Michael moore is in trouble!

Michael Moore In Trouble For Cuba Trip


Treasury Investigation; Moore Took Sept. 11 Workers To Banned Island For Treatment

(AP) Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore is under investigation by the U.S. Treasury Department for taking ailing Sept. 11 rescue workers to Cuba for a segment in his upcoming health-care documentary "SiCKO," The Associated Press has learned.

The investigation provides another contentious lead-in for a provocative film by Moore, a fierce critic of President Bush. In the past, Moore's adversaries have fanned publicity that helped the filmmaker create a new brand of opinionated blockbuster documentary.

"SiCKO" promises to take the health-care industry to task the way Moore confronted America's passion for guns in "Bowling for Columbine" and skewered Bush over his handling of Sept. 11 in "Fahrenheit 9/11."

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control notified Moore in a letter dated May 2 that it was conducting a civil investigation for possible violations of the U.S. trade embargo restricting travel to Cuba. A copy of the letter was obtained Tuesday by the AP.

"This office has no record that a specific license was issued authorizing you to engage in travel-related transactions involving Cuba," Dale Thompson, OFAC chief of general investigations and field operations, wrote in the letter to Moore.

In February, Moore took about 10 ailing workers from the Ground Zero rescue effort in Manhattan for treatment in Cuba, said a person working with the filmmaker on the release of "SiCKO." The person requested anonymity because Moore's attorneys had not yet determined how to respond.

Moore, who scolded Bush over the Iraq war during the 2003 Oscar telecast, received the letter Monday, the person said. "SiCKO" premieres May 19 at the Cannes Film Festival and debuts in U.S. theaters June 29.

Moore declined to comment, said spokeswoman Lisa Cohen.

After receiving the letter, Moore arranged to place a copy of the film in a "safe house" outside the country to protect it from government interference, said the person working on the release of the film.

Treasury officials declined to answer questions about the letter. "We don't comment on enforcement actions," said department spokeswoman Molly Millerwise.

The letter noted that Moore applied Oct. 12, 2006, for permission to go to Cuba "but no determination had been made by OFAC." Moore sought permission to travel there under a provision for full-time journalists, the letter said.

According to the letter, Moore was given 20 business days to provide OFAC with such information as the date of travel and point of departure; the reason for the Cuba trip and his itinerary there; and the names and addresses of those who accompanied him, along with their reasons for going.

Potential penalties for violating the embargo were not indicated. In 2003, the New York Yankees paid the government $75,000 to settle a dispute that it conducted business in Cuba in violation of the embargo. No specifics were released about that case.

"SiCKO" is Moore's follow-up to 2004's "Fahrenheit 9/11," a $100 million hit criticizing the Bush administration over Sept. 11. Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" won the 2002 Oscar for best documentary.

A dissection of the U.S. health-care system, "SiCKO" was inspired by a segment on Moore's TV show "The Awful Truth," in which he staged a mock funeral outside a health-maintenance organization that had declined a pancreas transplant for a diabetic man. The HMO later relented.

At last September's Toronto International Film Festival, Moore previewed footage shot for "SiCKO," presenting stories of personal health-care nightmares. One scene showed a woman who was denied payment for an ambulance ride after a head-on collision because it was not pre-approved.

Moore's opponents have accused him of distorting the facts, and his Cuba trip provoked criticism from conservatives including former Republican Sen. Fred Thompson, who assailed the filmmaker in a blog at National Review Online.

"I have no expectation that Moore is going to tell the truth about Cuba or health care," wrote Thompson, the subject of speculation about a possible presidential run. "I defend his right to do what he does, but Moore's talent for clever falsehoods has been too well documented."

The timing of the investigation is reminiscent of the firestorm that preceded the Cannes debut of "Fahrenheit 9/11," which won the festival's top prize in 2004. The Walt Disney Co. refused to let subsidiary Miramax release the film because of its political content, prompting Miramax bosses Harvey and Bob Weinstein to release "Fahrenheit 9/11" on their own.

The Weinsteins later left Miramax to form the Weinstein Co., which is releasing "SiCKO." They declined to comment on the Treasury investigation, said company spokeswoman Sarah Levinson Rothman.

 

The government will lose any action against moore based on this assesment. What right does any government have to interfere in where on the planet a citizen with a valid passport may or may not travel and with whom they choose to do business. Moore is such a monumental mind and stockade of justice and judicial thoughts that his legal team will not have advised him wrongly.

The Government of the USA will be found in breach of human rights on the issue and will finish this action by owing moore Millions, believe me. Moore is never wrong !
Ha ha ha he kicks butt with every film because he doesnt lie and he is always thorough - hahahaha they will never stop him but one day they will assassinate him he stitched up some of the most powerful assholes in the USA

 

he probably didn't comply jsut to cause controversy

the dude is a total douche, whether you agree with him or not

 

No you have the honour of that title, but Moore is great ! a real hero someone prepared to tell the truth. Its the truth that you hate, surely, not Michael Moore. Moore tells the truth you cant hate the messenger surely

 

I hope that was a joke

 

If you were on the right, you would look at him like you do Rush Limbaugh...he may do some good things, and that's more than I can say for Rush, but he's still a pompous as*hole

 

Well, this is going to be a good thing for Moore.

