Most recent update of this page: September 08,
2021
KWE Disclaimer:
This page was created with articles that have existed in the public domain since 1984 and
thereafter.
Kopitke Out of Business in Nebraska
Kyle Kopitke faced the Nebraska court system on February 14, 2007, where judicial
officials gave Korean War veterans and other veterans a wonderful Valentine's present. Kopitke was
ordered to dissolve all of his "museums" in Nebraska, return all items to the original owners, and never
operate another non-profit in the State of Nebraska. Congratulations to the State of Nebraska for
being the only state in the whole Kopitke mess that had enough fortitude and respect for veterans to lower
the boom on the man the Nebraska Attorney General aptly called "a professional con artist."
According to an article on the All American Patriots website, Kopitke admitted that he violated the
Nebraska Nonprofit Corporation Act, the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and the Consumer Protection
Act.
Introduction
Kyle Kenley Kopitke is an individual known to move from location to location in the United States, purporting
to establish a "National Korean War Museum." At each location he solicits cash, real estate,
artifacts, personal property, and gifts in kind from veterans, the local government, and members of the
general public. Kopitke sometimes also purports to establish a "National Vietnam War Museum,” as well as
Civil War, World War I, World War II, Gulf War, Indian War, and "Calvary" museums using the same methods of
solicitation. Mixed in with each proposal for yet another war museum for his "Trail of American War
and Cultural Museums" is usually a promise to establish a local library on the museum premises.
According to newspaper accounts, it is Kopitke's policy not to answer questions about the financial
aspects of his museums. He receives cash and in-kind gifts from the museum's income and from grants
from host communities, however his policy is to not provide information about cash inflow or cash outflow,
including from where and how much money comes in to his organization or to where (or whom) and how much
money is expended.
The Korean War Educator is non-supportive of Kyle Kopitke's activities (1) because he is secretive about
his organization's finances, (2) because he has left a long trail of disappointed and angry contributors
(particularly veterans) behind him at each new museum locality, and (3) because Kopitke doesn't appear to
know thing one about historic preservation. The KWE strongly urges the public to be wary of Kyle
Kopitke's requests for money and artifacts. Nobody knows how much money is going into Kopitke's
personal pockets as compared to how much is actually being expended for the general operation of the museum
in question. Furthermore, if personal artifacts are donated via a "Deed of Gift" or some other
document that legally transfers ownership over to either Kopitke or one of his so-called museums, the gift
is probably not reversible, even if a donor later discovers that Kopitke's museum is not what he purported
it to be.
For a hard look at the questionable activities of Kyle Kopitke, the Korean War Educator recommends the
article, "Museum Developer promotes history trail," written by Joe Duggan. The article appeared in the
December 1, 2005 issue of the Lincoln [Nebraska] Journal Star with the following introduction:
"Live in a small community with a declining population and limited economic prospects? Got a
vacant school or nursing home? Kyle Kopitke has a pitch for your town."
Further information about Kopitke’s activities is listed below, including his arrest in June of 2006.
Special thanks to KWE visitor Bob Hittner who informed the KWE of the Furnas County court decision that
found Kopitke guilty of criminal trespass on August 15, 2006. If any visitors to the Korean War
Educator have other information about Kyle Kopitke and his associates, they are encouraged to contact
Lynnita Brown at lynnita@koreanwar-educator.org; phone
217-253-4620. This is especially true for anyone who donated or loaned artifacts to Kopitke's
so-called museum. Also contact: Steve Hix, Investigator, Nebraska Attorney General, 402-471-1816.
On December 01, 2006, the Nebraska Attorney General filed a civil suit against Kopitke for attempting to
defraud Nebraska's veterans. In an interview with the Lincoln Journal Star's reporter Joe Duggan,
Kopitke referred to himself as the "American Moses of American history" because of his trail of military
museums. For more information on the latest developments with regards to Kopitke, see the newspaper
listing of Kopitke-related stories found further down on this page. Information about this was added
to the list below thanks to a heads up from Andrew D. Callahan of Hastings, NE.
A Shocking Look
For an inside look at Kopitke's so-called museum to "honor" Korean War veterans, go to the
Korean War Project website. A friend of the KWP took photographs of the interior.
Table of Contents:
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Kopitke & Associates
- Kyle Kenley Kopitke was born April 10, 1957, according to the "Our
Campaigns" website.
- Kopitke is a native of Naperville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
- Kopitke is married with one child. His wife's name is Annie (Abello) Kopitke.
- A Honolulu newspaper identified Kopitke as an Army veteran. Another newspaper stated that he
served in the Army from 1975 to 1978. He is listed as Sp/4 Kyle K. Kopitke as 1st AD CDAAC 1977-78
on the Ferris Barracks (Erlangen, Germany) roster at
www.ferrisbarracks.com/index.htm.
- In 1984 Kopitke bid for a US House seat in Illinois, but failed to win.
- From 1985 to 1987 he served in the Peace Corps in the Philippines.
- In 1990 he ran for Salt Lake [Utah] Assessor, but failed to win.
- In 1992 he ran on the Democratic ticket for U.S. Senator from Utah, but failed in his bid for office.
At the time, he said he earned under $20,000 per year as a genealogist for the Mormon Church. so he
requested a $971 waiver for filing his U.S. Senate candidacy. According to an Associated Press
release on March 30, 1992, "Kopitke contends he is penniless. Deputy Lt. Gov. Howard Rigtrup told
Kopitke that he did not qualify because he has a job." The waiver was denied.
- He wrote the following about his 1992 political activities on his current (2015) website: "In 1992,
I defeated Hillary Clinton as I was outspent by the Clinton Campaign probably 20 to 1. At that time, I
was the State Director for the Jerry Brown for President Campaign during the Utah Democratic Primary."
- In 1995 Kopitke moved his family from Salt Lake City, Utah to Lake County, Florida.
- In 1996 Kopitke made comments about Lake County [Florida] property assessor Ed Havill that resulted
in a judge's okay (in 1998) for Havill to sue Kyle Kopitke for libel.
- On January 07, 1997, a filing was made with the State of Florida Division of Corporations for "The
Korean War Victory Museum and Memorial Corporation." (File #N97000000069). The registered agent
was listed as Kyle Kopitke of Clermont, Florida. Two directors were listed: Amado Abello of
Honolulu, Hawaii and Annie Kopitke (Kyle Kopitke's wife), 920 School Street, Clermont. The age of
the corporation was listed as "18 years, 8 months." The corporation was dissolved. No annual
reports were ever filed.
