Please see the complete email thread with Vancouver Reporter, Gordon Hoekstra. He has written the same story four times and refused to print a retraction on his inaccurate reporting
—–Original Message—–
From: Chairman@highmarklv.com <Chairman@highmarklv.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 4:26 PM
To: ‘Hoekstra, Gordon’ <GHoekstra@postmedia.com>
Cc: kderosa@postmedia.com; info@vancouversun.com; mrobinson@postmedia.com;
lculbert@postmedia.com; sbrown@postmedia.com
Subject: RE: Vancouver Sun: Question – what next – after rehearing denied
Gordon,
I am disappointed but not surprised that you would not answer any of my
questions below. I took more than one hour to write you an update and as a
courtesy asked that you respond to my valid questions which you have
ignored. I guess all I can do is post this email thread to my blog as a
public record.
Anyway at this point the bar is very low on any expectations of fair
reporting given the damage your reporting has caused in the past with
information that was incorrect. Again as an example, your article on my
home was factually incorrect but you refuse to print a retraction? Typical
Vancouver Sun.
Not sure how Award Winning Journalist is chosen but I would think one
parameter would be truth in reporting or when a mistake is written that a
retraction is printed but I guess it is a case to continue to “bulldoze” if
it helps your story.
“It is about creating a story with relevance that gives me attention and I
win awards for my reporting not the collateral damage through inaccurate
reporting and being part of the continued false PR campaign”. GH
—–Original Message—–
From: Hoekstra, Gordon <GHoekstra@postmedia.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 3:14 PM
To: Chairman@highmarklv.com
Subject: Re: Vancouver Sun: Question – what next – after rehearing denied
Importance: High
Hello Mike,
Thanks for this.
Just FYI ― It does not look like this will go overnight. Probably next day.
Regards,
Gordon
GORDON HOEKSTRA
REPORTER
Vancouver Sun
T: 604.605.2132
C: 604.329.2381
#400 2985 Virtual Way
Vancouver, BC V5M 4X7
ghoekstra@postmedia.com <mailto:atanner@postmedia.com>
<http://www.postmediaadvertising.com/>
—–Original Message—–
From: Chairman@highmarklv.com <Chairman@highmarklv.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 12:44 PM
To: ‘Hoekstra, Gordon’ <GHoekstra@postmedia.com>
Cc: kderosa@postmedia.com; info@vancouversun.com; mrobinson@postmedia.com;
lculbert@postmedia.com; sbrown@postmedia.com
Subject: Vancouver Sun: Question – what next – after rehearing denied
Importance: High
Gordon,
I have a very full day and writing this on the fly because if I don’t
respond you will write what you will write and again it could be misleading
at best and false at worse which has happened in the past. Please ignore
any syntax errors but this is being done on the fly. When are you
publishing the latest article about me?
I am a little hesitant to interact but if I don’t interact you
seem to print misleading information. Your article several months ago that
implied that I somehow used investor money from Canada to buy a house in
the United States was false. The BCSC even wrote similar statements in
several court filings that was also untrue including the petition for
rehearing response that implied I left with 21.7 million dollars that
essentially I
had stolen. Completely false and they know it!!! I have learned the more
mud you can throw at someone in a court filing to make someone look bad the
better it is as part of a strategy even if the info is not true. It seems
I am an easy target and they have successfully labelled me as such and
successfully shut me down from making a living which does not allow me to
pay back the former investors from FIC. Obviously a quick google search of
me and you can understand why it is impossible to do business or have a
banking relationship. It does not matter that much that is reported is
false but the end result is even if I want to make payments all the attacks
have hampered any ability to try and recover and do such.
Remember the BCSC came to my house with a seizure on the day of my mother’s
funeral and knew it was the day of my mother’s funeral and seized all items
in my house. I was to deliver a eulogy and they were informed what was
happening but I guess it was a good time to “attack”. I was working to
provide the BCSC with all the documents for a debtors exam that I had to
provide but obviously I could not provide that as everything was taken from
my house. When the BCSC lawyer was called by the Sherriff at the house and
asked if I could use my phone to deliver the scheduled Eulogy for my mother
that request was denied by the BCSC lawyer in Las Vegas. They could have
done the seizure another day but I guess it was more about attacking and
providing as much pain as possible!!! I am in no way implying “poor me”
but informing you of the tactics employed by the BCSC. Are you aware there
is a lawsuit right now ongoing for 56 gold coins taken from my safe during
the day of the seizure that did not show up on the list of items seized.
