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Sherman H. Skolnick
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COCA-COLA, THE CIA, and the COURTS
Part Seven of a Series

by Sherman H. Skolnick

A real-life drama and the players

ROBERT E. KOLODY- For upwards of ten years a local lawyer he trusted, DANIEL V. HANLEY, reportedly elicited from Kolody details of his legal strategy plans. Kolody contends that The Coca-Cola Company and their marketing adjunct, Simon Marketing, stole Kolody's intellectual property, being storyboards and designs. Kolody had difficulty getting a Chicago-area attorney to pursue his claims. Since 1997, Kolody's case has been in the U.S. District Court in Chicago, No. 97 C 190.

In February, 1999, Kolody retained Dan Ivy, an outspoken attorney from Arkansas. As required under the local federal rules in Chicago, Ivy designated Hanley as "local counsel", meaning Hanley has to be informed of all proposed court filings and procedures.

SHERMAN H. SKOLNICK- As a long-time court reformer and TV Show moderator/producer I began investigating the Coca-Cola case. In May, 2000, in the presence of Ivy and Kolody, I interview Hanley

Skolnick "Does Coca-Cola and their attorneys know the legal strategy of Robert Kolody and his attorney Dan Ivy here?"

Daniel V. Hanley "Yes".

Skolnick "Really? How could they know?"

Hanley "My sister is MEDIA BUYER FOR COCA-COLA." (Emphasis added.) From the signed court Declaration by Skolnick and Skolnick's court testimony made in the presence of Daniel V. Hanley, 8/22/00.

After the May interview, I find out that his sister, Mary Hanley, is Associate Media Director at the advertising agency DDB, with offices worldwide. And get this DDB represents both Coca-Cola and their alleged "competitor" Pepsi-Cola, an apparent Anti-Trust violation situation.

TRIBUNE COMPANY- As the parent firm of the Tribune media empire, the Tribune Company owns the CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, and other newspapers around the country as well as numerous radio and TV stations. Tribune Company is reportedly trying to strong-arm COCA-COLA for more advertising dollars, by reportedly leaning on DDB. But Tribune has not been interested in publicizing the Kolody suit against Coca-Cola.

U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE BLANCHE M. MANNING, Chicago- The Tribune, without publicity in their newspapers, radio, and TV, has sought to intervene in one of Judge Manning's criminal cases to accuse her of secret proceedings and other unlawful acts and doings. [See previous parts of this series.] The apparent purpose? To blackmail the Judge and put pressure on Coca-Cola and DDB for more ad bucks, to relieve the Tribune's huge debt overhang caused by merging with the Los Angeles Times.

In a series of court-filed Motions by Kolody, he documents how Judge Manning has been stuffing the Court records with "judicial perjuries", straight out lies used to justify arbitrary and corrupt rulings favoring Coca-Cola.

GEORGE LAZARUS- As the Chicago Tribune's long-time, widely-read columnist on marketing and advertising, Lazarus on 8/15/00, runs an item "Mary Hanley, a group media director of DDB Chicago, was elected a senior VP of the agency" and includes a picture of her.

MARY HANLEY- Selected to be a top official of DDB Advertising, she is reportedly unavailable to be a witness at an important hearing in Kolody's case set for 8/22/00. Her brother, DANIEL V. HANLEY tells Kolody and Skolnick, in a conference call, that Mary Hanley is leaving the country for Ireland. Later, Hanley tells them she will be back in 15 days. [Is there a link to the IRA? See previous parts of this series.]

While Kolody is listening on the phone, Skolnick interviews JILL ZEMANSKI, private secretary of Mary Hanley. Jill confirms that Mary Hanley represents COCA-COLA COMPANY.

THE HEARING ON AUGUST 22, 2000- Informed by attorney Ivy that there are in Court present two witnesses, Skolnick and Kolody, prepared to testify that Judge Manning is committing a fraud upon her own Court in the Coca-Cola case, Judge Manning brings into the courtroom SIX FEDERAL POLICE to menace and intimidate Skolnick sitting in his wheelchair.

The purpose of the hearing? For Judge Manning to hear and consider whether she herself has committed a fraud upon her own Court through the Judge falsifying the facts and filling the Court records with her "judicial perjuries". The Judge does NOT seem to understand that such a hearing with her presiding, is outlawed by Anglo-Saxon law, that is, for a person TO SIT AS A JUDGE IN THEIR OWN CASE.

Ivy tells the Judge that the remedy he and his client Kolody seek is for the Judge to expunge from the Court records all of Judge Manning's rulings favoring The Coca-Cola Company and Simon Marketing. Judge Manning said she will take the matter of her own fraud upon the Court and instances brought up of newly discovered evidence, "under advisement". [The foregoing is shown in the Report of Proceedings of her Court, of 8/22/00.]