- In 2002 Kopitke ran for office on the Honolulu City Council in District 5, but failed in his bid for
that office. He received 15.08 percent of the votes (2,900).
- Kopitke was age 47 and president of the Board of Trustees of his museum in 2004.
- In 2002 he was a youth counselor with Hale Kipa, which offers a variety of services to troubled
Hawaiian youth.
- He is a former records consultant in the history department of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.
- In 2000, Kopitke charged $10.00 to visitors to his "National Korean War Museum" website.
- Webmaster of Kopitke's website in 2003 was Gerald Abello in San Francisco.
- Kopitke claimed that "Hollywood Superstar Mickey Rooney" had signed to play one of two Korean War vets
who visit the National Korean War Museum as part of a movie produced by Kopitke and his associates.
- In 2003 Kopitke began a search of eight different states asking for donated land on which to build a
"National Vietnam War Museum".
- Original museum trustees George Tracy (first president of the board of trustees), David Higley, and
Annie Lisetor were still associated with the museum in 2003. Other known associates and/or former
associates of Kopitke's museum board include: Jay Kim (first chairman of the board), Casey K. Choi of
Hawaii (former chairman of the board--now has nothing to do with the museum), Francis Pacheco of Hilo,
Hawaii (former chairman of the board). KWE is currently seeking the names of other board members or
former board members.
- On the Public Domain Television Shows website at
http://www.topiclink.com. Kopitke left a message (January 4, 2005) on the site bulletin board stating he was making a movie about
the Korean War.
- Kopitke and his family at one time lived in an apartment in the former Nelson High School building, 380 South
Maple, P.O. Box 132, Nelson, NE 68961. Phone 402-225-4117. All of his living expenses were
reportedly being paid by private donations and by the City of Nelson.
- At one point in time, Kopitke was a candidate for Nelson City Council.
- A Chicago Tribune article dated April 05, 2006, notes that Kopitke is a former suicide
prevention counselor.
- Kopitke ran for Nebraska State Representative (District 38) in the 2006 Primary Election. His
opponents were Tom Carlson and Wayne Garrison. Nebraska's primary election was held on May 9, 2006.
Of the 10,225 votes cast for this office, Kopitke received 357 votes or three (3) percent of the vote.
In 1992, Kopitke (D-UT) ran for US Senate but lost at the nominating convention. His total receipts
for the campaign were $1,378, with disbursements of $328 and ending cash on hand of $1,050 (see "Political
Moneyline" online). He was again a candidate in 1994, but either withdrew or did not run (see
Politics Directory of U.S. Senate Candidates at http://www.politics1.com/library/ussenate.doc - publisher Ron Gunzburger), Mr. Kopitke chose not
to respond to questions asked by area newspaper reporters to all political candidates in the 38th
District.
- On June 12, 2006, Kyle Kopitke was behind bars in a Fumas County, Nebraska jail, charged with criminal
trespass. Residents in Oxford noticed a strange car outside of the former "national Korean War
Museum" in Oxford. Kopitke was caught inside the building with a flashlight, attempting to remove
property. Kopitke's bond was sent at $1,000. According to the Kearney Hub newspaper,
first-degree trespassing is a Class I misdemeanor punishable by one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Kopitke pleaded not guilty. His arraignment was continued to June 26, 2006. On that date,
Kopitke pleaded not guilty in a hearing before Fumas County Judge Cloyd Clark. Kopitke was ordered
to stand trial on August 14, 2006. He was subsequently found guilty of criminal trespassing.
Sentencing was set for October 2, 2006.
- Furnas County Judge Cloyd Clark sentenced Kopitke to 90 days jail (less 3 days already spent in jail
at the time of his arrest), plus a $54 court cost on October 2. Kopitke appeared in court with his
court-appointed attorney, Roger Benjamin of Oxford. Fumas County attorney Tom Patterson argued that
Kopitke should be sentenced to one year in jail because he violated the trust of veterans. Kopitke
was released from Furnas County jail on November 26 on good behavior.
- On December 01, 2006, the Nebraska Attorney General filed a civil suit against Kyle Kopitke for
allegedly defrauding Nebraska's veterans by preying on their patriotism and emotions. See the
details in the Kearney Hub News (December 04, 2006), "Bruning charges Kopitke in frauds" by Amy
Schweitzer, Hub Regional Editor. See more information under Kopitke & Associates below. View
Newspaper/Other Printed Resources for a list of articles about Kyle Kopitke.
- Kopitke went to court on February 14, 2007, where he was ordered to dissolve all of his "museums" and
return all items to their original owners. He is forbidden to operate a non-profit ever again in
Nebraska. What a wonderful Valentine's Day present for Korean War and other veterans. The full
text of the Consent Decree can be found on the internet at
http://www.ago.state.ne.us/.
Further information about Kopitke's war museum activities can be found in a news article
written by Joe Duggan, writer for the Lincoln [Nebraska] Journal Star entitled, "War museum curator
admits to defrauding veterans". The article was published on February 14, 2007.
- In 2008, Kopitke resided in Flint, Michigan.
- Kyle Kopitke was working as a HUD Community Planning and
Development Specialist out of Flint, Michigan in late 2011.
- He ran failed campaigns for various Democratic political
positions over the course of several years. According to
"Our Campaigns" website they include:
05/09/2006 NE Legislature 38 - Primary Lost 3.49% (-45.74%)
09/21/2002 Honolulu Council 5 Lost 15.08% (-69.85%)
11/05/1996 Lake County, FL Property Appraiser Lost 27.08%
(-45.84%)
06/13/1992 UT US Senate - D Convention Lost 1.60% (-68.06%)
11/06/1990 Salt Lake County Assessor Lost 47.57% (-4.86%)
09/11/1990 Salt Lake County Assessor - D Primary Lost 43.65%
(-12.71%)
03/20/1984 IL District 13-R Primary Lost 1.10% (-28.64%)
- On August 1, 2012, Kopitke filed "Kyle Kenley Kopitke Films LLC" as a Limited Liability
Company in Michigan (file #D7891A).
- In 2013 he was in the film production business, operating
"Kyle Kenley Kopitke Films, LLC" based in Flint. On the
company's website Kopitke claimed that one of the highlights of
his life was: "Being Museum Director of the National Korean
War Museum and the Vietnam War National Museum (both of which
were closed down under curious circumstances; ah; another movie
and book!)" Also according to his website, Kopitke was actively seeking cast and crew members for his 2013
feature films in development. He required potential cast and crew to find at least ten people to
watch the movies they appear in because that is how he says he raises funds for other movies. He
sought several actresses for a film
produced in Salt Lake City, Utah and Flint, Michigan in 2012.
