc., 426 F.3d 863, 867 (7th Cir. 2005); Pampered Chef v. Alexanian, 804 F. Supp. 2d 765, 788 n.17 (N.D. Ill. 2011) (In order to prevent the sandbagging that results from 2
In its proposed reply, the FTC has discussed and attached over 20 new exhibits that were not attached or discussed in its initial statement regarding coercive incarceration. (See Docket No. 767-2.) Beyond the sheer number of new exhibits, the FTCs discusses new material at length in its proposed reply brief. By way of a non-limiting example, the FTC provides
extensive argument regarding alleged offshore activity of GIN FDN and WSS. (Docket No. 7671 at 4-5.) But this argument did not appear in the FTCs initial statement, nor did the exhibits used in support. (Id. (citing new exhibits PXA:4, PXA:5, PXA:6, PXA:8, PXA:9, PXA:10).) The FTC also presents additional arguments regarding N.T. Trading S.A. and NBT Trading Ltd. which, again, appeared nowhere in the FTCs previous statement. (Docket No. 767-1 at 5 (citing new exhibit PTX:15).) The FTC next presents new argument and exhibits regarding the supposed gold bars and coins that the FTC believes Trudeau is hiding, most of which do not appear in the FTCs initial statement. (Id. at 5-6 (citing new exhibits PXA:16, PXA:18, PXA:20).) Finally, the FTC makes arguments regarding supposed asset transfers, citing to several new exhibits in support. (Docket No. 767-1 at 7 (citing PXA:4, PXA:10, PXA:11, PXA:23, PXA:24, PXA:25, PXA:26).) The Receivers brief incorporates some of the FTCs new evidence and arguments, including PXA:25 regarding the Kiev apartment. (Docket No. 769-1 at 4.)
As noted above, the FTC filed and discussed more than 20 new exhibits with its proposed reply brief, and the Receiver has referred to at least one of those exhibits in its reply brief. As a result of this new matter, Trudeau maintains that these briefs should be stricken in their entirety. However, if the Court is inclined to allow the reply briefs to stand, in fairness Trudeau must be permitted to file a response to these briefs to address the new material to which he has not yet had an opportunity to respond. Black v. TIC Invest. Corp., 900 F.2d 112, 116 (7th Cir. 1990) (a court should not consider new evidence in reply unless the opposing party has an opportunity to respond). III. CONCLUSION The FTC and the Receiver should not be permitted to file successive statements in this matter. No reply briefs are warranted. Moreover, the FTCs and Receivers proposed reply briefs address new matter and exhibits to which Trudeau has not had the opportunity to respond. These briefs should be stricken or Trudeau should be given additional time to respond.
Kimball R. Anderson (kanderson@winston.com) Thomas L. Kirsch II (tkirsch@winston.com) Katherine E. Rohlf (krohlf@winston.com) WINSTON & STRAWN LLP 35 West Wacker Drive Chicago, Illinois 60601 312-558-5600