He's going to take it and spin it so he can say "Look at what they tried to do to us upon leaving the country! Look at how fucked up our nation is!" And the people will likely be in agreement with him.

So, the U.S. government could potentially be fucking themselves royally. We'll see.

For the record, I dont think Moore is an asshole. I wouldn't hold him to such high acclaim to say that 'Moore is never wrong!' but I do think overall he has done a lot of good for the nation with his books and films. Regardless of your political orientation, he shows you some things that make you want to scream 'WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH MY COUNTRY?!?'

 

he usually has me screaming 'how can people fall for this shit?'

 

Fall for what shit?

Every muckraker is likely to fabricate some of their shit- it comes with the trade. He has his fact-by-fact breakdown for Farenheit 911 with all sources listed on his website...

Nothing really to fall for. I could care less about his character- most of what he is saying is the truth. And if it takes a douchebag to open peoples eyes, so be it.

If you support George Bush, seek mental help immediately.

 

he fabricates lots of his shit
poorly

and I never said I support Bush, now did I?

 

Basically, what I'm getting from you is that you dont support the general message he has put out with his films...

Bowling for Columbine- completely controversial, and not rooted in fact. Opinions of the film vary largely on political orientation, so I'm not talking about that.

Farenheit 9/11 was an outcry for change. And like I said, all his sources, for everything said in the film are properly cited on his website- how, may I ask, is that fabricated?

Lets say, hypothetically of course, Farenheit 9/11 was fabricated completely- what does it matter if it leads to reform in the most fucked up organization on the face of this planet, and hands down one of the worst POTUS ever? You would not support any sort of change because his shit is fabricated?

All I'm saying its his message I support. As long as F911 was damaging to the presidency and the administration, its a godsend in my opinion. But, like I said, it wasn't fabricated...

 

his overall message is 'look how stupid the people of the world are that I am getting insanely rich of my fat ass, not giving half a shit about the stuff I am preaching about'

 

How did I know?

Resorting to judging people by their appearance... REAL intelligent.

I rest my case.

 

when did I judge him off of his appearance?
is he fat? yes

it turns out that ALL of my (good) friends are fat
they even joke that I will only hang out with fat people
so ha!

and I love that if you don't agree with me, I am not intelligent
well you use arrogance to asses others, so you must not be intelligent
I rest my case.

and where did the 'How did I know?' comment come from?
were you reading all my posts thinking 'this must be someone who judges others from their appearances, and therefore that must be the only reason he finds lying on such a major scale to be completely and totally immoral, and therefore thinks of Michael Moore as a total pig'??

 

You have yet to show me how he has lied on a 'major scale...'

Minor fabrications- yes. I'm not disputing that. None of those 'lies' would be considered major enough to take away from the big picture.

Calling the guy a fatass is hardly backing up your claim he is insinciere and a liar.

Hard, cold facts. Lets see 'em.

 

http://www.hardylaw.net/Truth_About_Bowling.html
http://www.davekopel.com/Terror/Fiftysix-Deceits-in-Fahrenheit-911.htm

 

It is true that Michael Moore is a fat piece of shit. But he is more than that. He is a scam artist. His so called "documentaries" are full of deceits and half truths. If I believed perhaps he was doing any of this for the greater good and not just for his own wealth and ego, then maybe I would have an ounce of respect for the guy. But I don't.

 

^see, this guy knows what he is talking about

 

Meh...

This is a LONG read. It's tagged, I'll look it over later. My mistake for thinking it would be a nice, clear-cut, concise list of lies/fabrications.

For the record I was never talking about Bowling for Columbine, though I do agree with his point, its quite obvious it wouldn't take much to de-construct that from the opposing viewpoint.

I dont get how you can say he doesnt give two shits about what he is preaching. Anyone willing to spend years of their hard work and time producing a film, making countless public speeches, and writing several books on the topic is genuinely concerned about the cause. Yeah, he makes a lot of money. Fuckin get over it.

Just because one guy got rich from his politicana (and he only got rich because the masses agree), doesnt mean he should be condemned. He's taking enormous steps toward change, because once the people find out of this bullshit- they're gonna demand something be done.

Now, the question is; a massively corrupt and fucked up government, or one rich, fat man?

 

Well, well, well:
Micheal Moore strikes again. I'm not saying yea or nay. He is entertaining and he's got all of you riled up.
I think thats what he does best, stir shit, piss people off and best is get people thinking and talking about his works.
Well, you havn't let Moore down. Talking and thinking.........
And ya, he's fat.Soooo.....