According to his casting call: "Compensation: Zero dollars but a
Screen Credit, an IMBD credit, and you say actual 'words' in the
movie." He noted that if potential cast and crew members
did not find ten people to watch his movie, they were "not a good
match" with his company.
- Kyle Kopitke was living in Flint, Michigan in 2015 and filed as an Independent candidate for
President of the United States in the 2016 election on September 17, 2015. (See Federal Election
Commission, Candidate ID #P60015419.) According to an article written by Damon Maloney for ABC 12
on September 23, 2015, Kopitke stated that he has a doctoral degree in public administration (Capella
University). The
same article noted that Kopitke is a self-proclaimed "radical environmentalist" who plans to impose a
wealth tax on Wall Street transactions to fund his $1 trillion dollar slavery reparation plan.
Maloney's article can be found on the Internet. His presidential campaign website is:
http://presidentkopitke2016.info/president_kopitke_2016. Kopitke claims to be the only top-tier
presidential candidate with "classical military experience."
- Kopitke unsuccessfully ran for President of the United
States in 2020 and has announced his candidacy for President of
the United States 2024.
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Utah
The "National Korean War Museum” was incorporated in the State of Utah in October of 1998, and registered
to Kyle Kopitke, 4068 S. 4265 W., Salt Lake City, Utah in 2001. Its officers were listed as: George Tracy of
Roy, Utah; Annie Lisetor of Salt Lake City, Utah; Kopitke; and David Higley of West Valley City, Utah.
George Tracy was the registered agent of the not-for-profit corporation. The file number for the
organization was CO214316 in the State of Utah Department of Commerce, Division of Corporations and
Commercial Code. The organization's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 87-0624297. It
became a federally tax-exempt nonprofit organization in 1999; however, the "National Korean War Museum" is
listed on Guide Star (www.guidestar.com), an informational website about the status of nonprofit
organizations nationwide, as a 501-c-3 private non-operating foundation. The definition of a private
non-operating foundation and the activities that it can legally conduct can be found on the following
website:
www.exempttaxlaw.com/CM/articles/articles17.asp
In January of 1999, Kopitke approached at least three cities in Utah, seeking land on which to build a
"national Korean War Museum." A news release about the project can be found on the internet at
www.swanet.org. It states:
CEDAR CITY APPROVES KOREAN WAR MUSEUM IN SOUTHERN UTAH 01/21/99
The city council has approved turning over land south of town to a group proposing to build a Korean
War museum. The 110-acre donation to trustees of the National Korean War Museum, unanimously approved
Wednesday night, involves land the Bureau of Land Management gave the city for public use. The group now
has a year to raise half the estimated $6 million to build the facility near Interstate 15 or the donated
land reverts to the city. Kyle Kopitke, spokesman for the non-profit museum organization, said his group
is poised to hire a Washington D.C.- based fundraiser to solicit funds from South Korean businesses. He
said the group will pay for bringing water and power to the site and for all maintenance costs. Kopitke
has told the council he expects as many as 250,000 tourists will visit the site each year. Visitors would
be charged a nominal fee, which would also be used to maintain the park. The Korean War Museum
organization approached the council only two weeks ago with its proposal for the park. The facility would
include a 63-acre parcel designated as the Valley of Sacrifice, bearing name markers for the more than
53,000 Americans who died and another 8,700 who are still missing as a result of the 1950-53 war. The
complex also would include a Garden of Peace, combat memorial statue and 33 Halls of Remembrance,
commemorating events from the war. One of the halls would be dedicated to the 213th National Guard Unit,
headquartered in Cedar City, which served during the war. Kopitke said his group has been pressing forward
quickly on the deal because it wants to have the museum open before June 2000, the 50th anniversary of the
Korean War. Cedar City Council members also felt pressed to come to a quick decision on the project
because there were several other Utah sites, including Panguitch, Beaver and one in Garfield County,
reportedly interested in hosting the museum.
In a letter dated April 22, 1999, Korean War veteran Conrad Grimshaw of Beaver, Utah, explained what
happened in his city. Grimshaw wrote:
"In January, this promoter named Kyle Kopitke approached all of the Southern Utah Cities regarding a
Korean War Museum. His presentation was for 100 acres of land to lease and later own. They had adequate
money to get it started, but would need additional money (about 3 million) later. Richfield and St. George
turned them down. Fillmore and Beaver were then contacted and then finally Cedar City. They mentioned that
a decision would be made within two months.
They met with Cedar City the day after Beaver, and then announced that Cedar would be the place. This
was done before we could get the Beaver vets together to explain. Cedar as usual, jumped on the bandwagon
and proceeded to inform the public that the Cedar 213th had won the "war”. But they didn’t have a gun. The
museum was to be built on BLM ground that was to be used for this kind of thing. To make my story shorter,
I have sent an E-net release dated March 19, 1999. This states that work would soon start with 320
volunteers erecting the small buildings, but money would now have to be raised. Cedar sent out a call for
all the 213th vets to come to Cedar for the opening of the project in February. I had gone south by that
time and the announcement came too late in the local paper. They marched, prayed, cried, and fired and
made a promotion video for Kopitke to take around to raise 6 million dollars. I think by this time Cedar
could see that they took "the bait” hook, line, and sinker and kicked him out a week later.
He then went to Fillmore and got the boot, then back to Beaver. I had to come up from my winter home in
Overton, Nevada, to attend bank directors meeting and was again invited to the meeting with the Chamber of
Commerce to hear his presentation (again) and see the video he made in Cedar to raise money. The Beaver
Chamber of commerce was also smart and told him to make his own deal for ground and show them the money,
and then maybe they could talk. It may have been a good idea, but I don’t think it will ever get off the
ground."
Kopitke and his family left Utah and moved to Hawaii, "to help the tourism market."
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Hawaiian Islands
On the Big Island of Hawaii's South Kona coast, Kopitke proposed a $6 million facility near Waikaloa.
Plans were to build a 14-acre museum on part of a 3,000-acre commercial, golf, and housing project on land
donated by John Baldwin to honor his father and his uncle who fought on the Korean peninsula. A
fund-raiser dinner was held on August 29, 2001, at the Ala Moana Hotel to "drum up interest in the museum."
