UsedCarNews.com
February 18, 2019
NIADA President Resigns After FBI Raids
BLUES: Andy Gabler poses with police and Santa Claus during one of his past promotional giveaways. Gabler has stepped down as president of the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association following raids on his businesses and home by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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The president of the National Independent Automobile Dealers association has resigned following FBI raids at his home and businesses in Pennsylvania. Andrew Gabler stepped down from his post on Jan. 31 after six months in the role. The FBI raids took place the day before. In an exclusive statement to Used Car News, NIADA CEO Steve Jordan said the group “had no oicial knowledge of this issue before the events that led to Gabler’s resignation.”
Neither the NIADA, the FBI, nor the U.S. Attorney for Western Pennsylvania would discuss details of the raid, saying it was an ongoing investigation. According to local news site GoErie.com, S& T Bank has sued Gable for selling vehicles out of trust and that he has millions of dollars of loans in default. His dealerships have now been placed in a receivership, GoErie reported. President-elect Henry Mullinax, will inish out the remainder of Gabler’s term before starting his own one-year term at the group’s annual convention in June.
Board Chairman Dave Andrews’ term will be extended an additional year to June 2020, since Gabler’s resignation means there will be no immediate past president in June to take his place. NIADA’s statement also discussed how this incident might lead to changes in the association. “Any association in this situation would respond, as NIADA has, by looking inwardly and asking what we could have done diferently to avoid an outcome like this,” it stated. “NIADA may put additional disclosures in place for its oicers, but we want to be careful not to over-
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By Jeffrey Bellant
react as a national association to the business practices of one.” The statement also read that the resignation was based “in part, on (Gabler’s) desire to focus his full attention on cooperating with the authorities.” Gabler’s resignation to NIADA stated that his resignation was “in the best interest of me, my family and the association.” Gabler expressed love for the association in a conversation with Used Car News following his resignation. “I’ll tell you what I told my brothers at the NIADA,” Gabler said. Continued on page 6
2019
February 24-25 | Charlotte, NC