Sam Sloan: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 21:26, 25 November 2024

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{{Short description|American perennial candidate}}

{{npov}}

{{Infobox person

| image = Sam Sloan.jpg

| caption = Sloan in 2014

| other_names = Mohammad Ismail Sloan

| birth_name = Samuel Howard Sloan

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|09|07}}

| birth_place = [[Richmond, Virginia]], U.S.

| alma_mater = [[University of California, Berkeley]] (dropped out)

| occupation = [[Broker-dealer]]

| known_for = Winning a case [[pro se]] before the [[U.S. Supreme Court]]

| party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (since 2023)<br/>[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (2014–2023)<br/>[[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]] (2002–2014)

| children = 3

}}

'''Samuel Howard Sloan''' (born September 7, 1944), also known as '''Mohammad Ismail Sloan''', is an American [[perennial candidate]] and former [[broker-dealer]].<ref name="Hallman" /> In 1978, he won a case ''[[pro se]]'' before the [[Supreme Court of the United States|United States Supreme Court]], becoming the last non-lawyer to argue a case in front of the court before it prohibited the practice in 2013. He has unsuccessfully run or attempted to run for several political offices, including [[President of the United States]].

==Early life and education==

'''Samuel Howard Sloan''' (b. [[September 7]], [[1944]]), also known as '''M. Ismail Sloan''', is an [[United States|American]] [[author]], [[chess|chess player]], and former [[securities]] trader. He is also completely out of his mind. While having no formal legal training, he once orally argued and won a case in front of the [[Supreme Court of the United States of America]].<ref>[http://laws.findlaw.com/US/436/103.html SEC v. Samuel H. Sloan], 436 US 103 (1978)</ref> In July 2006, he was elected to the Executive Board of the [[United States Chess Federation]].

Sloan was born in [[Richmond, Virginia]], and graduated from high school in 1962.<ref name="Hallman"/> He studied at the [[University of California, Berkeley]], where he became president of the [[Sexual Freedom League]] branch before dropping out.<ref>{{cite news |first=Michelle |last=Pitcher |url=http://www.dailycal.org/2015/02/13/brief-history-sexual-liberation-orgies-uc-berkeley/ |title=A brief history of sexual liberation, orgies at UC Berkeley |newspaper=[[The Daily Californian]] |date=February 13, 2015 |access-date=June 20, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Hallman"/>

Sloan began studying chess at age 7.<ref name="Hallman"/> In 1959, he was the youngest competitor in the National Capital Open Chess Tournament in [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Lone Woman, 54 Men Vie in Chess |work=The Evening Post |date=June 15, 1959 |first=Carl |last=Irving }}</ref> The [[United States Chess Federation]]'s database reports that he has played in 152 chess tournaments since 1991 and that his highest USCF rating was 2107 in 1997.<ref name=uschess>{{cite web |url=http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlTnmtHst.php?11115292 |title=US Chess MSA - Member Details (Tournament History): Sam Sloan |work=[[United States Chess Federation]] |access-date=2020-11-30 }}</ref>

He has been married five times and has eight children. He now drives a taxicab in [[New York City]] and is involved in organizing chess tournaments.

==Career==

====Biographical highlights====

Starting in 1968, Sloan worked for two years in the [[over-the-counter trading]] department at the [[Wall Street]] investment banking firm [[Hayden, Stone & Co.]] In 1970, he established Samuel H. Sloan & Company, a registered broker-dealer primarily trading over-the-counter stocks and bonds.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} The [[United States Securities and Exchange Commission|Securities and Exchange Commission]] (SEC) brought civil actions against Sloan & Co. starting in 1971, alleging he had failed to maintain adequate books and records, and revoked his broker-dealer registration in 1975. After years of litigation, he prevailed in a case against the SEC at the U.S. Supreme Court in 1978, arguing his case ''[[pro se]]''. He submitted a 175-page brief that ''The New Republic'' called a "singularly absurd and complicated document" with "far too many obfuscations and legal shenanigans".<ref name="Hallman"/> The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the "tacking" of 10-day summary suspension orders for an indefinite period was an abuse of the SEC's authority and a deprivation of due process. Sloan is the last non-lawyer to argue before the court, which prohibited that practice in 2013.<ref name="Hallman">{{Cite magazine|last=Hallman|first=J. C.|date=2020-06-11|title=When Mr. Sloan Went to Washington|magazine=[[The New Republic]] |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/158088/mr-sloan-went-washington|access-date=2020-09-11|issn=0028-6583|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715124126/https://newrepublic.com/article/158088/mr-sloan-went-washington|archive-date=July 15, 2020}}</ref><ref name="SEC2">{{cite web |url=http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/436/103.html |title=SEC v. Samuel H. Sloan 436 U.S. 103 (1978) |access-date=June 1, 2010 | work=findlaw.com }}</ref><ref name="Mauro">{{cite web |url=http://www.americanlawyer.com/id=900005532593/Building-a-Better-Advocate |title=Building a Better Advocate |first=Tony |last=Mauro |work=The American Lawyer |date=October 11, 2002 |access-date=June 1, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820172253/http://www.americanlawyer.com/id=900005532593/Building-a-Better-Advocate |archive-date=August 20, 2016 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="Yahoo">{{cite news |first=Jessica |last=Gresko |url=https://news.yahoo.com/only-lawyers-now-argue-supreme-court-083024863.html |title=Only lawyers now can argue before Supreme Court |date=July 1, 2013 |work=[[Yahoo! News]] |access-date=June 20, 2016}}</ref>

