Oregon Firearms Director Kevin Starrett Setting the Story Straight 5:08 PM Monday, January 30, 2023, on KWRO
Do Not Believe What You Read
01.20.2023
By now you may have heard or seen stories in the media claiming that the firm “representing” Oregon Firearms Federation in our Federal lawsuit is owed thousands of dollars in legal fees.
This allegation is false.
Maxine Bernstein (mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212) a “reporter” for the failing “Oregonian” who made these allegations (which were parroted by others in the cartel media), knows it’s false.
Even though she undoubtedly knew it was false when she wrote it, she has not corrected it. She did add one sentence to the online version of her story after it was published, and after being reminded that her allegation was false, but even that “correction” is misleading at best, as it was intended to be.
OFF’s legal team is intact and paid. Bernstein’s allegation is false, period.
The lawsuit in question, which Bernstein oddly knew about a day before the papers were even served on OFF and Kevin Starrett, is from John Kaempf.
Those papers were served at 4.30PM yesterday. Bernstein’s story was first posted on January 18th at 9.15.AM
John Kaempf is a lawyer who was employed by us for less than three weeks. He was “relieved of his duties” on Dec 8th. All of this is public record, a record Bernstein follows obsessively.
As you know, after our hearing requesting that Measure 114 be stayed, the Federal Judge denied our motions, only allowing a delay in the implementation of the permit process, a process even the state admitted was impossible to put into place.
On Dec. 7th Kaempf, with no consultation with his clients, (which include several Oregon Sheriffs) took actions that were unwise and costly. Kaempf did not inform us that he was planning to take this action or request input or permission before he took it. The action was a hasty and poorly considered appeal directly to the 9th Circuit Court.
On the same day, in a Zoom call with the plaintiffs in the case, (OFF, two gun dealers and several Oregon Sheriffs) Kaempf categorically denied having filed the appeal. He later filed a motion to withdraw the appeal he claimed not to have filed. All these filings are public record.
On the following day, after it became clear that Kaempf had misled his clients and saddled them with additional and unnecessary costs, Kaempf was terminated with a request for a final bill.
When the bill arrived for a total of $66,161.82, (over the $60,000.00 he had already been paid) it included charges that can only be described as “highly questionable”. It included thousands of dollars in billing for dates before we even signed a fee agreement with him. It included charges for over 20 hours on a single day.
And, of course, it included billing for the time he claims to have spent preparing and then withdrawing the appeal he claimed not to have filed in the first place and the associated filing fees.
We reached out to Kaempf twice asking for an explanation for many questionable items on his bill. Kaempf refused to answer a single question. In fact, in an email on Dec. 28th Kaempf wrote “And do not take my not responding to your various allegations now and going forward to mean anything.”
On January 18th the media was reporting on the lawsuit which was filed for a bill supposedly 3 days overdue. At no time prior to that did Kaempf communicate in any way to seek a resolution. He immediately filed a lawsuit.
As noted, we were not even served until January 19th. In his lawsuit Kaempf claims to have worked on the Federal lawsuit for “several months.” In fact, he was employed by us for less than three weeks.
For over 25 years, Oregon Firearms Federation and the Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation have a perfect record of on-time or early payments to everyone we do business with. That includes the many lawyers we have had the privilege of working with. However, we do have a responsibility to our donors in the way we spend their money.
In this case, we have made several attempts to get answers from an attorney we were forced to fire because of his behavior. Rather than respond he has chosen to very publicly sue us. That was his choice.
We regret this distraction but will vigorously respond to his lawsuit. We will not blindly write massive checks for bills that will not be explained. Because it’s not our money.
Thank you for your continued support.
01.14.2023
THE OREGON LEGISLATURE’S ANNUAL ATTACK ON GUN RIGHTS BEGINS ON TUESDAY JANUARY 17TH
The ATF bans pistol braces, the DOJ demands that magazines be banned, and Oregon Democrats want you to go to jail for being NEAR any government building.
There is a lot going on.
First, as you know, a judge in Harney County has put a hold on all of the clearly unconstitutional Measure 114. So, to no one’s surprise, the Oregon Department of “Justice” has requested that the Oregon Supreme Court overrule that decision and immediately ban standard ammo feeding devices and eliminate the one safeguard against abuse by the State Police when they refuse to complete background checks.
The DOJ wants to criminalize the most common ammo magazines in the country while allowing “instant” background checks to take literally… forever. That means that while you are forced to beg for permission to exercise a Constitutional right, the Oregon State Police will have the right to deny you for as long as they want. Even if that means until the end of time.