Following the hearing, the Broadsides Cable TV Program sends an envoy to Tribune columnist GEORGE LAZARUS informing him what is happening in Court as to The Coca-Cola Company, Mary Hanley, and DDB advertising. He expresses an interest that he is going to follow up the matter for his column. [Or, are his bosses at the Tribune intending to over-rule him and pursue thair reported blackmailing of DDB, Judge Manning, Coca-Cola, and others, to shake-down more ad bucks for The Tribune Company?]

In a Court order dated 8/29/00, Judge Manning issues a nine-page ruling with more of her falsified facts and "judicial perjuries", contending she finds that she has NOT committed a fraud upon her own Court. [An obvious ruling by someone sitting as a Judge in their own case.] As to some of the prior rulings, Ivy files a Notice of Appeal on August 31,2000.

Among the issues involved in the case against Coca-Cola That the Coca-Cola Company allowed their copyright to lapse and it is now owned by Kolody as shown by documents of the U.S. Copyright office. That Coca-Cola has in respect to this litigation committed a fraud by not reporting it to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that regulates listed stock such as that of Coke.

Several weeks in the works was a story published in the much-watched Tempo Section of the Chicago Tribune, usually published on a Thursday. Published on Thursday, September 7, 2000, was a lengthy Tempo story about various other soda pop companies. In quoting a seller of a flavored foreign pop called Tarhun "People believe Tarhun is good for you and Coke is bad for you". Then further quoting the seller, "For instance, have you ever seen what happens when you put a chicken liver in a glass of Coke?" In so doing, the Tribune was taking a swipe at Coke to reportedly shake them and DDB down for more ad bucks.

While they were commenting, the Tribune could have added that Coca-Cola can be a substitute for DRANO to clear out your home plumbing.

The very next day, Friday, September 8, 2000, player GEORGE LAZARUS was found dead on the commuter train he took each day to the Tribune offices. In a lengthy story Saturday, September 9, 2000, a sort of obituary, headlined "Veteran Business Columnist George Lazarus Dies", the Tribune stated "His daily column, put together through an indomitable force of will for 39 years, all but 11 of them at the Tribune, was practically Holy Writ for executives in the marketing and advertising business in Chicago".

Then the Tribune adds this strange sort of cynical humor "WE WERE SURE HE WAS HIDING IN OUR RESTROOMS", said DDB WORLDWIDE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER KEITH REINHARD. "MANY TIMES, WE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW HE GOT THE STORY." (Emphasis added.) Did someone plant that item in that obituary to take the glare of possible foul play off of themselves and DDB and the Tribune and all the matters discussed in this series?

The Tribune story stated, "A Metra [commuter train] employee found him Friday morning, slumped in his seat on his way to work, his customary collection of morning newspapers still in his lap. He had died on his morning commute from his Flossmoor home to his office downtown."

Some of his buddies, however, have confided to us that they are convinced that GEORGE LAZARUS was murdered. One media homcho, poorly informed and naive, said "Was he shot with a gun?" a foolish question in the current era of political assassination. [Evidently, they never read the reports by CIA to Congressional intelligence committees about cyanide pistols and potassium killer devices.]

Did the Tribune want their own reporter DEAD? There is the unsolved crime of about 1930, involving a Tribune reporter, Jake Lingle, who was shaking down mobsters and others to hush up stories. He was bumped off by being shot in a public place. {It may be a small item but Lazarus lived among the numerous hoodlums in the south suburb of Flossmoor.]

So you thought that mass media reporters are only knocked off in Mexico? Ha, ha. Lazarus was reportedly pursuing some of the issues raised by our series Was the highly corrupt U.S. Justice Department going to finally take an interest that Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola are owned and operated by substantially the same people? That they are a price-fixing monopoly designed to wreck other smaller soft drink beverage firms like R C Cola. And that DDB advertising represents both of the two major soda pop companies, Coca-Cola and Pepso-Cola.

So how many more are they going to have to assassinate to cover up the Coca-Cola espionage and corruption scandals? Stay tuned.



Since 1958, Mr.Skolnick has been a court reformer. Since 1963, founder/chairman, Citizen's Committee to Clean Up the Courts, disclosing certain instances of judicial and other bribery and political murders. Since 1991 a regular panelist, and since 1995, moderator/producer, of one-hour,weekly public access Cable TV Show, "Broadsides", Cablecast on Channel 21, 9 p.m. each Monday in Chicago. For a heavy packet of printed stories, send $5.00 [U.S. funds] and a stamped, self-addressed business sized envelope [4-1/4 x 9-1/2 #10 size] WITH THREE STAMPS ON IT, to Citizen's Committee to Clean Up the Courts, Sherman H. Skolnick, Chairman, 9800 South Oglesby Ave., Chicago IL 60617-4870. Office, 7 days, 8 a.m. to midnight, (773) 375-5741 [PLEASE, no "just routine calls]. Before sending FAX, call.

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