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-------- Original Message --------
| From: |
G. Arthur Joy |
| To: |
AUReporter |
| Subject: |
Amazing Facts to acquire 3ABN??? |
| Date: |
Thu, 19 Apr 2007 06:45:08 +0000 |
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Just one week following Linda Shelton's firing of Atty. Brian
Drew and retaining new and very aggressive Counsel to represent
her interests relating to the division of marital assets, Danny
Lee Shelton boarded the Cessna Citation III twin jet and headed
west, arriving at McClellan Airfield in Central Sacramento, California
at noontime, in time to join Doug Batchelor and the officers
and directors of Amazing Facts for lunch. The North American
Division Spanish Coordinator who serves as Chairman of the Board
of Amazing Facts, is reportedly directing final negotiations
in Sacramento, California.
Following the meeting, staffers, past and present, from Amazing
Facts began to leak quietly that 3ABN had been taken over by
Amazing Facts. The terms and conditions have not been disclosed
and everyone is waiting with baited breathe for the 3ABN Live
for Thursday, April 19, 2007. It is anticipated that there will
be a major announcement at that time, perhaps confirming the
takeover by Amazing Facts of the reportedly severely wounded
media giant.
The co-founders of 3ABN, Danny Lee Shelton, President, and
Linda Sue Shelton, Vice President and Secretary, worked together
for nearly twenty years, the entire time of their marriage together,
to build 3ABN from a dream into a worldwide televangelism supporting
ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Many have argued
that it was, in fact, the media face of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church for many years. Suddenly, in 2004, Danny Lee Shelton allegedly
led a three month campaign, privately and publicly, to eliminate
Linda Sue Shelton from her role as Vice President and as Director
of Production at 3ABN. She was fired in May of 2004, the record
seems to reveal as many as three different times in one of the
worst bunglings in SDA employment history. In June of the same
year, just two weeks after the third firing, Danny Lee Shelton
filed divorce papers in Guam to end the marriage to the Vice
President he clearly wanted to get rid of. His public relationship
with Brandy began shortly after the divorce when Brandy took
up residence on the campus as early as July 2004 and became
permanently employed in October 2004.
Rumors from various sources claim that 3ABN has been running
an operating deficit of nearly $3.0 Million during the first
quarter of 2007. This large hole developed following disclosure
of certain unacceptable practices, certain staffing concerns
and the alleged mismanagement of 3ABN under Danny Lee Shelton's
administration following the elimination of Linda Shelton in
May of 2004. Some claim the downward spiral began in earnest
with the remarriage of Danny Lee Shelton to his third wife, 20
years younger, in March of 2006. Since most Seventh-day Adventists
believe there has never been a biblical basis for the Danny Lee
Shelton divorce from Linda Shelton in June of 2004, the remarriage
to Brandy is viewed by most contributors as adultery under the
biblical standard. Contributions are rumored to have substantially
declined since December of 2006 as disclosures by both sides
became public debate on forums and e-mail campaigns.
Linda Shelton also recently demanded that 3ABN produce and
make available for authentication the evidence that was purportedly
the basis for her being cast aside in 2004 and which led to Danny
Lee Shelton divorcing her and remarrying Brandy. Linda has repeatedly
denied any wrongdoing, however, officers and directors of 3ABN
have utilized the bully pulpit of 3ABN to regularly assert that
Linda had conducted an inappropriate telephone relationship with
a Doctor in Norway that was treating her son from a prior marriage,
Nathan Moore. They have further variously claimed that she had
committed what was variously defined as a spiritual adultery
against Danny Lee Shelton. This reporter reviewed and tested
many of the allegations leveled by Danny Lee Shelton in a myriad
of e-mails and came to the conclusion after a review of various
statements that the alleged evidence is unlikely to constitute
any provable case against Linda Shelton. This reporter actively
participated in an effort to get an ASI panel to hear the case
and review the evidence. When the panel failed, a website was
constructed to make the real evidence available for contributors
referred to as the stockholders in the pews to look for themselves
and self-determine where they felt the evidence really pointed.
