Woodland Preparatory Academy REVOKED #Gulen #SonerTarim

https://www.wkrg.com/top-stories/charter-revoked-for-controversial-woodland-preparatory-school-in-washington-county/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_WKRG

Despite a 6 hour meeting where Mike Morley President of scandalous American Charter Development threatened with lawsuits if Woodland Preparatory is not given YET another chance the board came back after a few weeks deliberation and decided to SHUT IT DOWN.

Some of the interesting things out of the 6 hour conference meeting were that first of all Woodland Preparatory's Attorney Nash Campbell is over his head.  Campbell tried to lay the lack of interest in the school with the town being prejudice but couldn't get anyone to testify about his claim, his 1 piece of proof was a Facebook posting about "Muslims" and Soner Tarim.  Soner Tarim is MIA (missing in action) and more than likely will sue Woodland Preparatory as he is Lead Academy for breach of contract. 

Mike Morley of ACD  tried to establish he was experienced at taking over failing schools, but the truth is every school has taken over is riddled with scandals - selling the school back and forth among dozens of non-profits until they exhaust as much funds out of it.  He introduced "Angela" as his fundraising expert but you would never guess that by the horrific financial shape the schools in North Carolina are in or Angela's bankruptcy.   They had been given 1 extension that ran out this month, after 18 months of failure to open a school they would have had to start all over with a new charter school application. 

Mike Morley ..... its very simple, your 1 room fake school isn't necessary in Washington county.  Woodland had no students signed up and no community support.  Its the wrong school in the wrong area, you can choose to file a lawsuit - if Nash was honest he would tell you to not waste hundreds of thousands of dollars to appeal you will get the same results.   Washington County public schools performs at a superior level it's population is 2,500 they are close community with thriving football and other activities.   Get busy with your next EB5 Chinese Investor Visa Scam this one is not going to happen. 

Read entire article here https://www.al.com/news/2020/06/for-the-first-time-alabama-shuts-down-a-charter-school.html

Groundbreaking December 4, 2018
Doomed before it started, half of this board dropped off

A controversial public charter school in south Alabama met its end today, two months before opening.

The Alabama Public Charter School Commission, after deliberating for half an hour in executive session, voted to revoke Woodland Prep's charter for failing to meet conditions of pre-opening, lack of adherence to generally accepted financial standards, and failing to establish community support for the school.The vote came just less than two weeks after a hearing where representatives of the charter school laid out reasons why they have been unable to meet those conditions. The charter was initially approved in May 2018 and was scheduled to open in August. In February, commissioners voted to begin revocation proceedings.

This is the first charter revoked by the Commission. Alabama currently has four public charter schools in operation under the authority of the Commission.

Woodland Prep attorney Nash Campbell said, “It’s just a little disturbing that a large group of people that threaten businesses, threaten people--and also essentially used religious and racial elements--caused this school to never get off the ground.”

.In a statement, AEA President Sherry Tucker said, “AEA has consistently said we support good charter schools. Woodland Prep was not going to be a good charter school."

AEA Associate Executive Director Theron Stokes said the revocation was “a long time coming.”

“I hope this case serves as a warning shot to out-of-state corporate interests who may be looking to Alabama to make money in the charter school business” Stokes added. "Where charter schools have been the result of grassroots activism by Alabamians, we have supported and will support them. Where they are a money-grabbing scheme, AEA will stand against them. The votes today also confirm, now, the members of the Commission are going to hold them accountable.”

US-Turkey Relations: Gulen's extradition remains a sticking point

President Trump is coming for FETO (Gulen) #StopGulen

What was California educational reformer Caprice Young doing in Texas??

At a Charter School rally in Texas with Lt. Governor Patrick.
both are making a wad of money off of privatizing education

Scene from Killing Ed
Caprice Young is the CEO of Gulenist operated
Magnolia Science Academies in California
and founding CEO of CCSA (California Charter School Association)
Caprice Young a "Leader"

Gülen Charter Schools Investigation Press Conference

North Dakota Lawmakers on free Trip to Turkey get more than they bargain for with Turkish demonstrators MORE GULEN BRIBES

North Dakota legislators get more than they bargained for

The Gulen lobbying force is working in overdrive, drumming up as many easily bought off American politicians as they can find for summer trips to Turkey. The latest pilgrims to make headlines are a group of seven freeloading legislators from North Dakota. Apparently, like the group from Michigan, this collection of political tourists got caught in the Turkish protests while riding a bus into the eye of the anti-government protests. But this time the protesters got a little more up close and personal with the Americans than their predecessors.

