(Video: Gibson Guitar • Story: Tennessean.com)
Seizure of imported hardwood draws attention of lawmakers
U.S. Justice Department officials have requested a meeting with Gibson Guitar owners next week, while in Congress lawmakers continue to ask why the factories and offices of the longtime manufacturer of prized guitars were raided on Aug. 24.
Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz said he will meet with federal officials in Nashville on Wednesday to discuss the raids. Juszkiewicz said he is unsure where the conversation will lead.
In Congress, U.S. Fish & Wildlife officials have agreed to brief lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the next two weeks on the issue, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Brentwood, said Wednesday.
The agency oversaw the Gibson raids, with agents confiscating computer hard drives, and pallets of wood and guitars suspected of being imported illegally in violation of the U.S. Lacey Act, which bans the importing of environmentally threatened plants and animals. Read more here.
Video: Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar Corp., has responded to the August 24 raid of Gibson facilities in Nashville and Memphis by the Federal Government. In a press release, Juszkiewicz said: “Gibson is innocent and will fight to protect its rights. Gibson has complied with foreign laws and believes it is innocent of ANY wrong doing. We will fight aggressively to prove our innocence.”
Related: Guitars and the Law: Guns N’ Rosewood
