It seems beyond belief that, at a time when a conclusive answer to the Earhart riddle appears increasingly within reach, we must spend time and money defending ourselves from a groundless attack by someone who can afford to sue those who don't agree with his opinions. Although utterly without merit, Mr. Mellon’s suit must still be fought, and fighting lawsuits – even groundless ones – is expensive. We are therefore establishing a TIGHAR Legal Defense Fund to solicit contributions to help us meet the legal fees necessary to answer Mr. Mellon’s suit. There is now a simple “click here” feature on the TIGHAR website homepage to accept donations earmarked for the fund.
We tried to avoid this. As soon as we became aware of the complaint, TIGHAR’s legal team reached out to Mr. Mellon’s attorneys offering to get together to clear up factual errors or misunderstandings and arrange an amicable termination of the suit. I must tell you now that those overtures were rebuffed. Mr. Mellon appears to be intent upon continuing his suit. This is not a fight we sought, but with your help, it is a fight we’ll win. We’ll never be able to match the financial horsepower of our adversary but, with your support, we can bring a more valuable resource to bear – the truth.
Because you, the members of this Forum, have spent time and effort conducting important research and, in many cases, have joined TIGHAR and donated your hard earned money, it is only fair that you be given the opportunity to comment on this threat to all of our hard work. I am, therefore, opening this topic to comment and discussion about the Mellon lawsuit. I will not personally participate in this thread except to monitor postings closely to enforce the usual
Forum Rules.
In particular:
“Avoid ad hominem remarks: insults, stereotyping, sarcasm, or ridicule. If you have nothing objective to say, don't say it. Please pass over the character defects of other posters in silence. Deal with the substance of an opponent's position, not with the moral shortcomings, character defects, or motives of the other person. "Even a blind pig finds the occasional acorn." What matters is the objective content of a claim being made, not the claimant's qualities of character.”
Mr. Mellon has chosen to remain active on this Forum. Feel free to ask him questions but, of course, it his prerogative whether to answer.