According to North Dakota Representative Corey Mock, the bus trip was a little like an amusement park roller coaster complete with sticks, mallets, rocks – and of course threatening protesters. The protesters attacked the bus, rocking it while trying to pry open the windows. I suspect that this wet your pants change in the itinerary might have given the politicians time to pause about their decision to sign up for a trip on the Gulen express.

One politician on the bus, Rep. Corey Mock (D-Grand Forks), was quoted as saying, “As the bus pulled away, there was nothing but disbelief.” I get the “disbelief” component – but on my end its disbelief on how incredibly naïve and shameful these political parasites are. Instead of merely planting their butts on a bus tour sponsored by Gulen, they might done a bit of pre-trip research on Gulen’s cult, its insidious movement, and how their tourist trip plays perfectly into Gulen’s master plan to further corrupt the American government by proxy of its campaign contributions and “free trips to Turkey.”

The bus rock and rollers on the trip were Rep. Corey Mock (D-Grand Forks), Rep. Ben Hanson (D-West Fargo), Rep. Lawrence Klemin (R-Bismarck), Rep. Lois Delmore (D-Grand Forks), Sen. Phil Murphy (D-Portland), Sen. Ray Holmberg (R-Grand Forks), and Sen. David O’Connell (D-Lansford). That’s an awful lot of state politicians on a bus tour in Turkey -- politicians who should have instead been in their offices in North Dakota doing the jobs that their constituents were paying them to do. I wonder how thrilled the taxpayers in North Dakota would be if they knew that the politicians that they voted for were too busy indulging in Gulen-related propaganda in Turkey to actually perform their North Dakota legislative duties.

It get’s more than tiresome to hear about how American politicians have this deep-rooted desire to establish “friendly” relations with Turkey by means of free trips, sponsored by Gulen’s cronies. I wonder why they feel the need to visit Turkey -- why not take a few trips to Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, or North Korea --- where there just might be a more compelling case for “friendship?” While these guys and gals are stuffing their faces with free baklava in Turkey, there are certainly more relevant and exponential world issues that more directly affect their constituents at home – like American soldiers coming home from the Middle East missing both limbs and livelihoods.

Call me old fashioned, but I am of the mind that you take care of your own before you spread your resources and goodwill to causes (and in this specific case, the Gulenists), that are only out to exploit and manipulate the United States’ taxpayers. How many rocking buses pelted with sticks and stones do the American politicians needs to experience before the finally figure out that they are being played like a keman, and that the Gulenists are the ones fine-tuning the politicians' strings.

Below are a couple of stories about the North Dakota legislators’ trip to Turkey:

http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/north-dakota-legislators-took-trip-paid-for-by-turkish-group-described-as-cult

North Dakota Legislative Trip Paid For By Controversial Islamic Group

Written By:
Rob Port

Jun 24, 2013
11:21am

I recently wrote a post about a trip to Turkey taken by a number of North Dakota legislators paid for by a group called the Turkish American Federation of the Midwest. In speaking with some legislators who didn’t take they trip, they told me that it was organized through what some described as an odd email that many thought was a scam. I decided to dig into the matter a little further, and I found some disturbing facts.

The TAFM, it turns out, is a front group for the Gülen movement, a “transnational religious and social movement led by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.” It’s an Islamic network and has gained some praise as being a more moderate alternative to other global Muslim groups, but has also been criticized for encouraging members to turn away from society to practice a fundamentalist sort of Islam.

In fact, the group has been described as a cult in leaked US diplomatic cables: “When we asked Valeria Heuberger, an Austrian expert on Islam, if the Gulenists have a hidden agenda, she replied, ‘Yes, they do have a hidden agenda, but I don’t think it is a radical agenda. Their agenda is simply to further the ego of their leader, the same as any cult.’”

