4 February 2009
This all happened very fast and I will admit we weren’t planning on announcing it quite yet, but “the cat is out of the bag,” David is flying to Brazil and…
U.S. Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey’s 4th Congressional District saw the NBC Dateline story on Friday night and contacted David for a meeting on Monday. Mark DeAngelis was at the meeting and reported to us that the Congressman promised to do all he could to immediately help David. David does not live in the 4th Congressional district but Congressman Smith is well known in New Jersey as a stand up guy who will go the extra mile for people. I wish we had more Congressmen and Senators like him! Congressman Smith will be meeting up with David in Brazil and will be with him every step of the way!
Last summer during the fighting between the Republic of Georgia and Russia, Congressman Smith flew to Tbilisi and traveled on to South Ossetia to arrange safe passage for two very young NJ girls who were trapped behind Russian Army lines while visiting their grandparents. He recruited the assistance of the French Ambassador to make the travel arrangements safely through the Russian lines. Two articles here: N.J. congressman continues efforts to rescue girls trapped in Georgia and N.J. sisters trapped in Georgia reach U.S. Embassy.
Today (Wednesday February 4th) in the House of Representatives, Congressman Smith made a statement for the record about Sean’s abduction during the House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing on “US Policy Toward Latin America in 2009 and Beyond.”
Jeff Pegues of WABC, New York City was the first major journalist to run David’s story in September, while David was still in Brazil! He reported David’s and Congressman Smith’s trip tonight, meeting David at Newark Airport for a last minute interview. Someone, not me, uploaded it onto YouTube.
In the Thursday edition of the Asbury Park Press, Bill Handleman who has written a a five part series on this case will have another one about this trip. Read it Here.
It would be great if the Brazilian bureau of the Associated Press would pick up the story as well – after all AP claims, and I quote from their web site:
“The Associated Press is the bastion of the people’s right to know around the world. With a long history of involvement in FOI (Freedom of Information) issues and actions, AP is an industry leader in “open government issues.” The scope of AP’s efforts worldwide is extraordinary.”
David is making this trip on the instructions of Judge Luis Felipe Salomão, Superior Tribunal de Justiça who announced a “mediation” between David and Jao Paulo Lins e Silva. Why, we don’t know, because the Hague Treaty doesn’t stipulate anything about “deal making” and child abduction.
We’re also very concerned that David may be arrested and jailed in Brazil because the Lins e Silva’s got a “gag order” with fines issued by the courts to force David from speaking about the case, ordered him to issue a retraction to the press and to shut down BringSeanHome.org. Since “BSH.org” is not owned by David, and he does not participate in its operation we decided that our U.S. Constitutional right of free speech trumps the Lins e Silva’s. If they want to enforce Brazilian law on us we would be willing to shut down if they accept the N.J. Superior Court Order of August 2004 stipulating the immediate return of Sean Goldman to the United States.
We’re all very hopeful, they don’t throw David in jail and at the very least we are praying that David be permitted to see his son. Re-reading that last sentence makes me feel ill, what kind of people would not allow a boy who tragically lost his mother, from seeing his father? What in God’s name can they be thinking?
We have another little surprise but we’re holding back on that because we know we’re being monitored constantly. Also, just to let everyone in North America know, in spite of claims we hear out of Brazil from “unknown sources” (wonder who that could be), David was NOT paid one red penny by NBC for the one hour Dateline special report.
In the meantime, please keep emailing, writing and calling people who might help.
Our sincerest thanks to Congressman Chris Smith, Dateline NBC, Jeff Pegues of WABC, NBC Today Show, Bill Handleman of the Asbury Park Press and especially You!