IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) Civil No. 1:07-cv-352-TJM-RFT ) ROBERT L. SCHULZ; ) UNITED STATES’ RESPONSE IN WE THE PEOPLE FOUNDATION FOR ) OPPOSITION TO DEFENDANTS’ CONSTITUTIONAL EDUCATION, INC.; and ) MOTION TO DISMISS AND WE THE PEOPLE CONGRESS, INC., ) CROSS-MOTION FOR ) SUMMARY JUDGMENT Defendants. ) The United States files this opposition to defendants’ motion to dismiss and cross-motion for summary judgment pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c) and L.R. 7.1(c). GLENN T. SUDDABY United States Attorney /s/ Thomas M. Newman THOMAS M. NEWMAN Bar Roll #514463 Trial Attorney, Tax Division U.S. Department of Justice Post Office Box 7238 Ben Franklin Station Washington, D.C. 20044 Telephone: (202) 616-9926 [email protected] 2516406.1 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF AUTHORITIES.................................................... ii I. STATEMENT OF THE NATURE OF THE CASE...........................1 II. ARGUMENT........................................................1 A. Motion to Dismiss Standard.......................................1 B. Summary Judgment Standard .....................................2 III. DEFENDANTS SHOULD BE ENJOINED UNDER IRC § 7408 FOR ENGAGING IN CONDUCT SUBJECT TO PENALTY UNDER § 6700 AND § 6701 ..............3 A. Defendants engage in conduct subject to IRC § 6700 penalty .........3 (1) Defendants organized and sold a plan or arrangement .........4 (2) Defendants made false or fraudulent statements regarding the tax benefits associated with their program ...............4 (3) Defendants knew or had reason to know that their tax statements were false or fraudulent .................................8 (4) Defendants’ false or fraudulent statements were material ......10 (5) An injunction is appropriate and necessary to prevent future violations of IRC § 6700. ...............................10 B. Defendants engage in conduct subject to IRC § 6701 penalty ........11 IV. AN INJUNCTION SHOULD ISSUE UNDER IRC § 7402 TO PREVENT DEFENDANTS FROM ENGAGING IN ACTIVITIES THAT INTERFERE WITH THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE IRC ........................................................12 V. THE FIRST AMENDMENT DOES NOT PRECLUDE AN INJUNCTION AGAINST THE DEFENDANTS’ ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES ...................................13 VI. DEFENDANTS’ REMAINING ARGUMENTS DO NOT SUPPORT DISMISSAL ........17 VII. CONCLUSION ..................................................20 -i- 2514960.11 TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Cases Page(s) Abdo v. United States, 234 F. Supp. 2d 553 (M.D.N.C. 2002), aff’d without published op., 63 Fed. Appx. 163 (4th Cir. 2003), cert. denied, 540 U.S. 1120 (2004) ..............4 Alaska Computer Brokers v. Morton, 76 A.F.T.R.2d 6458 (D. Alaska 1995) ...............6 Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242 (1986) .................................2 Berg v. Yellow Transportation, Inc., 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18852 (N.D. N.Y. 2006) ........7 Betz v. United States, 40 Fed. Cl. 286 (Fed. Cl. 1998) ...............................5, 6 Body v. United States, 243 F.2d 378 (1st Cir. 1957) ..................................12 Casper v. Commissioner, 805 F.2d 902 (10th Cir. 1986) ................................2 Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317 (1986) .......................................7 Central Hudson Gas & Elec. Corp. v. Public Serv. Comm’n of New York, 447 U.S. 557 (1980) ..................................................14, 15 Coleman v. Commissioner, 791 F.2d 68 (7th Cir. 1986) ..............................7, 8 Commissioner v. Glenshaw Glass Co., 348 U.S. 426 (1955) ............................8 Commissioner v. Kowalski, 434 U.S. 77 (1977) ......................................8 Connor v. Commissioner, 770 F.2d. 17 (2nd Cir. 1985) .................................8 Cortec Indus., Inc. v. Sum Holding L.P., 949 F.2d 42 (2nd Cir. 1991) ......................2 Damron v. Yellow Freight Sys., 18 F. Supp. 2d 812 (E.D. Tenn. 1998) ...................6 GFF Corp. v. Associated Wholesale Grocers, 130 F.3d 1381 (W.D. Okla. 1997). ...........2 Global Network Communs., Inc. v. City of New York, 458 F.3d 150 (2nd Cir. 2006) .........18 In re Becraft, 885 F.2d 547 (9th Cir. 1989) ......................................5, 6, 7 Kotmair v. Commissioner, 86 T.C. 1253 (1986) ......................................6 Ledford v. Commissioner, 297 F.3d 1378 (Fed. Cir. 2002) ..............................8 Lipsky v. Commonwealth United Corp., 551 F.2d 887 (2nd Cir. 1976) ....................19 Lonsdale v. Commissioner, 661 F.2d 71 (5th Cir. 1981) ...............................11 Lonsdale v. United States, 919 F.2d 1440 (10th Cir. 1990) ............................5, 7 Lovell v. United States, 755 F.2d 517 (7th Cir. 1984) ..................................6 Madigan v. Telemarketing Assocs., 123 S.Ct. 1829 (2003) .............................14 