Russell Simmons Slaps Lobbying Commission With Lawsuit

Russell Simmons and Ben Chavis filed a lawsuit against the State Lobbying commission in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan. The lawsuit request a probe of Simmons’ Hip-Hop Summit Action Network be stopped. "I am suing the state of New York for violating my first amendment rights," Simmons told AllHipHop.com. "I aint gonna let them […]

Russell Simmons and Ben Chavis filed a lawsuit

against the State Lobbying commission in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

The lawsuit request a probe of Simmons’ Hip-Hop Summit Action Network be stopped.

"I am suing the state of New York for violating

my first amendment rights," Simmons told AllHipHop.com. "I aint gonna

let them punk me."

The probe was sparked by the HipHop Summit’s

protest of the Rockefeller drug laws. Earlier this week, the State Lobbying

commission hit Chavis with a subpoena and said that Simmons would probably be

served papers in the future.

The lawsuit filed by Simmons requests the halting

of subpoenas and the eliciting sworn testimony concerning how they raised money

to hold their June rally at City Hall in New York.

The commission alleges the HipHop Summit Action

Network was engaged in lobbying and didn’t make the proper filings under state

lobby laws.

Simmons alleges that he was merely exercising

his free speech.

"I am not going to register with the government

or the lobbying commission just to express my opinion," Simmons said.