I suggest you read the many court filings so you know what is happening in
this case.
None of this is interesting to you as it does not demonize me and help your
story of calling me a fraudster over and over and rehashing the same story.
You might be an award winning journalist but it seems full disclosure and
telling both sides of the story only happens when it is for your benefit.
In fact, one of the BCSC expert witnesses, a lawyer named Mr Johnson,
admitted I had no personal gain and wrote such in a court filing but again
this is something you and the BCSC have ignored and continued to write in
several court filings after his statement that I had huge personal benefit
and equally implied I took money. COMPLETELY FALSE!!!
I was able to totally prove the BCSC recent allegation about the house your
wrote about in a court filing false by providing sworn affidavits from
persons I borrowed money from when I arrived in America to buy the house
and they were fully
repaid with a return. Thank god during the day of the seizure they left
behind accidentally one small box with the bank records and proof showing
none of the money came from FIC. I am happy to provide such information to
you with the court filing if requested but I know you are more interested
to print the story and make me look bad than gather information that
somehow shed positive light on me.
The BCSC was only too happy to support your false allegations in the public
relations game against me that seems to be being played that you have
decided to make myself the poster child of the story
you broke a few years ago. I guess you don’t care about the unintended
consequence of your reporting and whatever I explain to you like in the
last conversation you ignore information that I provided again to make the
story and message whatever it is you wish to convey. Also for the record
David Baines wrote this story originally and you rewrote it a few years
later but when it got attention you became relevant as an Aware Winning
Reporter again.
At the time I ran FIC I was paid a very low salary compared to other CEOs
with similar sized companies and all my wealth was in the company through
options that when the company became insolvent during the subprime mortgage
crisis. In fact all payments were current to TD Bank which provided
financing on the real estate development project you have been writing
about when the loan was called and it was a unilateral decision by TD Bank
to call all Edmonton land loans and simultaneously cancelled all financing
on lots sold to builders which there was millions in booked profits but
with financing gone that evaporated. I called Finance Minister Flaherty at
that time and spoke to him and he said he would get back to me and he did
not.
Below is the video that I published on youtube on what really happened and
the collapsed of my company was completely unnecessary and it taught me a
lesson never to have just one banking relationship. TD Bank unnecessarily
called the loan and cancelled financing on building lots sold and
essentially forced a company out of business when it was completely
unnecessary and the investors were wiped out along with myself.
Michael Lathigee Writes Letter of Complaint to TD Bank …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4Yy_XUrIus
Jul 02, 2013 · Michael Lathigee writes: This letter details the
irresponsible and unethical actions by TD Canada Trust in its handling of
the repayment of its loan to Genes
By the way there was several large deals that went very well prior to this
including investing in uranium stocks when it was under $10 a pound and
eventually rose to over $100 a pound. Millions were made by my investors.
But these similar successes of course were ignored as they were not
newsworthy. Similarly, countless investors cashed out of previous
investments with strong gains but again this is not newsworthy as calling
someone a fraudster sells more papers.
Your associate David Baines even states the money was lost and not taken
but again this does not seem to fit your sensationalism to villainize me.
I was the main decision maker and no one else. It is unfortunate that
anyone else was dragged into this and the sole responsibility was mine and
should have been borne only by me.
It seems you have made me the poster child for your story of BCSC penalties
not being collected. The vast majority of the people you write about did
in fact “steal” money but when my company collapsed I lost more than any
other investor and was financially wiped out. Here is fact is what your
former associate David Baines wrote, may 21, 2018. Called: David Baines:
Regulators unfairly criticized for anemic securities enforcement. Below is
part of what he wrote and at least his reporting was accurate on what
really happened to the money but in your case it sells more newspapers to
say I stole the money. FALSE!!!
“Which brings us to the main reason why the collection record is so poor:
most of the fines are purely notional in nature.
Consider the case of the Freedom Investment Club, which the Sun cited as an
example of poor fine collection.. A BCSC hearing panel found the two
principals, Michael Lathigee and Earl Pasquill, took $21.7 million of
investors’ money and invested it in Alberta real estate projects without
mentioning that the projects had severe cash flow problems.