Among the guest speakers at the fund-raiser were Harley Coon, national president of the Korean War Veterans
Association, and two Medal of Honor recipients. According to the Honolulu Star Bulletin Hawaii News,
the "National Korean War Museum" had 26 trustees. Among the 26 were Kyle Kopitke, Sharon Har, James
Ward, and Casey Choi. Kopitke said, "Rather than spend $15 million for one large museum building,
we're looking at building a small South Korean village with 38 halls, each with a separate theme focusing on
various elements of the Korean War." The 38 halls were to be a reference to the 38th parallel which
divides North and South Korea.
Plans to develop a national Korean War Museum on Hawaii did not materialize, but in February of 2004,
Kopitke opened a "National Korean War Museum” on the island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands. The museum was
housed in a 1940s-era Quonset hut located at 235 Kellogg Street in Wahiawa. According to newspaper accounts
of the official opening, the museum was "a work in progress with dangling wires, incomplete murals and
yet-to-be installed attractions.” A description of the museum appeared in the November 22, 2003
"National Korean War Museum Weekly Update." It said:
"The National Korean War Museum is housed in The Historic Wahiawa Armament Quonset Hut. The area
of the Quonset Hut is 200 feet long and fifty feet wide, and sits on nearly 25,000 square feet. It
was built in 1943 and was used during World War II and the Korean War chapter of the Cold war as a bomb
making armament center. It is located about two miles away from Schofield Barracks."
By August of the same year, newspaper articles announced that Kopitke’s museum was struggling. "The World
War II-era Quonset hut in which the museum is located is the target of a foreclosure action and is set to be
auctioned by a court-appointed commissioner on August 2…. A retired sailor who refinanced his home to
invest $200,000 to help bankroll the museum says he lost his house in the deal and isn’t sure if or when
he’ll see his money again. Meanwhile, the museum is struggling financially, attendance has slowed to a
trickle, and the company that bought the building last year is trying to have the museum operator evicted.”
By May of 2004, Associated Press articles noted that the "National Korean War Museum” in Hawaii was "running
out of room” and in need of a mainland location for a "sister museum.” The AP writer said that the museum
board was looking at land at 70 closed military bases.
An article in the Honolulu Advertiser told of a different problem other than "running out of room."
It told of a conflict between Kopitke and a woman named Maria Abello.
"Abello, who Kopitke says is his sister-in-law, was contracted by him to buy the property and manage a
fund-raising campaign on behalf of the museum. The plan, he said, was for the museum to eventually
buy the property from Teancum, giving Abello a profit of around $200,000. But Abello, who put
$200,000 down on the museum property and says she spent $300,000 more developing the site, says Kopitke
used her to acquire the property, promising to release hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money to
her once the museum opened. Then, she says, he 'fooled' her into signing a building lease at $1 a
year for 99 years."
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Illinois
On December 06, 2003, Kyle Kopitke approached Lynnita Brown of the Korean War Educator via e-mail,
purportedly offering her a job with his "national museum." Brown is not an acquaintance of Kopitke,
and has never met him. At the time she received his letter, Brown was in the process of publicly exposing
the antics of the Harley Coon Administration of the Korean War Veterans Association. If Brown had
accepted the terms of Kopitke's offer, her objection to those antics would have been effectively silenced by
Kopitke, who is a friend of Harley Coon. Although Kopitke asked that the correspondence to Lynnita be
kept confidential, Brown wrote to him explaining that she was concerned that the welfare of Korean War
veterans might be compromised if she kept silent about the contents of that correspondence. She told
Kopitke that she planned to make his letters known to the public, which she did. She published his
correspondence on the KWVA Ad Hoc message board, and it now appears on the KWE. See the exchange of
letters below.
"Aloha Lynnita Jean,
How is the Goddess of the Korean War? Your hours of hard work, personal and financial sacrifices to
honor the Korean War Veterans is humbling. You have a gift from God with the written pen (or word
processor). What would it cost to hire you full time to work for our Museum?
What we have in mind is:
1. Helping to make our website the premiere website in the world for a pro American view of the war. We
would have final editorial approval over content – word for word.
2. Editor of our written magazine—something like the Graybeards; one option on the table is just to do
a ten page insert in each issue. I think as KWVA passes into the years, we might end up being the
publisher. How many KWVA Vets will be active and alive in ten years?
3. I also envision some grant writing. The grant writing would be tied into some sort of bonus system
for grants received that you author.
4. The National Museum will publish the "Official History of the Korean War”; I am writing it; I need a
co-author to do 90% of the work so I can take credit for 50% of it! I would have final content say.
5. We will also produce the definitive dvd/video series on the Korean War. The best one out there now
is Fire and Ice, but it is to [sic] anti-Veteran according to some Vets. They have expressed their desire
to have one more positive.
We expect to open the National Korean War Museum on December 30th. We still have a long way to go, but
we are getting there. I will send you our email weekly update, and add you to our list.
Regardless, if we can ever come to terms, we would like to honor you by placing a poster of you and
your family in one of our Galleries. I recommend you take a color family photo to Kinkos, have it blown up
on canvass special stock to a 22 x 28 size; then send it in a roll tub [sic]. We will cover the framing
here on our end. I think Kinkos charges about $100-$150 for a canvass 22 by 28 inch poster. I will write
the verbiage to go next to the poster; I will run it by you first.
We expect to open about 50% complete in December, and build from their [sic]; I expect that in
February, we would hope to have the funds to bring you on full time; perhaps as early as January.
As you are aware, the folks at the Illinois Korean War Museum are talking about shutting down; I am
proposing to their Board, that we recognize, all of their donors, at our Museum. As you are certainly
aware, there have been over 30 different attempts to start a national museum over the last fifty years;
all were honest efforts; all raised money; all failed. We want to honor all of those that helped by giving
the various efforts that did not make it.
We do not want you necessarily to stop your KWE project; your work for us would be slanted to a heavy
pro USA theme, whereas your KWE is straight as you see it. Our site will not say anything negative—people
can go elsewhere for that. Critics will call us "biased”—and we will be proud of it.
It was a shame what they did to you at the Illinois Museum; that is the world of nonprofit; sad the day
when the very founder that sacrificed, so much gets the ax [sic]. Understand Jeremy finally left. No
comment from me about him.
Do you have any suggestions of how to approach Bob and the other Board members about acquiring their
collection? About the only thing keeping their effort alive is the drive of the paid employee, but I don’t
see money coming in at a level to sustain her salary for too long.
