ShaunCarter.com

Fred Harteis posted a statement at the IBOAI blog regarding his name being erroneously attached to a class action lawsuit filed by Orrin Woodward, Chris Brady and other TEAM members in the state of California that was recently dismissed.

Mr. Harteis appears to have suffered from damage to his reputation because of the lawsuit filed with his name on it. But his statement hopes to put to rest any speculation about why his name was removed from the suit before the case was completed. His statement can be read below.

“Since the various members of TEAM filed their lawsuit against Quixtar on August 9 in California, much rumor and innuendo concerning me and my family’s Quixtar business has run unabated. For my Quixtar business and the businesses of all IBOs in my group, I’ve made a concerted effort to stay above the banter and hostility that seems inevitable when people decide that litigation is the only way to resolve perceived wrongs. However, my name continues to surface in this matter and conduct is being attributed to me that is simply inaccurate and false.

To correct the record and misinformation currently situated in the public domain, the following facts are provided:

For more than 35 years the late William Abraham and his son, Rick Abraham (for more than 20 years) have been my attorneys. All of the Plaintiffs in the California lawsuit are and were well aware of the identity of my attorneys. I have never at any time spoken with D.J. Poyfair or any other member of his law firm, the attorneys who represent Plaintiffs in the California lawsuit.

During the meeting on August 9 that occurred at Alticor in Grand Rapids, Mr. Poyfair displayed a draft of the lawsuit to Quixtar in-house attorneys. The draft did not have my name listed as a Plaintiff. Later that day Mr. Poyfair and his co-counsel filed the lawsuit in California with my name suddenly appearing on the front page as one of the Plaintiffs.

At no time did I authorize Mr. Poyfair or any other attorney to include me as a Plaintiff in the lawsuit. Again, I’ve never spoken with Mr. Poyfair or any other member of his law firm. At no time did I authorize any other person, including any Plaintiff named in the lawsuit, to include me as a Plaintiff in the lawsuit. Moreover, neither Mr. Poyfair nor any other attorney for Plaintiffs contacted my attorney, Rick Abraham, to seek his authorization to include me in the lawsuit. Mr. Poyfair had met Mr. Abraham one or two months prior to filing the lawsuit and knew without any doubt that Mr. Abraham was my attorney.

Once I discovered my name was included in the lawsuit my attorney immediately contacted Mr. Poyfair and his co-counsel and demanded that I be dismissed from the action. Mr. Poyfair contacted Mr. Abraham and admitted that he had never spoken with me at any time.
I understand Mr. Poyfair has on more than one occasion brazenly suggested that he has me in his “hip pocket.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The foregoing facts should dispel any such notion.

It has become necessary to provide these accurate facts to diffuse any further rumor or ambiguity regarding my involvement - or lack thereof - in the lawsuit filed in California. The misinformation circulating since the suit was filed has and continues to cause damage to my Quixtar business and the businesses of many IBOs in my group, the tiresome ruminations about Christian morals and values notwithstanding.

To be clear, there are issues with which I am concerned that relate to the Quixtar business. I have raised these concerns with Quixtar and will continue to engage in meaningful dialogue with the Company in a businesslike manner. This is consistent with my practice throughout my tenure in the business. I am and will remain a Quixtar IBO and do everything I possibly can to assist other IBOs in my group to work through these issues and prosper.

Sincerely,

Fred Harteis”

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