Last week on At the Core, we discussed a troubling form of government overreach that most Americans never even think about or don’t know is happening – civil asset forfeiture.
Under this system, law enforcement can seize your cash, car, or other property without charging you with a crime, without a conviction, and without proving guilt. It happens every day to law-abiding citizens.
On the episode, guest Dan Alban with the Institute for Justice shared the story of Kermit Warren, a church deacon from New Orleans, Louisiana. During the pandemic, Kermit took his life savings in cash to purchase equipment for his small business. He was flagged for purchasing a one-way plane ticket in cash, and federal agents seized every dollar of his life savings. He committed no crime and was not charged with one. They seized his money on nothing more than suspicion because he was traveling with a large amount of cash.
It took nearly a year of litigation to get his money back. In the meantime, he couldn’t expand his business, struggled to make ends meet, and couldn’t afford Christmas gifts for his grandchildren.
As devastating as these situations are, here’s the good news: States like New Mexico and Maine have ended civil forfeiture, requiring a criminal conviction before property can be taken. At AFA Action, we believe the government exists to protect rights, not violate them. No American should lose their property without due process.
I encourage you to listen to the whole conversation during the last segment of the episode and share it with others. This is an issue that deserves attention, because once property rights are gone, freedom isn’t far behind.
Listen to the full episode here.
Sincerely,
