A legal drama unfolded in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas involving Jewish lawyer Bernard Kleinman and his client, Charles Johnson. Kleinman filed a motion on November 18, 2024, to appear without local civil counsel on behalf of Johnson, who has garnered notoriety for his controversial views on Israel. In his motion, Kleinman claimed that Johnson was of “limited means” and that hiring local counsel would impose an “unreasonable burden” on him. This assertion, however, would soon be called into question.
Johnson has been embroiled in a legal battle with Point Bridge Capital, LLC, which accuses him of running a fraudulent scheme alongside co-conspirator Gator Greenwill. The pair allegedly posed as intelligence agents to solicit investments in technology companies linked to defense and intelligence sectors. Their tactics reportedly included threats to sabotage contracts if companies did not acquiesce to their demands for equity or favorable investment terms. This shakedown has allowed Johnson to profit from these ventures, raising eyebrows about his financial claims.
Just a day after Kleinman’s motion, Johnson took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to boast about his financial status, claiming he had the means to purchase the publicly traded company 23andMe, which has a market capitalization of $82.27 million. This post sparked outrage and skepticism among users. One user pointedly remarked, “Chuck Johnson is too poor to file local counsel fees ($1k max), and then a day later pretending he can buy a publicly traded company.” Another chimed in, labeling Johnson a “total loser.” Johnson’s response was combative, labeling one critic as an “Israeli spy” and threatening that his “time will come.”
Johnson has been critical of Israel. In a previous post, he said, “Israelis often use fake identities for their criminal conduct and that many of those operations are based out of Missouri.”
This publication is owned by Judiciocracy LLC, a Missouri limited liability company and is run by CEO and Publisher, Missourian Edward “Coach Weinhaus. Coach took the name ALAB from a former podcast of the same name after he was incensed at their pronunciation of the state’s name among other issues. Coach has been heavily involved in Israeli judicial reform commentary and was a war correspondent in Israel while leading humanitarian efforts for Gazan non-combatants. Coach denied he was one of the Missourians Johnson mentioned. Coach refused to comment regarding the sanctions threat against Kleinman.
The stark contradiction between Kleinman’s assertion that Johnson was of ‘limited means’ and Johnson’s social media claims raised serious questions about the credibility of both the attorney and his client. Kleinman, who has a history of defending high-profile clients charged with terrorism-related offenses, faced immediate scrutiny. His past includes representing notorious figures like Ramzi Yousef and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in federal cases.
Judge Mark Pittman swiftly responded to Kleinman’s motion on the same day it was filed, denying the request to proceed without local counsel. Judge Pittman warned that failure to comply could lead to sanctions.
The order reads:
“ELECTRONIC ORDER granting 6 Defendant’s Motion for Extension of Time to File Answer. Defendant shall file his answer or other responsive pleading on or before November 22, 2024.6 Defendant’s Motion to proceed without local counsel is Denied. Local counsel on behalf of Defendant shall appear within fourteen days of this order. Failure to comply with the Court’s Order will result in the issuance of appropriate sanctions. (Ordered by Judge Mark Pittman on 11/18/2024).”
This decision not only emphasized the importance of proper legal representation but also reflected the court’s unwillingness to entertain what appeared to be a dubious financial claim.
