Tennessee Law Office Linked to CIA Renditions

[Clara T]

Tenn. Office Linked to CIA Renditions
By WOODY BAIRD, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

(11-23) 16:13 PST Memphis, Tenn. (AP) --

The law office of Douglas R. Beaty sits in a small business park near the city's more prosperous suburbs. Nothing on the front door says anything about the CIA or airplanes.

<snip>

Spanish investigators say at least two planes that may have been used for such flights and made stopovers on the island of Mallorca were operated by Stevens Express Leasing Inc. Tennessee state records show that Stevens Express Leasing has the same business address as Beaty's law office. And Beaty is listed as a registered agent and assistant secretary for Stevens Express Leasing.

<snip>

In a recent report on the CIA's use of "extraordinary rendition," as the practice of moving suspects to third countries is called, The New York Times identified Stevens Express Leasing as one of several companies believed to be fronts for the agency's air operations.

<snip>

It is not uncommon to see Beaty's name on records kept by the Tennessee secretary of state's office. He is listed as a registered agent for more than 90 companies and has carried similar titles for more than 100 others that the state no longer considers active. More than 100 companies have shared his office address."All I do is real estate," Beaty said when asked about his law practice.

He was also the incorporator and president of a small company, Tenn-Ford Inc., that figured in a Tennessee political scandal. Beaty and former Rep. Harold Ford Sr., a Memphis Democrat, were indicted on federal bank fraud charges in 1987 and acquitted in 1993 after two trials. The government argued unsuccessfully that Tenn-Ford was a shell company created to funnel payoffs to Ford from Tennessee bankers Jake and C.H. Butcher Jr.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/11/23/national/w094209S94.DTL

[Gold Metal Flake]

1. Aw, yeah baby, bring it on home.

Drip, drip, drip...

[chalky]

2. recommended.

n/t

[texpatriot2004]

3. K & R nm

[Geoff R. Casavant]

4. This could also be either no big deal or very disturbing . . .

. . . depending on a few unknown facts (and I admit I haven't read the full article, just the excerpts in the OP, so this may be subject to revision):

1. The "no big deal" scenario: A "registered agent" is simply someone who lives in the state where a company is incorporated and is available to accept service of process in the event of a suit against the company. This person is not required to be an officer or director of the company in question. I can easily envision a scenario where an attorney setting up a corporation for a client simply names himself as registered agent, so that he remains aware of any legal proceedings against the company.

2. The "disturbing" scenario: Under Texas law, at least, there is no requirement I am aware of that requires the registered agent to consent to the appointment, or even be aware of it. I expect Tennessee law may be similar in this regard. So, someone else may be setting up companies and naming Beaty as a registered agent without his knowledge.

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. Damn. I knew there was something sinister about law offices in general,

but this blows my tin foil hat right off.