Hopefully the assets won't be siphoned off to that new organization
they formed. Diligence is still required.

--- In gentlewindvictims@yahoogroups.com, "jfbergin" <jfbergin@...>
wrote:
>
> http://www.maine.gov/ag/press_release_pop_up.php?press_id=317
>
> NEWS FROM MAINE ATTORNEY GENERAL STEVEN ROWE
>
> STATE ENTERS INTO CONSENT DECREE WITH THE GENTLE WIND PROJECT FOR
> DECEPTIVE PRACTICES AND VIOLATIONS
>
> AUGUST 14, 2006
>
> CAROLYN A. SILSBY, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL, (207) 626-8829
>
> Attorney General Steven Rowe announced today that the State has
> entered into a consent decree with The Gentle Wind Project, a
> Kittery-based charitable organization, and six named defendants
> (collectively, "GWP") who served as officers or directors for many
> years. The consent decree resolves violations of the Maine Unfair
> Trade Practices Act relating to GWP's claims about its so-
> called "healing instruments," and violations of law relating to
the
> mismanagement of the charity and its funds by those who held
> positions of fiduciary responsibility.
>
> The "healing instruments" were manufactured and distributed by GWP
> from designs that allegedly came from the "Spirit World" via
> telepathic impressions received by the charity's founder, John
> Miller. GWP claimed that the instruments repair a
> person's "etheric," or invisible energetic structure, which then
> improves one's emotional, mental, and even physical functioning.
> The instruments were sold to consumers via GWP's website and
> through "seminars" for requested "donations" of often hundreds or
> thousands of dollars, depending on the design. The research that
> GWP claimed to have done on the instruments does not support their
> alleged benefits. The Unfair Trade Practices Act, as interpreted
by
> the Federal Trade Commission and the federal courts, requires that
> any express or implied health claims be substantiated by objective
> and reliable scientific evidence. In the absence of such evidence,
> the claims are deceptive.
>
> The named defendants have agreed to pay civil penalties and costs
> and to an injunction that prohibits them from making certain
health
> and research claims about the "healing instruments" or from
serving
> as fiduciaries or advisors for any other Maine nonprofit. The
> parties have also agreed that GWP will be dissolved, and its
> remaining assets distributed by the Attorney General as
restitution
> to consumers who purchased a "healing instrument" since 2003 and
to
> a Maine charity whose charitable mission is to provide services to
> those with mental health disabilities.
>
> "We believe that this is a just resolution of the violations of
law
> committed by the defendants. People who give money to a Maine
> charity should be able to trust in its integrity, and in the
> integrity of those who are charged with its operation. This
charity
> damaged the public's trust and it should not be allowed to
> continue," Rowe said.
>
> The consent decree and order that were filed in the York County
> Superior Court late last week will become final once approved by
the
> Court. Attorney General Rowe praised Assistant Attorney General
> Carolyn Silsby for her work in the case.
>