Russell Simmons and Ben Chavis filed a lawsuit against the State Lobbying commission in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan. The lawsuit request a probe of Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit Action Network be stopped.
"I am suing the state of New York for violating my first amendment rights," Simmons told AllHipHop.com. "I aint gonna let them punk me."
The probe was sparked by the HipHop Summit's protest of the Rockefeller drug laws. Earlier this week, the State Lobbying commission hit Chavis with a subpoena and said that Simmons would probably be served papers in the future.
The lawsuit filed by Simmons requests the halting of subpoenas and the eliciting sworn testimony concerning how they raised money to hold their June rally at City Hall in New York.
The commission alleges the HipHop Summit Action Network was engaged in lobbying and didn't make the proper filings under state lobby laws.
Simmons alleges that he was merely exercising his free speech.
"I am not going to register with the government or the lobbying commission just to express my opinion," Simmons said.
Source: allhiphop.com
"I am suing the state of New York for violating my first amendment rights," Simmons told AllHipHop.com. "I aint gonna let them punk me."
The probe was sparked by the HipHop Summit's protest of the Rockefeller drug laws. Earlier this week, the State Lobbying commission hit Chavis with a subpoena and said that Simmons would probably be served papers in the future.
The lawsuit filed by Simmons requests the halting of subpoenas and the eliciting sworn testimony concerning how they raised money to hold their June rally at City Hall in New York.
The commission alleges the HipHop Summit Action Network was engaged in lobbying and didn't make the proper filings under state lobby laws.
Simmons alleges that he was merely exercising his free speech.
"I am not going to register with the government or the lobbying commission just to express my opinion," Simmons said.
Source: allhiphop.com