Today CLCMA defended the victory for its clients before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The plaintiffs, who won a judgment in a case filed in 2000 against other, now-defunct entities, sought to hold American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and others who were not parties to that lawsuit liable for the judgment they received in that case. “This is an alter ego case,” Civil Litigation Department Head Christina A. Jump explained to the Court. “There are only business law claims in this case. No matter how much the Appellants wish it were otherwise, there is no federal claim in this lawsuit. The District Court did not have jurisdiction to hear Appellants’ state law claims, and properly granted the motion to dismiss … twice.”
As the District Court observed when it dismissed the case and as Ms. Jump reiterated to the appellate court today, the plaintiffs asserted only “speculative allegations.” And, “the basic fact that Dr. Bazian is a Palestinian-American intellectual and academic, who speaks at Palestinian-American events, does not establish that he was involved with the Boim defendants in any significant or legally relevant way.” And the District Court “refuse[d] to infer that because [AMP’s leaders] support Palestinian issues that they are somehow connected to Hamas, as plaintiffs suggest.” The initial lawsuit was filed in 2000 with a judgment in 2004; AMP was not incorporated until August 2006, with its related entity Americans for Justice in Palestine Educational Foundation (AJP) incorporated in 2009.
CLCMA looks forward to continuing to proudly represent its clients, including AMP and AJP, wherever this case may lead. “CLCMA has worked on behalf of its clients on this case since its inception in May 2017, and will stick with it through all appeals necessary,” stated Ms. Jump.