In the 1980s, Sloan assumed control of [[Ishi Press]], a digital and print-on-demand publishing company.<ref name="Hallman"/>

Sloan attended the [[University of California, Berkeley]] majoring in mathematics. At the time UC Berkeley was a center for student protest during the social unrest of the 1960s. Sloan became the president of the [[Sexual Freedom League]].

Sloan spent four years in the [[United Arab Emirates]] writing a chess column and running a computer store.<ref name="Hallman"/> In July 2006, he was elected to a one-year term on the executive board of the [[United States Chess Federation]] (USCF) after finishing in second place (the first-place finisher received a three-year term). In 2007, he ran for reelection to the board but was unsuccessful, finishing ninth out of 10 candidates.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} He subsequently sued two officers of the board.<ref name="mcclain1"/><ref name="mcclain2">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/us/24dispute.html |title=Settlement in Dispute That Riveted the Chess World |work=[[The New York Times]] |first=Dylan Loeb |last=McClain |date=January 23, 2010 |access-date=2020-11-28 }}</ref>

After leaving UC Berkeley, Sloan made a living trading stocks on [[Wall Street]]. The SEC brought civil actions against Sloan in [[1971]]-[[1975]] alleging he had failed to maintain adequate books and records. In 1975, the SEC revoked Sloan's brokerage license. After years of litigation, Sloan in 1978 prevailed in the U.S. Supreme Court. Sloan argued the case ''pro se'' (for himself) even though he was not an attorney. The opposing attorney was [[Harvey Pitt]], who was later Chairman of the SEC from [[2001]] to [[2003]]. Sloan won before the U.S. Supreme Court 9-0. Sloan is the last non-lawyer to argue before the court.<ref>[http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1032128704472 Building a Better Advocate], Tony Mauro, <em>The American Lawyer,</em> 10-11-2002.</ref>

==Political campaigns==

Sloan has written a book about the dialects of the [[Khowar]]-speaking regions of Pakistan. He writes that his first wife was a native of that region and their only child together, a girl, was named Shamema.

Sloan ran for the Libertarian nomination for governor of [[2010 New York gubernatorial election|New York in 2010]] against attorney [[Warren Redlich]] and former madam [[Kristin M. Davis]]. By his own admission, he was not popular in the party and did not expect to win.<ref>{{cite news |last=Karlin |first=Rick |date=April 23, 2010 |url=http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/25367/tomorrow-three-way-libertarian-smack-down-in-albany/ |title=Tomorrow: Three-way Libertarian smack-down in Albany! |work=[[Times Union (Albany)|Albany Times Union]] |access-date=April 23, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100426135808/http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/25367/tomorrow-three-way-libertarian-smack-down-in-albany/ |archive-date=April 26, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> He lost the nomination to Redlich in a two-way battle, 27 votes to 17, after Davis refused to show up at the convention.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

In January 2012, Sloan announced his candidacy for the Libertarian Party's [[2012 Libertarian National Convention|2012 presidential nomination]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2012/01/sam-sloan-announces-for-libertarian-party-presidential-nomination/ | title=Sam Sloan Announces For Libertarian Party Presidential Nomination | work=Independent Political Report | date=January 16, 2012 | access-date=January 26, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?P20004537 | title=Principal Campaign Committee:Committee to Elect Sam Sloan | publisher=[[Federal Election Commission]] (FEC) | date=January 2012 | access-date=January 26, 2012}}</ref> [[Gary Johnson]] won the nomination.