Much of this is documented at www.Save3ABN.com.
Danny and the Chairman of the Board have repeatedly warned
of pending litigation against those responsible for having exposed
various issues relating to violations of SDA Standards as well
as alleged financial Exigency issues, including non-disclosure
of certain conflicts within the records of 3ABN and some of its
officers. Danny and the Chairman are reported to have flown to
Minnesota on March 15, 2007 and there was an assumption that
litigation would be forthcoming shortly after that visit since
this reporter and AToday received warning letters from counsel
in Minnesota, closely aligned over the years with Garwin McNeilus,
a Danny supporter and the alleged contractor with a detective
agency that spent time spying on Linda Sue Shelton in 2004. Danny
is alleged to have claimed that Mr. McNeilus is even paying for
Danny's attorney.
While rumors of negotiations and that Doug Batchelor was actively
wanting a media platform to expand the Amazing Facts, Inc. ministry
have been active for the entire six months of our investigative
reporting, the sudden breakthrough and conclusion was clearly
unanticipated by anyone this reporter spoke to at this time.
The sudden conclusion to negotiations came just days after
Linda Shelton hired new counsel with clear instructions that
he was to conduct vigorous litigation and discovery to determine
just where the assets from the marriage were and what belonged
to whom. Several recent allegations have arisen regarding a host
of financial non-disclosures by respondent, Danny Lee Shelton,
suggesting that he had actively undertaken steps to hide or deliberately
misstate income, assets and royalties arising from 3ABN business
activities, including sales of books, records, cd's and dvd's
and other assets. It is alleged that in several cases Danny Lee
Shelton would author or co-author books, a publisher would produce
several hundred thousand at a time and these would actually be
sold to 3ABN and inventoried, purportedly netting instant royalties
to Danny Lee Shelton. An inspection of the 990's filed with the
Internal Revenue Service appears to have failed to disclose
any such arrangements, despite the fact it is a clear conflict
to have an officer or employee have such a business arrangement
without disclosure under IRS Rules for non-profit entities. In
fact, 3ABN employees are required to sign a conflict of interest
statement annually.
Did the officers and directors not feel these rules applied
to Danny Lee Shelton???
According to legal sources, these allegations and others relating
to real estate transactions and allegedly secret arrangements
by the President to compensate certain family members and a fiance
without the full knowledge of the 3ABN Board may have clearly
jeopardized the 501(c)3 status of 3ABN, already the subject of
a case under appeal in the State of Illinois where an administrative
Law Judge clearly determined that most of the 3ABN campus would
not be tax exempt from real estate taxes in Franklin County.
At press time, we have not had a chance to get an official
statement from Amazing Facts, Inc. officers or Directors, and
a number of contacts that this reporter had known within the
Amazing Facts management team have recently left Amazing facts
for various reasons.
Amazing Facts, Inc. is commonly considered to be an independent
supporting ministry of the SDA Church but insiders have made
it clear that Amazing Facts is in fact a ministry of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church. This allegation is supported by the following
notice on the AmazingFacts.org website which this reporter has
posted below:
News Release: 4/17/2007 Employment Opportunities
All applicants must be cleared or approved to work in the
United States.
Although Amazing Facts, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer
that does not discriminate in its employment policies and practices
on the basis of race, national origin, gender, color, age, marital
status, disability, or any other basis prohibited by law, it
is a religious association and a part of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church. The employment practices reflect religious preferences
in harmony with the U.S. Constitution and controlling law, and
it therefore hires only Seventh-day Adventist Church members
in good standing.
Employees of Amazing Facts are extended the same benefit package
as NAD denominational employees. Employee transfers from other
NAD denominational institutions are seamlessly accomplished.
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It would appear that rather belatedly, Elder Folkenberg's desire
to see 3ABN a part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is about
to become a reality. But how will the new management view the
need to compensate the various alleged victims of the Shelton
Administration?
Stay Tuned!!!
Gailon Arthur Joy
AUReporter
Save3ABN.com
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