Testimony in the state court case from a former employee of the OSP Firearms Instant Check System, made public what gun owners have known for a long time. It is the mission of the FICs unit to delay or deny as many firearm’s purchases as possible. Let us not forget who the OSP works for. (Hint, it ain’t you.)
The Oregon Department of “Justice”, under the control of a rabidly anti-rights Attorney General, also wants to compel you to get a permit simply to ask to buy a firearm and pay hefty fees for the privilege, but has kindly offered to delay that unconstitutional demand having been forced to admit there is no program in place to even get such a permit.
Meanwhile, in OFF’s Federal case, the Trump appointed judge who ruled that 114 could go into effect (with a short delay for the non existent permitting system) asked the plaintiffs (meaning us) if we would be willing to forgo a trial on a preliminary injunction there, citing the state injunction as a reason.
Of course that would mean if the State prevailed in its efforts to overturn the Harney County Judge, gun owners and gun dealers would be totally screwed for possibly years as this mess winds through the courts. And of course, that was always the point of Measure 114 and its well funded sponsors, “Lift Every Voice.”
“Lift Every Voice” is asking its supporters to lean on the legislature to ram through implementation of 114 and, of course, Democrats have announced their plans to do just that.
Far left Senator Floyd Prozanski has already noted his intentions to enforce it even though it is currently on ice. (By the way, “LEVO” has also announced that it plans another ballot measure to ban all modern firearms. No doubt they will once again get millions in donations from groups like the ACLU and the national and state teacher’s unions.)
The Oregon Democrats also have quite a few other attacks on your gun rights in the works. Not satisfied to ban CHL holders from schools, the Portland Airport, and the Capitol Building, the Democrats now plan to arrest you if you go NEAR any of those places with a firearm. This means NO firearms at any rallies NEAR the Capitol and you could go to jail just by driving past the Capitol Building.
But wait, there’s more. They want to expand that prohibition to ALL buildings that are paid for with YOUR tax dollars. That means that when you leave your house, should you even go CLOSE to any “municipal” building and you are lawfully armed, you get to spend a year in jail. For people who live anywhere close to a city or town that basically means you better not leave your house.
Given the astronomical increase in violent crime under the Democrats, and the risk you take walking or driving anywhere in Portland or other cities, the Democrat’s agenda cannot be disguised. CHL holders are not now, and have never been a problem. These policies are driven by unbridled hatred and bigotry and have nothing to do with public safety.
On another note, the ATF has released its new rules on “pistol braces.” While the regulations are, as usual, incomprehensible, the short version is if you own any of these devices that ATF has for years said are perfectly legal, you now face prison time if you do not turn them in or register the guns they are on as restricted NFA items.
Given the recent ruling from the 5th Circuit that the ATF’s rules on bump stocks greatly overstepped their authority, it’s a safe bet that the courts will strike this lunacy down too. But of course, that will require vast expenditures by gun owners on legal fees.
Keep in mind, there is exactly NO legal liability when legislators draft laws they know are unconstitutional. Just as there is no liability when the ATF does it. And there is NO legal or fiscal liability when bigot organizations with millions in funding from out of state leftists pass unconstitutional ballot measures.
Gun owners face attacks on many fronts right now. And they all have one thing in common. They are insanely expensive for us and don’t cost the other side a dime.
The Oregon Republicans have demonstrated a startling refusal to fight in past sessions. But they still have a few tools if they have the courage to use them.
The Senate Republicans are led by Tim Knopp. You will recall that Knopp refused to walk out when the other Republicans did a few years ago. Knopp’s actions were appreciated by the Democrats who were trying to pass dangerous gun control then.
The House Republicans are led by Vikki Breeze Iverson whose husband attacked Oregon Firearms Federation even while Vicki was asking us for donations.
This is not positive news. But the reality is, those two have the ability to stand up for gun owners and they need to hear from you. Please remind them who placed them in office. It was NOT gun grabbing Democrats.
And please support our efforts. Federal lawsuits are insanely expensive and the legal bills keep coming it. Only your support keeps us in this fight.
You can donate here.
https://oregonfirearms.ejoinme.org/MyPages/DonationPage/tabid/70447/Default.aspx
For more information please see this link.
https://www.oregonfirearms.org/join-support-off
Thank you.
You can view this post in a browser here: https://www.oregonfirearms.org/pistol-braces-forbidden-places-supreme-court-cases
Related Posts:
City Club: The Debate on Measure 114 — Rob Taylor Report
LTE ~ Gun Prohibition is Always About Control — Rob Taylor Report
OFF ~ Gun Lock Up Ballot Title Issued ~ Your Input Wanted — Rob Taylor Report
Oregon Firearms Federation 2022 Candidate Survey Results — Rob Taylor Report