Frankly Lynnita Jean, some of our Board members have some concerns about loyalty issues; we see that
whenever Lynnita Jean does something, she does it 100%--even when she goes after someone—like Harley. I
think we would have to have some clear understandings about in-house laundry if you work for us.
Lynnita Jean, you are obviously a free spirit, with great passions and gifts from God. I know of no one
with your intensive drive about the Korean War. You would make a great full time employee; working out of
your home for us.
Would you prefer to be an "employee” or a "contract worker”? Employees have health insurance. Although
we would consider purchasing it for you as a contract worker. A contract worker has much better tax
breaks; you can deduct so much.
There is a small possibility that after we are open, we would help fund the Illinois effort, but the
negative opinion it has now in the Veteran community makes it hard. I was born and raised in Illinois, so
naturally I would love to see one there. I love Hawaii but do miss so heartily the gentle meadows of my
beloved Illinois.
The other issue we would have to deal with is Vince [Krepps] and Harley [Coon]. Harley has been good to
us. We cannot afford to get in between a cat fight. We respect that, as Lincoln said, "Good people do not
always agree.” From the view of our Board, which is certainly strongly held by myself—organizational
infighting happens to just about every organization. Disagreements happen, people get offended and so
forth. Certainly with 16,000 members, there is going to be some strong personalities who feel they could
do better, or that the organization should be run differently. We love and pray for everyone; we are just
trying to build a Museum. We have positive relationships with folks on both sides of the fence.
Some of the nicest, most hardworking people I have known were waitresses. I respect your job, but we
need your skills to build a National Museum website, write Korean War books, write grants; so do please
let us know if you are available and what type of compensation you are looking for. Our website is
nkwm-hi.org.
I hope you will respect, that this email is to you, and for you alone, and that my opinions are
expressed in confidence to you, and I do not wish you to share them with anyone. I have spoken frankly and
with great candor; things I have said could be taken out of context or in the wrong light. I root for
everyone; I pray for the mercy of The Lord Jesus Christ and wish it for everybody. Please do not forward
this email to anyone—or post it anywhere. The dealings we (our board) have with the KWVA, and the Illinois
Board are in a very sensitive stage.
You have a great website; your site makes us look sick. Old Zimmerman, in the old days had one of the
greatest sites I ever saw. Now there was talent; wonder whatever happened to him. We are looking for a
webmaster; the fellow helping out is in CA; takes 60 days to post photos (partly our error). We are
grateful for his hours of sacrifice, and he is a great guy, but it is not fair to him, or us to run a site
that needs to be updated weekly from long distance.
In hindsight, I think the Illinois [museum] should have put you on as paid staff, so that you could
have devoted the necessary time to the organization. I am aware you spent thousands of hours volunteering;
but they should have paid you. All functioning non profits have paid staff. Great to have volunteers; but
you need paid staff to glue it together.
I will forward our weekly email update right behind this one.
Thank you once again of the countless hours of sacrifice and hard work towards establishing a shrine of
honor for our Korean War Veteran Heroes.
God Bless,
Kyle Kopitke"
Brown responded to Kopitke’s letter on December 06, 2003, with the following e-mail letter:
"I have reviewed your letter carefully, and I must decline to be either an actual or a contractual
employee of the National Korean War Museum in Hawaii. There are too many conflicts of opinion that cannot
be resolved.
(1) It would not be possible for me to help make your website the premier website in the world, because
that is my personal goal for the Korean War Educator Foundation's website. The KWE is already massive, and
will at least double in size by the end of next year. For me to work toward the same goal for your
company's website would be extremely inappropriate.
(2) I would never do 90% of the work for an "Official History of the Korean War" (or anything) so that
someone else can take 50% of the credit. I already experienced that with the Korean War Museum in
Illinois. Once bitten, twice shy.
(3) I have not heard that the Korean War Museum in Illinois is shutting down. They're still accepting
veterans' money, still advertising, and still receiving artifacts into their collection. I would not be
surprised if it folds, however. Houses built on lies tend to crumble eventually.
(4) As for loyalty issues, let me make this perfectly clear to you and your board: My first loyalty is
now, and always will be, to Korean War veterans. If your "in-house laundry" would happen to also be "dirty
laundry" that might in any way be harmful to Korean War veterans--and I found out about it--I most
definitely would not keep silent about it. Instead, I would scream bloody murder about it--in the most
vocal way possible. I make no apologies for that, or for my strong loyalty to Korean War veterans.
(5) Vincent Krepps and Harley Coon are two of the most dishonorable men I have ever met. You and your
board can kiss up to them all you want to, but I will not. There is nothing "good people" about either one
of them. If you think otherwise, you're kidding yourself.
As you see from all of the above, I would be entirely unsuitable as an employee of your organization.
Thank you for asking, however. Best wishes to you in your endeavors. - Lynnita Jean Brown
The decision to publish the above letter did not come easy for Brown, and she notified Kyle Kopitke on
December 28, 2003, that she had decided to make his letter known to the public. Her notification
letter to Kopitke follows:
Kyle, after nearly a month of personal, ethical debate with myself, I have decided to publish the
e-mail message that you sent to me on December 6th. I will be publishing it on the KWVA-Ad-Hoc message
board, along with the reply that I sent to you the next day. Your comments about "in-house laundry",
Harley Coon, Vincent Krepps, and the Illinois museum have greatly troubled me since you sent the message.
Because I am a person of high integrity, persons who send me e-mail messages in confidence have heretofore
been assured that I will not break that confidence. However, I am afraid that your December 6th message
stepped over the bounds of that reasonable expectation when you shared comments that have given me reason
to believe that Korean War veterans ought to be concerned about the museum in Hawaii, Coon, Krepps, and
the Illinois museum.
As I told you in reply, my first loyalty is to Korean War veterans. I protect them as best as I can
from harm's way. The Korean War Educator has no "in-house laundry" to hide from Korean War veterans. If
you are on the up and up, why should the National Korean War Museum in Hawaii have it? I also question the
"dealings" you say you have with the KWVA and the Illinois board. What dealings would they be? The KWVA
Graybeards magazine recently carried an advertisement from the so-called "National Korean War Museum" in
Tuscola, Illinois. There was no reference to its closing whatsoever. Instead, it declared that its first
permanent building will be built and open to the public sometime next year. (I'm skeptical, but that's
what the advertisement said.) Furthermore, I have a feeling that, in spite of your claims that the
Hawaiian museum has "dealings" with the KWVA, several KWVA national directors don't know a thing about any
such "dealings" (unless they are, perhaps, strictly between you and Harley Coon or someone else on the
council).