It has also been criticized for its attitudes toward women, enforcing gender segregation within the group and with many of its members wearing clothing that doesn’t not expose any part of a woman’s arms or legs.

The group is “feared” in Turkey, according to some. “You know we have confronted real fear about this movement, particularly when we’ve tried to get critics to give us an interview,” CBS News’ Leslie Stahl asked America reporter Andrew Finkel, who has been working in Turkey for 25 years, in a 2012 interview about the movement’s charter schools in the US. “What are they afraid of?”

“There’s a fear of reprisal,” he answered. “I mean, it is the case that two or three people who’ve written books highly critical of the Gulen movement are now in jail.”

Finkel also described the Gülen movement as a “cult of personality.”

The group’s founder, Fethullah Gülen, currently lives in the United States rather than Turkey because “if he were to come back, then there would be such a brouhaha,” according to Finkel, “because it seems his followers have taken over key positions in the Turkish government and the police.”

Here in the United States, Gülen has been very active in setting up networks of groups to support his movement:

The 2008 RAND report explained that a “web of organizations propagates Gulen’s vision of Islam.” This web is an enormous and expanding global network which includes over 300 organizations in the United States. It takes an informed eye to detect their connection to the Gulen movement. Gulen’s followers began to establish their organizations in the US around the time Fethullah Gulen arrived in Pennsylvania. Now fourteen years later, approximately 180 Gulenist Turkish cultural, interfaith dialogue, and business organizations are operating in nearly every state and 135 charter schools are operating in 26 states

One of the groups established was the TAFM, which paid the way for the North Dakota legislators who visited Turkey. Which has me wondering, how many of those legislators knew who was really backing their trip? Were they aware of their sponsor;s connections to the controversial Gülen movement? To be fair, the Gülenists are also praised by many for being a relatively moderate Islamic group which does a lot to promote education.

But the group also faces serious accusations about attempts to undermine secular government in Turkey, and using some very thuggish tactics to do it.

Did these legislators even care about who was paying their way to Turkey, or did they just jump at the opportunity for a free trip regardless of who paid for it? And what is the Gülen movement’s interest in flying a bunch of North Dakota legislators to Turkey, anyway?

I don’t think we can accuse any of these legislators of being a part of some plot by a shadowy Islamic group. A simpler explanation is that they were merely dupes. At best, these legislators who accepted the invitation for this trip exercised some poor judgment. At worst, they were used by a not-so-democratic, cult-like group to help bolster their image and reputation as they seek to cement political control in Turkey.

The legislators who went on the trip were Rep. Corey Mock (D-Grand Forks), Rep. Ben Hanson (D-West Fargo), Rep. Lawrence Klemin (R-Bismarck), Rep. Lois Delmore (D-Grand Forks), Sen. Phil Murphy (D-Portland), Sen. Ray Holmberg (R-Grand Forks), and Sen. David O’Connell (D-Lansford).

Perhaps they owe North Dakota voters an explanation for just what they were doing in Turkey.

Tags: ben hanson, corey mock, david o'connell, Fethullah Gülen, gulen movement, lawrence klemin, lois delmore, North Dakota News, phil murphy, ray holmberg, Turkish American Federation of the Midwest

Rob Port

Rob Port is the editor of SayAnythingBlog.com. In 2011 he was a finalist for the Watch Dog of the Year from the Sam Adams Alliance and winner of the Americans For Prosperity Award for Online Excellence. In 2013 the Washington Post named SAB one of the nation's top state-based political blogs, and named Rob one of the state's best political reporters. He writes a weekly column for several North Dakota newspapers, and also serves as a policy fellow for the North Dakota Policy Council.

Email Rob • @robport

http://www.kvrr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20815&Itemid=57 ND Legislators Experience Protests In Turkey by Lezlie Johnson, Reporter
June 13, 2013



A goodwill trip turned into something more than a group of North Dakota legislators bargained for,
landing smack dab in the middle of a massive anti–government protest in Turkey.