……. That money was not spirited away into some offshore account. It was
invested and lost. It no longer exists.
Then the panel fined them an additional $15 million each, which, again, is
money that never existed in the first place. So the grand total of $51.7
million consists of money that no longer exists or never existed in the
first place. In fact, the vast majority of unpaid fines (by dollar value)
fall into this category. Is there any wonder these fines remain unpaid?
Both papers noted that regulators routinely issue news releases announcing
huge fines without mentioning that the likelihood of collection is often
slim to none. The suggestion here is that regulators are more interested in
sensational headlines than actual collections.
While it’s true that these releases make good headlines, it’s not fair to
blame the regulators. No commission is going to say, “We have fined Mr.
Smith $10 million, but we don’t expect him to pay.” The official position
must always be that he is expected to pay.”
It seems that by not providing all the facts it sensationalizes your story.
I am sure you are not aware of the unintended consequences of your
reporting nor do I think that you care.
I am sure that when I answer the question below you will again write
another story that reads “Fraudster appeals decision all the way to the US
Supreme Court.”. There are many moving parts right now and I am doing my
best to communicate with you but there are reasons I cannot answer your
question directly for at least another month but it is safe to say all
options are on
the table. I cannot allow your request for information to harm things that
are happening on this end but I am sure you will try to do such anyway.
So to conclude, why don’t you print a story or mention in a story the truth
that I had no personal gain and I was in fact wiped out. That is factual!
That is the true! Why don’t you retract your former misleading article
that somehow I used stolen funds from Canadian investors to buy a house in
the USA?” Obviously I am sure you can imagine the damage that did but
again I don’t think you care. I am sure you can imagine in your own
neighborhood if someone wrote a story you stole money to buy your house and
that was not true that there would still be consequences with your
neighbors etc. Again
as I say , you don’t care as it does not sell newspapers.
I assume because your objective is to sell newspapers and the truth does not
matter. I feel horrible about the losses in Canada but the constant
misleading public relations campaign you have lodged against me as the
poster child of unpaid fines does inflict damage that does not allow me to
conduct business in any capacity and makes it almost impossible to come up
with an ability to recover and pay investors back. You are more intent to
propagate a false story against me on many of the key facts than for the
public good allow me to try and recover and pay back investors. Yes I am
sure you would rather attack me than allow me for the public good to try to
reestablish and pay back investors.
So fire away with another story as David Baines wrote about uncollected
fines years before you, but this is “like a dog on a bone” that you will
for the most part rehash the same story as it gives you a spotlight and
relevance but the information you provide is not fairly conveyed. I agree
if someone stole money then report that as many of the people you write
about did in fact do that but that did not happen in my case. But don’t
say I stole money from investors and bought a house in the United States
and show a picture of that house etc when that information is completely and
utterly false. Again you should be aware of the unintended consequences of
this false reporting.
So my question is will your print a retraction in your article that again
you are likely to write about me that had material false information? Will
you finally convey I had no personal gain or it sells more papers by making
me look as bad as possible? I am sure you will use fraudster as many times
as possible in the article but again I will point out a major difference is
the fact I had no personal gain whereas the many others you have written
about actually stole money and had personal gain.
So I ask will you respond to my questions?
Again sorry for all the syntax errors and sentence splices but this was
written on the fly but you get the message I am conveying and look forward
to getting your response.
I have tried to cc your editor but could not find the email address. I
guessed based on your paper who might be the editor and included them on
this email. Sorry if I guessed wrong but when I called 604 689 9441 to
find out who was the editor the number said not working. Based on past
experience I am sure this would be of little value but at least I am sure
more than one set of eye balls see my email to you.
—–Original Message—–
From: Hoekstra, Gordon <GHoekstra@postmedia.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 10:28 AM
To: Chairman@highmarklv.com
Subject: Question – what next – after rehearing denied
Importance: High
Hello Mike,
I see that the rehearing has been denied by the Nevada Supreme Court.
What¹s your next step?
I believe you said you would take this to the US Supreme Court. Will you do
so?
Regards,
Gordon
GORDON HOEKSTRA
REPORTER
Vancouver Sun
T: 604.605.2132
C: 604.329.2381
#400 2985 Virtual Way
Vancouver, BC V5M 4X7
ghoekstra@postmedia.com <mailto:atanner@postmedia.com>
<http://www.postmediaadvertising.com/>