Although I have tried, I can find no member of the Hawaiian Korean War Museum with whom to discuss my
concerns. (Who are they, what are their telephone numbers, what are their addresses?) I did check the
Internet for some understanding of the legal ramifications for forwarding mail that the sender requested
to be kept confidential. In surfing the Net for answers, I also found that you have a direct tie (and I do
mean direct) to the failed Utah National Korean War Museum. Upon learning this, I contacted a Korean War
veteran in Beaver, Utah, who was present during the last meeting that you attended there before you left
town. He had nothing good to say about you, and he was shocked to hear that you have moved on to yet again
seek funds from Korean War veterans in another state for a "national Korean War Museum." He then forwarded
to me by U.S. mail a whole file full of information about your Utah efforts. I recall that the Utah
National Korean War Museum had a website that charged $10.00 per person to enter the site--something that
I found personally offensive.
I am so sick and tired of seeing Korean War veterans get ripped off. I might also add that the timing
of your letter was highly questionable, too. At a time when Coon and Krepps have gone out of their way to
damage my reputation and to try to quash my rights of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press, you
suddenly send a patronizing letter to me, offering me a potential salaried job with your museum on the
condition I remain quiet about "good people with differing opinions" and your "in-house laundry."
When one sends e-mail messages, one should have a reasonable expectation of privacy. However, when one
sends e-mail that contains information that hints of potential harm to another targeted individual or
group of individuals, I believe that one has lost that expectation of privacy. I hope that Korean War
veterans who are my friends will understand why I hesitated so long to make your message public. They
often send me confidential messages, and I have wrestled for nearly a month with the fact that, by posting
your "confidential" message, veterans might start to question my integrity or perhaps conclude that I will
not respect their own wishes for confidentiality. However, I feel that for me to continue to sit on your
e-mail message, knowing full well that potential harm could possibly await unsuspecting veterans, would be
much more inappropriate conduct for someone sworn to protect veterans. Such inaction on my part would
cause Korean War veterans to then really and truly have reason to distrust me. Hence - your message is
about to be posted on Don Finch's KWVA Ad Hoc message board. I am not happy with myself for having taken
so long to reach this decision, and I am definitely not happy with your letter.
Back to Table of Contents
Michigan
In August of 2004, Kyle Kopitke announced that Wurtsmith, Michigan (Iosco County) had been chosen as the
location for a "branch museum” and that the museum’s Board of Trustees had agreed to lease a
28,000-square-foot building at Wurtsmith that once was used as a headquarters by the U.S. Air Force. The
lease was said to be for ten years with two five-year options. Kopitke said he planned to move some of the
holdings from the "National Korean War Museum in Hawaii” to Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport. He also said that he
was hoping for enough donations to pay for airfare for him and his family to fly to Oscoda from Hawaii.
According to an Arkansas newspaper, authorities in Oscoda had offered an estimated $100,000 in local
incentives to encourage Kopitke to set up his museum at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Iosco County,
Michigan. More details can be found in a newspaper article entitled, "National Korean, Vietnam War Museum
Moving to Wurtsmith." Jim Dunn of the Oscoda, Michigan, Oscoda Press, wrote an article saying that
Kopitke’s organization had backed out of its agreement with the city of Oscoda after the airport authorities
declined to subsidize the museum with further concessions to Kopitke. "He never even made a visit here,”
said Thom Salter, airport manager.
Back to Table of Contents
Arkansas
According to an article in the Honolulu Advertiser in August of 2004, not only was Kopitke having serious
discussions with the Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport Authority, but he was also talking with authorities at the
Arkansas Aeroplex, formerly Blytheville Air Force Base. A Blytheville, Arkansas newspaper noted that Kopitke
had approached Aeroplex representatives in December of 2003 regarding establishing a "National Vietnam War
Museum” in Blytheville. However, Kopitke chose Wurtsmith over Blytheville because, although the
Arkansas location was a more populated area, Wurtsmith offered a low-cost building lease, proper zoning, and
a facility that was up to code. Kopitke said that he planned to include Vietnam War displays at the
Oscoda/Blytheville sites.
On August 22, 2004, the Blytheville Courier News carried a story that stated that Kopitke’s proposal to
the Blytheville-Gosnell Regional Airport Authority was turned down. Kopitke added that, "if an agreement
cannot be reached with the new owners of the property, he has several backup locations to which he can move
the facility.” Joe Gurley, executive director of the Arkansas Aeroplex, said there were no active
negotiations currently taking place with Kopitke to bring either the Korean War or Vietnam War Museum to
Blytheville.
Back to Table of Contents
New York
The board of trustees of the "National Korean War Museum” then eyed the former Air Force Base at
Plattsburgh, New York, as the possible site of its museum once it moved out of Oahu. "They need to move this
summer, and I’d very much like to accommodate them in Plattsburgh, and I think we can,” said Assemblyman
Chris Ortloff, who communicated with Kopitke. "We’re exploring our options,” Kopitke said. "Plattsburgh has
played a significant role in American history,” he said. "I think Plattsburgh could be an ideal match.” In
an article in the Press Republican, Ortloff said a building on the Old Base near the Battle of Plattsburgh
Association site might work, and there was another structure on New York Road that could be used. "We have
to make some quick decisions; we really haven’t had more than a week to think about it,” Ortloff said. "I
hope we can take advantage of this windfall opportunity and turn it into something positive for everybody.”
But the "National Korean War Museum” did not end up in Plattsburg.
Back to Table of Contents
Oklahoma
After Plattsburg, Kopitke looked to Carmen, Oklahoma, where there was a 30-year old former high school
building that he considered as a site for his "national museum.” He by-passed this site, electing to move
the museum to Oxford, Nebraska, instead.
Back to Table of Contents
Louisiana
Alexandria, Louisiana was another one of the possible sites that Kyle Kopitke was looking at to house his
museum facility. However, at the same time that he dropped the idea of going to Plattsburg, NY and
Blytheville, AR, he also chose to drop Alexandria from his selection process. See Oscoda Press, July
21, 2004.