Officers fire water cannons and tear gas into a crowd of demonstrators.


Over a 3–day period of an increasingly raging protest, 7 North Dakota lawmakers experienced some of the violence first–hand, starting in Istanbul.

"As we turned the corner we had seen water cannons pushing people out of the park, people were being sprayed before our very eyes," Representative Corey Mock said.

As the protest progressed, Mock took photos and video of his experience.


Although the protest started out peaceful, when the group traveled to Izmir, their trip, which was aimed to develop deeper relationships between countries, now became increasingly stressful.

"When our bus had pulled into the intersection and we had seen over 1–thousand people waving flags,
chanting, protesting, swarming vehicles, that's when the anxiety went to a new level," Mock said.

As protesters took over the bus in front of the group, they realized just how serious this could get, especially once protesters started moving towards their own bus.

"There were some who were a little more aggressive in their actions, the bus was rocked, hit, they had mallets and sticks.

So there was a lot of unique reaction from the protesters geared toward traffic on the streets," Mock said.

Mock says although the protesters were not anti–American, there were moments of uncertainty as they tried to flip the bus.

"There were some gasps. Startling reactions especially as the bus rocked from side to side,
people were trying to climb into the bus, pry open the windows, so that whole feeling of everyone crowding in towards the middle,
it happened pretty quickly" Mock said.

No one was hurt, and the whole experience lasted about one minute because of the bus driver's quick reaction.

As the bus pulled away, there was nothing but disbelief.

"A lot of looks around the bus of astonishment, like wow did that just happen and wondering,
I wonder what's happening to the people behind us and then I hope this isn't going to happen again," Mock said.

Now Mock holds a flag he brought back from Turkey just like the ones protesters were waving,
and says it will be an everyday reminder of what the group experienced overseas.

http://www.charterschoolwatchdog.com/busing-bozos.html

 

Gulen politicians and the trips keep on rolling.......

Below is just a small example of the money spent by Gulen Lobbying front groups: Council of Turkic American Associations, Istanbul Center, Maryland institute for Dialogue, Rumi Forum, Pacifica Institute and maniy many more.  This is all public record that must be reported by members of Congress.  The amount of trips, awards to these politicians is staggering, we could feed many poor families in Turkey with this.  However, as many would say it is American money they are using via taxes intended for public education siphoned off and money laundered through their various front groups.  Some politicians are very naive about the Gulen Movement and just believe they are a bunch of nice guys promoting dialogue and others are finding out every day about the dangers of the Turkish Lobbying aka the Gulen Movement.
You can find updated information on Legistorm.com

http://turkishinvitations.weebly.com/congressional-turkey-trips.html

March 19, 2011 last updated June 21, 2011
by C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S. - Citizens Against Special Interest Lobbying in Public Schools

Summary

- based on information from Legistorm website, accessed June 20, 2011
- search covered period 01/01/2000 - 06/20/2011

Sponsor of Congressional Travel	Total value	# Trips	# Dem	# Rep
Council of Turkic American Associations	$26,660	9	7	2
Institute of Interfaith Dialog for World Peace	$26,160	10	2	8
Istanbul Center	$5,171	1	1	0
Maryland Institute for Dialogue	$20,995	8	4	4
Mid-Atlantic Federation of Turkic American Associations (MAFTAA)	$35,513	13	13	0
Pacifica Institute	$16,840	7	4	3
Rumi Forum for Interfaith Dialogue	$76,390	24	10	14
Turkish American Federation of Midwest	$46,718	17	15	2
Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON)	$30,682	9	5	3
Turkish Cultural Center New York	$29,990	11	6	5
Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians	$67,378	19	4	15
Total	$382,497	128	71	56

Here are details for each sponsor:

Institute of Interfaith Dialog for World Peace

Congressman/Approver	Party	State	Traveler/Staffer	Dates	Cost
Carter, Rep. John	Rep	TX	Alsup, Christopher William (Chris)	08/07/09-08/15/09	$2,680.00
Carter, Rep. John	Rep	TX	Stalnaker, Ryan D.	08/07/09-08/15/09	$2,680.00
Conaway, Rep. Mike	Rep	TX	Balzano, Paul N.	08/07/09-08/20/09	$2,680.00
Conaway, Rep. Mike	Rep	TX	Graves, Scott C.	08/07/09-08/15/09	$2,680.00
Hall, Rep. Ralph	Rep	TX	Schell, Christopher R. (Chris)	08/07/09-08/21/09	$2,250.00
Heinrich, Rep. Martin	Dem	NM	Samp, Anthony Pasquale (Tony)	08/07/09-08/15/09	$2,680.00
Johnson, Rep. Sam	Rep	TX	Williams, Mark Ramon	08/08/09-08/15/09	$2,680.00
Johnson, Rep. Sam	Rep	TX	Ray, Lindsey	08/07/09-08/15/09	$2,670.00
Oberstar, Rep. Jim	Dem	MN	Cronin, Mary C.	08/22/09-08/30/09	$2,480.00
Roskam, Rep. Peter	Rep	IL	Johnson, Brigitta A.	08/07/09-08/15/09	$2,680.00

Maryland Institute for Dialog

Congressman/Approver	Party	State	Traveler/Staffer	Dates	Cost
Brady, Rep. Bob	Dem	PA	Barcliff, Nicole E.	08/04/07-08/11/07	$2,550.00
Baird, Rep. Brian	Dem	WA	Austin, Lisa Ann td>	08/04/07-08/11/07	$2,550.00
Cohen, Rep. Steve	Dem	TN	Cooks, Shirley W.	08/04/07-08/11/07	$2,745.00
Campbell, Rep. John Bayard Taylor	Rep	CA	Kaplan, Caitlin Horton	08/04/07-08/11/07	$2,550.00
Baldwin, Rep. Tammy Green	Dem	TWi	Murat, William M. (Bill)	08/04/07-08/11/07	$2,725.00
Foxx, Rep. Virginia	Rep	NC	Poole, William Todd (Todd)	08/04/07-08/11/07	$2,550.00
Whitfield, Rep. Ed	Rep	KY	Robertson, James E.	08/04/07-08/11/07	$2,775.00
Bachus, Rep. Spencer	Rep	AL	Staley, Michael Christopher	08/04/07-08/11/07	$2,550.00

Mid-Atlantic Federation of Turkic American Associations - MAFTAA

Congressman/Approver	Party	State	Traveler/Staffer	Dates	Cost
Butterfield, Rep. G.K.	Dem	NC	Lilley, Laurence E. (Lee)	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,930.00
Chandler, Rep. Ben	Dem	KY	Krimm, Jennifer	04/22/11-04/28/11	$2,930.00
Connolly, Rep. Gerry	Dem	VA	Walkinshaw, James R.	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,930.00
Critz, Rep. Mark	Dem	PA	Mazonkey, Matthew Stephen (Matt)	11/05/10-11/12/10	$2,679.00
Hagan, Sen. Kay	Dem	NC	Peña, Roger J.	11/05/10-11/13/10	$2,159.00
Kissell, Rep. Larry	Dem	NC	Pfister, Zachary S. (Zach)	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,930.00
McIntyre, Rep. Mike	Dem	NC	Helms, Kaitlin	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,930.00
Moran, Rep. Jim	Dem	VA	Durrer, Austin John	11/05/10-11/12/10	$2,679.00
Moran, Rep. Jim	Dem	VA	Garofalo, Thomas M. (Tom)	11/05/10-11/12/10	$2,679.00
Nye, Rep. Glenn	Dem	VA	Ross, Daniel E. (Dan)	11/05/10-11/13/10	$2,509.00
Price, Rep. David	Dem	NC	Hildebrand, Asher Deva	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,930.00
Shuler, Rep. Heath	Dem	NC	Fishman, Julie M.	11/05/10-11/13/10	$2,679.00
Webb, Sen. Jim	Dem	VA	Reagan, Paul J.	11/05/10-11/13/10	$2,549.00

