Sherman Skolnick
Encyclopedia
Sherman Skolnick was a Chicago-based activist.
At the age of six, Skolnick was paralyzed by polio, and he used a wheelchair
for the rest of his life.
Skolnick was founder and chairman of the Citizens Committee to Clean Up the Courts, which he started in 1963. He used the local press to distribute his reports, later establishing a telephone hotline, Public-access television
show on cable TV, and a web site.
Skolnick's investigations caused the resignation of two Illinois Supreme Court justices, Roy J. Solfisburg Jr. and Ray Klingbiel
, who, as Skolnick reported, had accepted bribes of stock from a defendant in a case on which they ruled. The scandal catapulted John Paul Stevens
, special counsel to an investigating commission, to fame as a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2001, the story became the subject of a book, Illinois Justice, by Kenneth A. Manaster.
Towards the end of his life, Skolnick served as co-host with Lenny Bloom for a Canadian radio show named "Cloak & Dagger." The show was taken off the airwaves, despite very high market ratings, following a controversial interview with former German
Defense Minister Andreas von Bülow
, in which Von Bulow claimed that the terrorist September 11, 2001 attacks
were an inside job
. Cloak & Dagger then became an internet podcast
, which subsequently relocated to a German
web server due to relentless hacking
attacks.
At the end of every radio broadcast, Skolnick would sign off with the following statement: "To Hell
with the Queen of England
!"
Skolnick's final written works include an 81-part series entitled "The Overthrow of the American Republic," and a 16-part series entitled "Coca-Cola
, the CIA, and the Courts." On radio podcast
with Lenny Bloom, much commentary was devoted to CIA drug dealing, the "9-11 Truth Movement," and also a belief that the Jesuit Order, through co-optation of the Vatican
, controls world events. His material is generally un-copyrighted. Other major collaborators with Skolnick and Bloom include Webster Tarpley, Stew Webb, Tom Heneghan, Eric Jon Phelps, and Ralph Schoenman.
The several subjects detailed above represent only the tip of the iceberg for Skolnick's wide area of expertise. Each article and podcast which Skolnick participated in contained many fascinating details covering a wide range of topics, overlooked by popular culture. He was, in his own words (usually attributed by Skolnick towards his radio guests), "a treasury of wisdom and knowledge." However, a criticism would be that he often made extraordinary claims without citing a source or reference.
Skolnick frequently referred to the mainstream media
as "the liars and whores of the oil-soaked, spy-riddled monopoly press." After his death in 2006, Skolnick leaves behind a number of like-minded admirers as well as critics.
At the age of six, Skolnick was paralyzed by polio, and he used a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
for the rest of his life.
Skolnick was founder and chairman of the Citizens Committee to Clean Up the Courts, which he started in 1963. He used the local press to distribute his reports, later establishing a telephone hotline, Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
show on cable TV, and a web site.
Skolnick's investigations caused the resignation of two Illinois Supreme Court justices, Roy J. Solfisburg Jr. and Ray Klingbiel
Ray Klingbiel
Ray I. Klingbiel was the Chief Justice of Illinois in 1956–57, and again from 1964 to 1967. In 1969, while Klingbiel was still sitting on the Supreme Court of Illinois, a major Illinois scandal erupted when conspiracy theorist Sherman Skolnick revealed that Klingbiel and Chief Justice Roy J....
, who, as Skolnick reported, had accepted bribes of stock from a defendant in a case on which they ruled. The scandal catapulted John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from December 19, 1975 until his retirement on June 29, 2010. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest member of the Court and the third-longest serving justice in the Court's history...
, special counsel to an investigating commission, to fame as a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2001, the story became the subject of a book, Illinois Justice, by Kenneth A. Manaster.
Towards the end of his life, Skolnick served as co-host with Lenny Bloom for a Canadian radio show named "Cloak & Dagger." The show was taken off the airwaves, despite very high market ratings, following a controversial interview with former German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Defense Minister Andreas von Bülow
Andreas von Bülow
Andreas von Bülow is a German writer, lawyer and former SPD politician. He has been working on books about intelligence agencies, including In the Name of the State. CIA, BND and the criminal machinations of secret services. and The CIA and September 11...
, in which Von Bulow claimed that the terrorist September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
were an inside job
Inside job
Inside job refers to a crime committed by a person with a position of trust, such as insider trading.Inside job may also refer to:* Inside Job , a 2005 novella by Connie Willis* Inside Job , a 2000 studio album by Don Henley...
. Cloak & Dagger then became an internet podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
, which subsequently relocated to a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
web server due to relentless hacking
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
attacks.
At the end of every radio broadcast, Skolnick would sign off with the following statement: "To Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
with the Queen of England
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
!"
Skolnick's final written works include an 81-part series entitled "The Overthrow of the American Republic," and a 16-part series entitled "Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, the CIA, and the Courts." On radio podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
with Lenny Bloom, much commentary was devoted to CIA drug dealing, the "9-11 Truth Movement," and also a belief that the Jesuit Order, through co-optation of the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
, controls world events. His material is generally un-copyrighted. Other major collaborators with Skolnick and Bloom include Webster Tarpley, Stew Webb, Tom Heneghan, Eric Jon Phelps, and Ralph Schoenman.
The several subjects detailed above represent only the tip of the iceberg for Skolnick's wide area of expertise. Each article and podcast which Skolnick participated in contained many fascinating details covering a wide range of topics, overlooked by popular culture. He was, in his own words (usually attributed by Skolnick towards his radio guests), "a treasury of wisdom and knowledge." However, a criticism would be that he often made extraordinary claims without citing a source or reference.
Skolnick frequently referred to the mainstream media
Mainstream media
Mainstream media are those media disseminated via the largest distribution channels, which therefore represent what the majority of media consumers are likely to encounter...
as "the liars and whores of the oil-soaked, spy-riddled monopoly press." After his death in 2006, Skolnick leaves behind a number of like-minded admirers as well as critics.
External links
- Skolnick's website
- Sherman H. Skolnick Memorial at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...
- Interview with Skolnick