UCLA Grad Jonathan Assia Draws Community Scrutiny in Attempt to Silence Global Climate Change Activist Who Walked Across America
Los Angeles, CA, July 17, 2024 — Jonathan Assia, a UCLA graduate and the second attorney on a controversial case, is under intense community scrutiny for his role in attempting to silence climate change activist Jennifer Collins. Collins, best known for her cross-country walk to raise awareness for environmental causes, is embroiled in a legal battle over promised funds for the Earth SCHOOL program at Moffett Lennox Elementary.
The controversy began when a notable member of the Rockefeller family, failed to fulfill his financial commitments to the Earth SCHOOL program, part of a settlement agreement with Collins. The settlement agreement, which he has failed to fully honor, promised $115,000, but $97,000 remains unpaid, severely impacting the Earth SCHOOL program’s operations and resources for hundreds of students. The initial lead attorney in the case offered Collins a less than favorable alternative settlement, which notably excluded any earmarked funds for the nonprofit program.
This rushed alternative settlement proposal appeared to be an effort to silence the original settlement default after Rockefeller’s romantic affair with a younger woman, who was also a friend to Collins and purported to be an objective mediator. The scandal also involves allegations of potential fraudulent conduct by the younger woman who mediated the dispute while engaging in a secret romantic relationship with Rockefeller.
The lead attorney appeared to be trying to protect the younger woman and her mother, who allegedly interfered in the original settlement, from exposure and criticism about the duplicity and corruption. Both she and her mother were listed as protected parties on the alternative settlement and restraining orders, appearing as coordinated efforts to keep Collins silenced and prevent the exposure of potential corruption. When Collins challenged these actions, restraining orders were filed against her, including one from Rockefeller, one from the younger woman, and eventually, one from the lead attorney himself. Jonathan Assia and Carlos Becerra of renowned firm Nixon Peabody were then appointed to continue litigating the scandal.
It is notable that Assia, who has a background in mediation and alternative dispute resolution, is resorting to such extreme measures to silence Ms. Collins. Assia continues to face backlash from the community, who view these legal maneuvers as attempts to suppress Collins’ efforts to hold Rockefeller accountable.
The Earth SCHOOL program, designed to foster environmental stewardship among students, has struggled due to these financial discrepancies, with Collins highlighting multiple breaches of the agreement in a detailed letter dated June 5, 2024.
This situation underscores the urgent need for transparency and ethical conduct in philanthropic endeavors, ensuring that commitments to charitable causes are honored and those advocating for positive change are supported rather than undermined. It also sheds light on how the use of restraining orders should be reserved for parties truly in danger, not as a tool to suppress whistleblowers, activists, and journalists in an attempt to chill 1st amendment rights. Even more simply, they should certainly not be used as a tool for the wealthy to avoid the inconvenient truths of their sexual and philanthropic indiscretions.
