March 5, 2020 VIA EMAIL & HARDCOPY US CERTIFIED MAIL Andrew Smith Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection Federal Trade Commission 600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Mailstop CC-8528 Washington, DC 20580 RE:
United States District Court, Central District of California Federal Trade Commission vs. OTA Franchise Corporation, et al. Case No.8:20-cv-287 OTA Student’s Response Update & FOIA Requests
Dear Mr. Smith, I am writing this letter to inform the FTC on the progress of my OTA Student Response that I initially believed I would be able to complete and send this week. After fully reviewing the filed FTC court documents I was overwhelmed with the volume of blundering frivolous, misplaced, and misleading assertions. It has taken over three days to just identify where to even begin. Currently I have completed over 28 pages and realistically I don’t believe even 500 pages would begin to cover the full response that is appropriate. It appears that FTC has maliciously cherry-picked the most negative and salacious allegations they could craft and then made these assertions very public in order to annoy, harass, disrupt, and bully Online Trading Academy and inevitably the entire OTA student community. The FTC has carelessly raced to respond to OTA actions1 and retaliated publicly against the Defendants; subsequently, in taking such
1
OTA filing in the United States District Court, North District of Illinois which is a central in location to the Plaintiff and Defendants.
reckless action the FTC has failed to take reasonable measures before filing their illconceived complaint. More than fifteen (15) years ago I sought whistleblower relief under the Sarbanes Oxley Act. Thankfully the story didn’t end there as I filed several complaints in multiple venues. I believe it was the US District Court Northern District of Illinois that treated me very FAIR which resulted in an amicable resolution. I share this one example with the FTC because if I thought for a minute that the OTA program was a scam, pipedream, or a “scheme” as the FTC has asserted, I would have already filed multiple complaints in wide range of private and public agencies, venues, and jurisdictions. Regardless of whether the FTC looks at OTA from a reasonable basis standard or an overbearing evidentiary standard in OTA’s marketing, advertising, and operating methods, I have personally benefited by their programs and know that the allegations leveled against this fine education institution are ignorant and ridiculous at best. In the interim I am sending my first set of FOIA requests to better understand how and why this is happening. My grandfather, Joseph Stanley Walker, served in the FBI and chased organized crime all over the country. He would be outraged and heartbroken how law enforcement and government agencies are being weaponized against law abiding citizens, businesses, and organizations in the private and/or public sector who
are simply opponents, competitors, advocates for public policy reforms, or simply exercising their freedom of individual or business speech. We want to teach our children why bullying is wrong but our local, state, and federal governance are the biggest offenders. In submitting these FOIA requests I am asking that the FTC, in the spirit of fairness and public transparence, not to hide behind Exception 4 and 5 and not redact every useful bit of meaningful information that should be available to public. The FTC thus far has had no problem very publicly slandering and defaming the defendants; therefore, it is in the best interest of the public to release the requested Records I am seeking. As an OTA student I will be responding to FTC’s complaint next week and indefinitely. I hope and pray for a swift and FAIR solution.
Warm regards,
____________________________ Paul and Elizabeth Walker 5325 Camden Lake Drive NW Acworth, Georgia 30101  678-372-0205
xc: mail and email list attached
MAILING & ELECTRONIC EMAIL CONFIRMATION LIST March 5, 2020 {OTA Student’s Response Update & FOIA Request}
VIA US OVERNIGHT MAIL The Honorable Donald J. Trump Office of the President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 The Honorable William Barr Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530-0001
VIA EMAIL & HARDCOPY US FIRST CLASS MAIL Andrew Smith Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection Federal Trade Commission 600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Mailstop CC-8528 Washington, DC 20580
secretary@ftc.gov
Andrew Katsaros, Inspector General Federal Trade Commission Room CC-5206 600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, DC 20580
oig@ftc.gov
The Honorable David Perdue 3280 Peachtree Road NE Suite 2640 Atlanta, GA 30305
David@Perdue.senate.gov Beatrice_Torralba@perdue.senate.gov Andrew_seaver@perdue.senate.gov Kathy_Burns@perdue.senate.gov
The Honorable Barry Loudermilk 9898 Highway 92, Suite 100 Woodstock, GA 30188
Barry.Loudermilk@senate.ga.gov ashleigh.padgett@mail.house.gov
VIA EMAIL ONLY John Jacobs, FTC Thomas M. Biesty, FTC Rhonda Perkins, FTC Andrew Hudson, FTC Thomas M. Biesty, FTC Rhonda Perkins, FTC Andrew Hudson, FTC Jay Mayfield, FTC Joseph Simons, FTC Rebeca Kelly Slaughter, FTC Christine Wilson, FTC Noah Joshua Phillips, FTC Rohit Chopra,FTC
jjacobs@ftc.gov tbiesty@ftc.gov rperkins@ftc.gov ahudson@ftc.gov tbiesty@ftc.gov rperkins@ftc.gov ahudson@ftc.gov jmayfield@ftc.gov jsimons@ftc.gov rslaughter@ftc.gov cwilson3@ftc.gov nphillips@ftc.gov rchopra@ftc.gov
Mark Eisenhut
meisenhut@calljensen.com
Eyal Shachar, OTA, Samuel Seiden, OTA Daren Kimoto, OTA Russ Allan, OTA Josip Causic, OTA Mickey Moores, OTA Steve Champa, OTA
eyal@otahq.com atlanta@tradingacademy.com atlanta@tradingacademy.com atlanta@tradingacademy.com atlanta@tradingacademy.com atlanta@tradingacademy.com atlanta@tradingacademy.com atlanta@tradingacademy.com edmondota@gmail.com michelle.amato@onlinetradingacademy.com clifton.miller@onlinetradingacademy.com taylorframe@gmail.com awiles@tradingacademy.com royce.bradley@onlinetradingacademy.com patelli.paschal@otahq.com brittany.ducharme@onlinetradingacademy.com ece.ehican@onlinetradingacademy.com chris.shalls@tradingacademy.com amatisko@tradingacademy.com angie.perez@onlinetradingacademy.com nick.sanfelice@onlinetradingacademy.com ciaran.bailey@onlinetradingacademy.com caroline.montoya@onlinetradingacademy.com
K D Bentley, OTA Edmond Gutknecht, OTA Michelle Amato, OTA Clifton Miller, OTA Taylor Frame , OTA Ashton Wiles, OTA Royce Bradley, OTA Patelli Paschal, OTA Brittany Ducharme, OTA AJ Ehican, OTA Chris Shalls, OTA Adam Matisko, OTA Angie Perez, OTA Nick Sanfelice, OTA Ciaran Bailey, OTA Caroline Montoya, OTA