Back to Table of Contents
Nebraska
Oxford
In Oxford, Kopitke’s museum held a "grand reopening” in April of 2005. The location for the museum was a
former nursing home located at 404 W. Derby Street in Oxford, Nebraska, owned by Lantis Enterprises in
Spearfish, South Dakota. The building had over 40,000 square feet of gallery display space. According
to the McCook Daily Gazette, Kopitke said he chose Oxford because the community "offered us relocation
incentives such as a utility grant and flight tickets from Hawaii.” Thanks to volunteer labor, the
museum opened in Oxford in April of 2005. Kopitke closed the museum in Oxford in September, claiming
it was only "closed for the winter." But the McCook Daily Gazette said that "at the same time, he [Kopitke]
wanted Oxford to donate a former hospital building so he could expand the museum. If the village
declined, he might be forced to move the Korean War Museum." Kopitke now owes the village of Oxford
hundreds of dollars in delinquent utility bills. "Most of the building's utilities have been shut off
for months."
According to the Lincoln Journal Star newspaper, "Village officials said unpaid utility bills were piling
up and Kopitke had made no payments to the nursing home's owner, who had agreed to sell the building for
$100,000." Some Korean War veterans who had donated artifacts to the museum in Oxford were able to
retrieve their donations before Kopitke left town. However, many of the veterans and members of the
general public who gave money and volunteer time in order to help establish the museum in Oxford are angry.
Their generosity was a loving tribute to those who had served and died in Korea, and they feel that Kopitke
violated their trust. Some of these disappointed former museum supporters have asked for local, state,
and federal authorities to investigate Kopitke's activities.
Kopitke was arrested on June 10, 2006, for trespassing in the old Walker Post Manor nursing home in
Oxford. He appeared in Furnas County court on August 14 to face charges of criminal trespass to
property. There he was found guilty of criminal trespass--a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to
one year's imprisonment and a $1,000 fine. He will be sentenced on October 2, 2006. For more
information, view the Hastings Tribune article "Kopitke found guilty of trespassing," written by Diana
Lambson. The article appeared in the Hastings Tribune on August 15, 2006.
Nelson
Meanwhile, Kopitke is currently [December 2005] involved with a "National Vietnam War Museum" in Nelson,
a village of nearly 500 citizens, located about 100 miles east of Oxford. His museum there is located
in a former high school building. The three-floored building is 26,000 square feet in size. It
houses 3,000 artifacts associated with the Vietnam War. At last word, Kopitke was to appear before the
Nelson city council in December of 2005 to "answer questions about management of the Vietnam War museum."
Prior to moving his Vietnam War Museum to Nelson, Kopitke conducted a site search for a host building and
land. According to the May 2005 issue of Rural News Bits, a monthly newsletter published by the
Partnership for Rural Nebraska:
"The Vietnam War National Museum is conducting a site search throughout Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and
Oklahoma. If your community has a 20,000 square foot building, with a minimum of two attached acres,
contact Kyle Kopitke at kkopitke@hotmail.com or 308-824-3408.
The Vietnam War National Museum development is being coordinated by the National Korean War Museum at
Oxford, Nebraska. The host site will need to be donated to the national museum, as well as provide an
economic development package. If your community has a vacant nursing home, school building or government
building, you may want to consider this tourism and economic development opportunity."
At one point Kopitke was being paid $10,000 for his services as a museum developer in Nelson. The
city gave him $30,000 in incentives to develop the museum in Nelson. The city provided a new,
two-bedroom apartment to Kopitke and his family inside the school building, and provided him with a used
car. An article in the Journal Star by Joe Duggan states:
"In Nelson, officials knew about Kopitke's past, but the City Council still voted 4-0 on May 18 to
approve a one-year contract, said Judy Schott, the city clerk. To protect the city's interests, one
council member, a retired sheriff's deputy, serves on the museum's board of directors and a local
accountant has oversight of financial matters."
Chuck Tuttle (ph. 402-225-4951) is the media committee chairman for the Vietnam War National Museum in
Nelson, NE. Sherone Sader volunteered hundreds of hours to that museum, including many hours as
webmaster to the Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Museum website, but has since ceased working with Kopitke
for a number of reasons.
Edgar
On November 30, 2005, an article in the Journal Star newspaper in Lincoln, Nebraska announced that Kopitke's "National Korean War Museum" was on the move again--this time to Edgar, a village of 539 in Clay
County, about 90 miles from Lincoln. Kopitke plans to open the museum in a 125-year old former high
school building that has been vacant since the late 1960s. He got the building for $1.00 from the
village of Edgar, and claims that the museum will be "a stop on his Trail of American Military Museums."
Dave Warren of the Clay County News in Nebraska wrote an article about Kopitke that was published on
March 30, 2006. "Korean War Museum founder answers questions and defends museum's move" can be found
at the following url:
http://www.claycountynewsonline.com/index.php?article=20051228145748.
Trumbull
The KWE was notified on December 14, 2005, that Kyle Kopitke was making inquiries into the possibility of
establishing an "American Revolutionary War Museum" in an old school building in the village of Trumbull,
Nebraska, located adjacent to Hastings.
Chester
In the Titan Tablet (the Superintendent's Notes of Dan Jantzen, Thayer Central Community Schools,
Hebron, Nebraska), there is a reference to another Kopitke museum in the "Unofficial Board of Education
Minutes and Minutes of Hearings" (September 12, 2005) for Thayer County. Kopitke presented a proposal
for the Chester school building and property, to be used for a military museum. No action was taken at
that meeting but since that time the school board advertised with a Salina, Kansas e-services advertising
company and have had offers up to $100,000--but not from Kopitke. According to Superintendent Jantzen,
the school board is currently anticipating an April 15 closing. Chester, population approximately 300,
is located in Thayer County on the Nebraska-Kansas state line where Highways #81 and #8 intersect.
Kopitke's Chester School Proposal is posted below the Newspaper/Other Printed Resources segment of this
page.
Back to Table of Contents
Other Cities
According to Joe Duggan of the Lincoln Journal Star newspaper [December 1, 2005], Kyle Kopitke is
negotiating with officials in four other towns to establish "a trail of small-town military museums across
the state that would be popular with traveling veterans and history buffs." However, Kopitke "declined
to identify" the towns.
