Caucus Distributors, Inc. v. State, Department of Commerce & Economic Development, Division of Banking, Securities & Corporations

793 P.2d 1048, 1990 Alas. LEXIS 75
CourtAlaska Supreme Court
DecidedJune 15, 1990
DocketNo. S-3243
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 793 P.2d 1048 (Caucus Distributors, Inc. v. State, Department of Commerce & Economic Development, Division of Banking, Securities & Corporations) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Alaska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Caucus Distributors, Inc. v. State, Department of Commerce & Economic Development, Division of Banking, Securities & Corporations, 793 P.2d 1048, 1990 Alas. LEXIS 75 (Ala. 1990).

Opinion

OPINION

COMPTON, Justice.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

This is an appeal from the superior court's affirmance of a cease and desist order entered by the Division of Securities against Caucus Distributors, Inc. (Caucus). It requires an interpretation of Alaska’s “Blue Sky” laws, AS 45.55.010-.270; specifically, under what circumstances are notes within the statutory definition of covered “securities.”

Caucus is self-described as being “engaged in distributing publications of a so[1051]*1051cial, economic and political nature,” notably the works of Lyndon LaRouche. The state Division of Securities found the material facts to be as follows:

Caucus is incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation in New York. Caucus is not registered with the Division of Securities pursuant to the Alaska Securities Act, nor are any of its agents. Also it is not registered to transact business in Alaska. William Leonard Jennings, III, and Toni Jennings are employed by Caucus as fundraisers. Mark Calney is the Northwest regional coordinator for Caucus.

Caucus raises funds from three sources: sales of publications, contributions and loans. It is two loans by Alaska residents, Joseph Drew and Leonard Thompson, to Caucus that are at issue here. Caucus employees negotiated the terms of these loans, which were written on forms prepared by Caucus, and headed “Obligation No.” The obligation numbers were usually filled in, but this was described by Caucus employees as being for “no reason at all.” Caucus’ plan was to repay borrowed sums through its sales of publications and contributions. However, loan repayment came only if authorized from the national office.

While it was normal for Caucus fundraisers to inquire about the financial situation of those being solicited for loans, Caucus did not advise lenders that a loan to Caucus might not be in their best financial interest. The hearing officer found that

nothing describing [Caucus’] ability to repay the loans was provided to a prospective lender either before or after the loan was made, to the best of [Calney’s] knowledge. Nothing addressing or describing [Caucus’] ability to repay loans was available to [Calney]. Moreover, lenders were not informed of any delinquency problems which may have been in place at any particular time.

However, Calney and Toni Jennings were aware of “numerous delinquencies,” and “it is clear that the lenders were led to believe that they would be repaid.” (Emphasis in original). Neither Drew nor Thompson received a prospectus, financial statement, or any other “meaningful financial information” from Caucus regarding its ability to repay.

A. DREW.

Joseph Drew is a 78-year old widower. His sole sources of income are social security, state longevity bonus and his permanent fund dividend. Drew was approached by Caucus representatives in the Seattle airport. At this time, he joined the organization in exchange for $75. After Drew returned home, Toni Jennings began calling him, asking him to lend money to Caucus. Jennings proposed a five-year loan at 10% annual interest. Jennings told Drew that “[Caucus] would pay him sufficient interest on the promissory notes for him to support himself.” Drew lent Caucus a total of $45,000, his “life savings.” He received two non-negotiable, unsecured promissory notes, one for $40,000 and one for $5,000. Both bore interest at 10%, with interest payable quarterly, and were for a five-year term. The $5,000 note was payable on demand within seven days in the event of an emergency. Drew subsequently demanded emergency payment on this note, but did not receive it. Drew testified that he would not have lent the money to Caucus without the notes and the interest, as well as the belief that he would be repaid. He believed he was making an investment. While the hearing officer noted that Drew was confused at times, he was clear in his testimony that he thought he was investing his “nest egg.” Moreover, Toni Jennings “assured [Drew] several times that their outfit was much more safer than the bank was because the banks in the United States are all going broke,” and that he would get more interest than he would from a bank. Drew received no prospectus or financial statement from Caucus, suggesting its ability or inability to repay.

B. THOMPSON.

Leonard Thompson is a 61-year old widower who had lived alone for three years at the time of his contact with Caucus. He too was approached in the Seattle airport by Caucus representatives. After re[1052]*1052turning home to Alaska, he too began receiving phone calls from Toni Jennings. Again, Jennings requested that Thompson lend money to Caucus through the purchase of promissory notes at 10% interest. Because this rate of interest was higher than what he had been receiving at the bank on investments, he decided to “invest” in Caucus. Thompson lent $2,000 in exchange for an unsecured promissory note from the Seattle Labor Committee, an organization sharing the same address as Caucus and headed by Calney. Thompson also made a contribution of $500 to Caucus via his VISA card. Caucus later made an additional, unauthorized $500 charge against Thompson’s VISA.

The hearing officer found that

Mr. Drew and Mr. Thompson made their loans to [Caucus], in part because of their sympathy with and support of the goals and aims of [Caucus], in part because they believed they were making sound investments, in part because they appreciated the attention they were receiving from [Caucus] distributors, and possibly in part for other reasons.

Based on the foregoing evidence, the hearing officer concluded that the promissory notes executed by Thompson and Drew were “securities” within the meaning of AS 45.55.130(12). He also concluded that by misrepresenting and failing to disclose material facts to Drew and Thompson, Caucus violated AS 45.55.010:1

For example, neither Mr. Drew nor Mr. Thompson had specific information about [Caucus’] management, its sources of revenues, or its current financial position; information which is obviously material to an investment decision. [Caucus] failed to inform either Mr. Drew or Mr. Thompson of [Caucus’] problems in the past with repayments, and the possibility or even probability that neither interest nor principal on the notes would ever be forthcoming. Furthermore, Mrs. Jennings and Mr. Calney told Mr. Drew, in order to encourage him to invest, that his $5,000 note would be repaid within seven days in the event of an emergency, although they knew it was unlikely that any such repayment would be forthcoming upon request.
Finally, there is the unauthorized charge on Mr. Thompson’s VISA card.... This act constituted fraud in the classic sense, and I find this transaction was sufficiently connected to the sale of securities to Mr. Thompson to constitute a probable violation of AS 45.-55.010(3).

The hearing officer found unreviewable Caucus' claim that the securities were exempt from registration under AS 45.55.-140(a)(ll),2 because 3 AAC 08.910(1)3 requires those claiming exemptions to file a notice with the Division and provide documents supporting a claim of exemption, [1053]*1053which Caucus had never done.

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Bluebook (online)
793 P.2d 1048, 1990 Alas. LEXIS 75, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/caucus-distributors-inc-v-state-department-of-commerce-economic-alaska-1990.