Pacifica Institute / West America Turkic Council

Congressman/Approver	Party	State	Traveler/Staffer	Dates	Cost
Coffman, Rep. Mike	Rep	CO	Mandelson, Paul Winslow	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,452.00
Young, Rep. Don	Rep	AK	Raabe, Aprille C.	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,452.00
Young, Rep. Don	Rep	AK	Suslavich, Jason R.	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,452.00
Bass, Rep. Karen	Dem	CA	Wood, Jennifer Punsalan (Jenny)	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,452.00
Filner, Rep. Bob	Dem	CA	Filner, Rep. Bob	04/15/11-04/24/11	$3,700.00
Grijalva, Rep. Raúl	Dem	AZ	Guerrero, Bertha Alisia	04/15/11-04/24/11	$2,452.00
Filner, Rep. Bob	Dem	CA	Filner, Rep. Bob	12/22/10-12/31/10	$880.00

Rumi Forum

Congressman/Approver	Party	State	Traveler/Staffer	Dates	Cost
Berry, Rep. Marion	Dem	AR	Causey, Christopher Chad (Chad)	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Boehner, Rep. John	Rep	OH	Herrle, Cynthia Anne (Cindy)	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,400.00
Coleman, Sen. Norm	Rep	MN	Navarro, Ana M.	08/16/05-08/23/05	$2,410.00
Davis, Rep. Susan A.	Dem	CA	Hazard, William Daniel (Daniel)	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Davis, Rep. Tom	Rep	VA	Bennett, Aimee Brooke (Brooke)	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,400.00
Fallin, Rep. Mary	Rep	OK	Weatherford, Austin Blake	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,400.00
Fallin, Rep. Mary	Rep	OK	Weintz, Alexander H. (Alex)	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,400.00
Grijalva, Rep. Raúl	Dem	AZ	Montano, Gloria I.	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Hensarling, Rep. Jeb	Rep	TX	Buchanan, Michael Dee (Dee)	08/16/08-08/23/08	$3,430.00
Jones, Rep. Walter B.	Rep	NC	Downs, Glen Alan	08/16/08-08/23/08	$3,400.00
Kind, Rep. Ron	Dem	WI	Spaziani, Kathryn J. (Kate)	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
King, Rep. Pete Rep	Rep	NY	Gundersen, Kevin	08/16/08-08/23/08	$3,350.00
Lucas, Rep. Frank D.	Rep	OK	Scott, Margaret Nicole (Nicole)	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,400.00
McCollum, Rep. Betty	Dem	MN	McCollum, Rep. Betty	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
McCollum, Rep. Betty	Dem	MN	Rashid, Lina Choudhry	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Meeks, Rep. Gregory	Dem	NY	Williams, Jihad Saleh (Saleh)	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Rogers, Rep. Mike	Rep	MI	Keiser, Andrew Justin (Andy)	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Royce, Rep. Ed	Rep	CA	Strupp, Hunter McLane	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Schmidt, Rep. Jean	Rep	OH	Bennett, Barry Patrick	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,400.00
Tancredo, Rep. Tom	Rep	CO	Houlton, Tyler Q.	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Thompson, Rep. Bennie	Dem	MS	Pluviose-Fenton, Veronique	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,390.00
Thompson, Rep. Bennie	Dem	MS	Salayandia-Darmanin, Marisela (Marisela)	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,390.00
Udall, Rep. Mark Emery	Dem	CO	Salazar, Alan	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Whitfield, Rep. Ed	Rep	KY	Sparkman, John Stephen	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,400.00

It is baffling that while the Rumi Forum spent at least $73,980 (and the actual value of these trips may be greater than the declared value) to pay for trips of Congressional staffers and one Congresswoman in the year 2008, nevertheless it declared on its 2008 IRS Form 990 $0 in expenses for "Payments of travel or entertainment expenses for any federal, state or local public officials." Even supposing that perhaps Congressional staffers are not legally classified by the IRS as "public officials," Congresswoman Betty McCollum certainly was. The Rumi Forum also declared $0 in "lobbying" expenses.

Does the IRS truly accept that all these Congressional trips are not lobbying, but rather just "educational"? Not to mention all the other activities that politicians are invited to - seminars, conferences, dinners,...