Back to Table of Contents
Newspaper/Other Printed Resources:
Arkansas
- Blytheville Courier News, August 19, 2004, "War museum still looking for home” by Pat Ivey
- Blytheville Courier News, May 14, 2004, "Board nixes drag strip plans,” [report on meeting of
the Blytheville-Gosnell Regional Airport Authority Board] by Pat Ivey
- KATV Channel 7,
www.katv.com/news/stories/0504/149073.html, May 25, 2004, "Arkansas Site on List for Second Korean War
Museum”
Florida
- Orlando Sentinel, October 10, 1996, "Accusations Fly at Candidates' Forum", by Jerry
Fallstrom
- Orlando Sentinel, October 13, 1996, "Kopitke, Havill Race Takes An Ugly Turn", by Jerry
Fallstrom
- Orlando Sentinel, October 16, 1996, "Havill Says His Opponent Is Living Off Government"
- Orlando Sentinel, September 23, 1998, "Havill Gets OK to Sue for Libel", by David Damron
Hawaii
- Starbulletin.com, September 8, 2002, "Honolulu City Council Kapahulu-Kakaako." See also "Starbulletin.com
2002 Primary election results", September 21, 2002, on the internet.
- Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Hawaii News, Sunday, August 19, 2001, "Isle Korean War Museum Urged” by
Gregg K. Kakesako
- CHN News, www.chn.ir/english, July 18, 2004, "Korea War museum
struggles
- HonoluluAdvertiser.com, May 25, 2004,
"Wahiawa museum seeking to expand” by the Associated Press
- HonoluluAdvertiser.com, August 10,
2004, "Korean War museum losing housing options,” by Rod Ohira
- HonoluluAdvertiser.com, September 10,
2004, "Korean War items to be stored after foreclosure sale” by Rod Ohira
- HonoluluAdvertiser.com, October 11,
2004, "Museum hoping to relocate,” by Will Hoover
- KGMB 9 News Investigative Reports, July 16, 2004, "Korean War Museum Controversy". See
http://kgmb.com/kgmb/display.cfm?storyID=1599&sid=1209.
- KGMB 9, April 10, 2005, "Local News". See
http://kgmb9.com/kgmb/display.cfm?storyID=4207&sid=1183.
- Honolulu Advertiser, December 05, 2006, "War museum head expects to prevail in fraud case"
Illinois
- The News-Gazette Online, October 7, 2000, "Korean War museum is in works for Utah” by Paul Wood
- The News-Gazette, Monday, February 23, 2004, Champaign, Illinois, "Korean War museums open in
Hawaii, Illinois” by Associated Press writer Matt Sedensky.
- Chicago Tribune, April 05, 2006, "Selling 'forgotten war'" by E.A. Torriero.
Michigan
- Everything Michigan, www.mlive.com, July 20,
2004, "National Korean, Vietnam war museum moving to Wurtsmith” by Eric English
- Oscoda Press, July 21, 2004, "New Korean War Museum to open this fall at Wurtsmith,” by Melissa
Miller
- Oscoda Press, August 5, 2004, "Korean War Museum backing out of Oscoda,” by Jim Dunn
- TimesLeader.com, August 10, 2004, "Money
problems endanger planned museum at former Iosco County Air Force Base” by Associated Press
- ABC12.com, September 23, 2015, "Flint Man Running for President as Independent Candidate," by
Damon Maloney
Nebraska
- McCook Daily Gazette, April 8, 2005, "’A pivotal victory’—Oxford attracts museum dedicated to
view U.S. won Korean War,” by Connie Jo Discoe
- The Washington Times, September 25, 2005, "Nebraska museum declares U.S. victorious in Vietnam"
by Jennifer Harper
- JournalStar.com, Lincoln Journal Star,
Lincoln, Nebraska, November 30, 2005, "Korean War museum moves to Edgar, curator says," by Joe Duggan
- Lincoln Journal Star, December 1, 2005, "Museum Developer promotes history trail," by Joe
Duggan
- Lincoln Journal Star, December 06, 2006, "Judge
Considers Restraining Order Against Museum Curator" by
Clarence Mabin
- Clay County News, December 28, 2006, "Korean War Museum founder answers questions and defends
museum's move," by Dave Warren. See:
http://www.claycountynewsonline.com/index.php?article=20051228145748.
- Titan Tablet, October 2005, Superintendent's Notes, "Unofficial Board of Education Minutes and
Minutes of Hearings,"
http://www.tccs.esu6.org/titantablet.htm.
- Rural News Bits, May 2005, a monthly newsletter published by the Partnership for Rural
Nebraska. See "Tidbits" at http://www.ianr.unl.edu/cari/bits/bits_may05.htm.
- Kearney Hub, June 13, 2006, "Police Arrest Former Curator" by Amy Schweitzer, Hub Regional
Editor
- Omaha World-Herald, June 13, 2006, "Museum Founder in Legal Trouble" by Paul Hammel
- Peace Corps Online,
http://peacecorpsonline.org/messages/messages/467/2034299.html.
- Hastings Tribune, "Kopitke found guilty of trespassing," by Diana Lambson, August 15, 2006.
- McClatchy-Tribune Business News delivered by Newstex to PJM News
http://news.pajamasmedia.com, "Museum Booster Gets Time in
Jail," by Paul Hammel, October 03, 2006.
- Lincoln Journal Star, "Bruning files suit against war museum developer," by Catharine Huddle,
December 02, 2006.
- North Platte Bulletin, "Attorney General says Nebraska man defrauding veterans," 12/02/06
- Kearney Hub, www.kearneyhub.com, "Bruning charges
Kopitke in frauds," by Amy Schweitzer, Hub Regional Editor.
- Associated Press, "Former Curator Charged with Defrauding Veterans," Sunday, December 03, 2006.
- Lincoln Journal Star, "Former curator charged with defrauding veterans," by Clarence Mabin,
December 03, 2006.
- Lincoln Journal Star, "Museum curator defiant in face of fraud accusations," by Joe Duggan,
December 05, 2006.
- Superior Express, "Museum curator facing civil charges,"
www.superiorne.com.
- Clay County News, "State Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against Edgar War Museum Director," by
Darren Ivy, December 07, 2006.
- Nebraska.TV, "Museum 'Con Artist' Put Out of Business," February 14, 2007,
http://www.nebraska.tv/news/local/5833666.html.
- All American Patriots website, "Nebraska Attorney General Bruning Puts An End To War Museum
Operations; Artifacts Returned to Veterans," February 15, 2007,
http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/m-news+article+storyid-19661.html.
- Nebraska State Attorney General, Consent Decree, http://www.ago.state.ne.us/.
New York
Utah
- C-Span.org, "Political Moneyline" (see Filers - Kopitke, Kyle Keneley)
- Salt Lake Tribune, "Vets get heartbreak instead of museums," by Matthew D LaPlante
- Salt Lake Tribune, "Alleged con artist resurfaces," by Matthew D. LaPlante, December 12, 2006
Washington, D.C.
- Federal Election Commission, September 17, 2015, Candidate Details, Candidate
ID #P60015419
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