Ohralik v. Ohio St. Bar Ass’n, 436 U.S. 447, 456 (1978) ..............................14 Penn Advertising of Baltimore, Inc. v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, 63 F.3d 1318 (4th Cir. 1995) ..............................................14 Reese v. United States, 24 F.3d 228 (Fed. Cir. 1994) ..................................8 Schiff v. United States, 919 F.2d 830 (2nd Cir. 1990) .................................7, 9 -ii- 2514960.11 Table of Authorities cont. United States v. Smith, 657 F. Supp. 646 (W.D. La.), aff’d per curiam, 814 F.2d 1086 (5th Cir. 1987) ..............................................17 Southeastern Promotions, Ltd. v. Conrad, 420 U.S. 546 (1975) .........................14 Stelly v. Commissioner, 761 F.2d 1113 (5th Cir. 1985) .................................8 Sweet v. Sheahan, 235 F.3d 80 (2nd Cir. 2000) .......................................1 United States v. Bell, 238 F. Supp. 2d 696 (M.D. Pa. 2003), aff’d, 414 F.3d 474 (3rd Cir. 2005) ......................................6, 12, 16, 17 United States v. Buttorff, 572 F.2d 619 (8th Cir. 1978) .............................12, 20 United States v. Buttorff, 761 F.2d 1056 (5th Cir. 1985) ..................3, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 United States v. Campbell, 897 F.2d 1317 (5th Cir. 1990) ............................1, 10 United States v. Connor, 898 F.2d 942 (3rd Cir.), cert. denied 497 U.S. 1029 (1990) .........8 United States v. Drefke, 707 F.2d 978 (8th Cir. 1983) ..................................7 United States v. Ernst & Whinney, 735 F.2d 1296 (11th Cir. 1984) .......................12 United States v. Estate Pres. Servs., 38 F. Supp. 2d 846 (E.D. Cal. 1998), aff’d, 202 F.3d 1093 ............................................4, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17 United States v. Ferguson, 793 F.2d 828 (7th Cir. 1986) ................................6 United States v. First Nat’l City Bank, 568 F.2d 853 (2nd Cir. 1977) .....................12 United States v. Foster, 789 F.2d 457 (7th Cir. 1986) ..................................6 United States v. Freeman, 761 F.2d 549 (9th Cir. 1985) ...............................14 United States v. Gerads, 999 F.2d 1255 (8th Cir. 1993) ...............................5, 7 United States v. Hansen, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54496 (S.D. Cal. 2006) ...............4, 10 United States v. Harkins, 355 F. Supp.2d 1175 (D. Ore. 2004) ..........................9 United States v. Hempfling, 431 F. Supp. 2d 1069 (E.D. Cal. 2006) .....................18 United States v. Ingredient Technology Corp., 698 F.2d 88 (2nd Cir. 1983) .................9 United States v. Kaun, 633 F. Supp. 406 (E.D. Wis. 1986), aff’d, 827 F.2d 1144 (7th Cir. 1987) ...........................................12, 17 United States v. Lee, 455 U.S. 252 (1982) ...........................................7 United States v. Luman, 95 A.F.T.R.2d 2414 (N.D. Ga. 2005) ..........................6 United States v. Raymond, 78 F. Supp.2d 856 (E.D. Wis. 1999), aff’d, 228 F.3d 804 (7th Cir. 2000) ......................................2, 4, 7, 10, 17 United States v. Miller, 868 F.2d 236 (7th Cir. 1988) ..................................6 United States v. Sasscer, 86 A.F.T.R.2d 6174 (D. Md. 2000) ...........................6 United States v. Savoie, 594 F. Supp. 678 (W.D. La. 1984) .............................4 United States v. Schiff, 379 F.3d 621 (9th Cir. 2004), aff’g 269 F. Supp.2d 1269 (D. Nev. 2003) .....................................14, 17 United States v. Schulz, 2006 96 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 6554 (N.D. Cal. 2005) ................19 -iii- 2514960.11 Table of Authorities cont. United States v. Schulz, 2006-2 U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) P50,481 (D. Neb. 2006) .............19 United States v. Simkanin, 420 F.3d 397 (5th Cir. 2005) ................................8 United States v. Sitka, 845 F.2d 43 (2nd Cir. 1988) ....................................6 United States v. Stahl, 792 F.2d 1438 (9th Cir. 1986) ..................................6 United States v. Tedder, 787 F.2d 540 (10th Cir. 1986) .................................6 United States v. Thomas, 788 F.2d 1250 (7th Cir. 1986) ................................6 United States v. Updegrave, 97-1 U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) ¶ 50,465 (E.D. Pa. 1997) ...........6 United States v. Ward, 833 F.2d 1538 (11th Cir. 1987) .................................6 United States v. White, 769 F.2d 511 (8th Cir. 1985) ..............................3, 9, 17 We the People v. United States, 2005 WL 2473698 (D. D.C. 2005) ......................16 FEDERAL STATUTES Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C.) Page(s) § 61.........................................................................8 § 501....................................................................15, 19 § 3102.......................................................................7