Mark Hinkle - Bought for $1,000

by Melinda Pillsbury-Foster

I met Mark at a State Executive Committee Meeting while serving as a state officer. I believed our relations to be friendly and founded in mutual respect. I was therefore shocked when the following incident took place in 1998 while Mark was Chairman of the LPC.

In January of 1998 my then husband left me. Craig Franklin was not then or later an LP activist. Craig's interest in all politics is focused on finding an audience for his songs.

Divorces happen all the time. Groups normally ignore private matters and do not take sides since they expect the couple to say uncomplimentary things about each other.

I had signed up to attend the LPC convention, being held in Los Angeles, purchasing two full packages for myself and my daughter, Dawn. The next day I received a call telling me I was not allowed to attend. I was told the decision was made personally by Mark Hinkle. I called Mark directly to ask his reasons. Mark refused to accept my phone calls. I contacted an old friend who called Mark on my behalf.

The original decision was grudgingly rescinded. Mark, instead of apologizing, threatened me if I “caused any incident.” He again refused to either tell me what had been said or who had said it, something I believe he was obligated to do since he had inserted himself, uninvited, into my private life. I would not have willingly shared what was happening with Mark except for his extraordinary action in telling me I could not attend the convention of a political party I had served as an officer, Southern California Vice Chairman, for many years.

I later learned indirectly Michael Emerling Cloud had told Mark I was crazy and intended to disrupt the convention.  

Mark had accepted a donation of $1,000 for the LPC from Franklin just before he instructed paid staff to tell me I could not attend. Craig paid Michael Emerling Cloud $6,000 in the same time. I have copies of the canceled checks, produced during subsequent discovery.

Mark Hinkle's arrogance, his curious means of raising funds, and assumption of unilateral powers in matters over which his elected role gave him no discretion, disqualifies him for the position of National Chairman. Let him occupy his time in his present role as Libertarian Candidate for the 15th State Senate district special election instead.

Over the years I have heard an variety of stories, slanders, Craig has told about me. I have some on tape now, thanks to a few friends who understood the entirely unwarranted damage done to my reputation by the actions of Franklin and Cloud and the failure of anyone in the LP to ever ask me if any of these covert allegations were true.  

The experience refocused me on what is now recognized as a source of the problems with all of our institutions, the systemic abuse of power. Today I am in the process of starting work with several professionals, including a psychiatrist, a specialist in the field and about to publish a book on psychopathy, we are starting a resource center which will document how the condition has impacted politics, finance, all human institutions, and the personal lives of everyone a resource center

The previous year I had saved Craig from his non-filing of taxes. The article is here.

While I do not approve of taxation it is a fact the IRS treats not filing as a crime. As an individual I have the right to decide when and on what grounds I will make any stand for freedom. When Craig asked me to marry him one of the conditions was that he file past returns, he had never filed, and remain compliant. Craig committed fraud. He does not deny this publicly because it is provable. He has slandered me privately because he is a psychopath and slander and libel are normal techniques for the 1% of the population who lack a conscience. The lack of conscience in psychopathic individuals is neurological. For more on this visit the Hare.org. The characteristics of Psychopathy are available at LifeStealers.

I have publicly stated that Craig fits within the description of psychopathy using the Hare Guidelines. He does not contest this as he knows it to be true.  

Next Piece of the Story - What Cloud and Craig did in their continuing attempts to dispose of me and my disabled son.                   Throw Mama From the Train

Craig Franklin & Dan ODowd's Original Conspiracy