In 1986, Sloan fled the USA with Shamema and established a new home in the [[United Arab Emirates]]. In 1990, while he was away on business, Shamema was returned to the USA in a manner that was deemed a kidnapping by the UAE. He lost his custody rights to his daughter and, after a visitation incident in 1991, was convicted in 1993 in Virginia of attempting to abduct her. (Lynchburg Circuit - Criminal - CR91003195-00; total of 10 case numbers).

In November 2013, Sloan was on the ballot for the [[2013 New York City mayoral election|New York City mayoral election]], as an independent on the War Veterans line; he received 166 votes (0.02%).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://vote.nyc.ny.us/downloads/pdf/results/2013/2013GeneralElection/00001100000Citywide%20Mayor%20Citywide%20Recap.pdf|title=Statement and Return Report for Certification - General Election - November 5, 2013 |publisher=[[New York City Board of Elections]] |access-date=January 2, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nyccfb.info/public/voter-guide/general_2013/intro_mayor.aspx|title=2013 NYC Voter Guide: Mayor|year=2013|publisher=[[New York City Campaign Finance Board]] |access-date=2020-11-28}}</ref>

==Chess==

In June 2014, Sloan ran for the Democratic nomination for [[New York's 15th congressional district]] against incumbent [[José E. Serrano]]. Serrano won, 91% to 9%. Later that summer, he attempted to submit petitions for the [[New York 2014 gubernatorial election|2014 gubernatorial election]], one for the Democratic primary (with Nenad Bach as his running mate) and another an "ambush" of the Libertarian Party line similar to the one he attempted in 2010 (with [[Tom Stevens (Objectivist Party politician)|Tom Stevens]] as the running mate). Both petitions were ruled invalid.<ref name=rem>{{cite web |url=http://www.elections.ny.gov:8080/reports/rwservlet?cmdkey=whofiled |title=Candidate Petition List (PDF) |publisher=elections.ny.gov |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117211740/http://www.elections.ny.gov:8080/reports/rwservlet?cmdkey=whofiled |access-date=September 26, 2014|archive-date=2014-11-17 }}</ref>

Sloan is an high-end Class A [[chess]] player and chess journalist. He claims to have traveled to nearly 80 countries, primarily attending chess tournaments. Sloan finished second among non-Chinese participants in the World Championship of Chinese chess [http://wxf.hypermart.net/eg/wxf-masters.pdf]. Sloan writes that he also competed in Thai ([[Makrook]]) and Japanese ([[Shogi]]) chess. Sloan is also a longtime frequent poster to [[Usenet]] groups such as rec.games.chess.politics.

In 2016, Sloan paid $1,000 to enter the Democratic presidential primary in New Hampshire but was not nominated.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/01/25/the-existential-pleasures-of-the-lesser-known-candidates-presidential-debate/ |title=The existential pleasures of the Lesser Known Candidates presidential debate |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |first=David |last=Weigel |date=January 25, 2016 |access-date=2020-11-28 }}</ref> He was also a candidate in the 2016 Democratic primary for Congress in [[New York's 13th congressional district]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uselections.com/ny/ny.htm |title=2016 New York Elections, Primary, Candidates, Races and Voting |access-date=June 20, 2016 |work=uselections.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Patrick |last=Rocchio |url=http://www.bxtimes.com/stories/2016/25/25-13cd-2016-06-17-bx.html |title=13th Congressional district primary June 28 |date=June 17, 2016 |access-date=June 20, 2016 |work=[[Bronx Times-Reporter]]}}</ref> He received 197 votes (0.46%), placing eighth out of nine candidates. [[Adriano Espaillat]] won.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nyenr.elections.state.ny.us/ |title=NYS Board of Elections Unofficial Election Night Results |date=June 29, 2016 |access-date=June 29, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107220743/http://nyenr.elections.state.ny.us/ |archive-date=November 7, 2013 |df=mdy-all |work=[[New York State Board of Elections]] }}</ref>

===USCF special election 2006===

Sloan unsuccessfully ran for president again in 2020 as a Democrat.<ref name="Hallman"/> He later ran in the Democratic primary for [[2020 United States House of Representatives elections in New York#District 14|New York's 14th US congressional district]], one of several challengers to incumbent first-term Representative [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]], but lost with 2.2% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sam Sloan |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Sam_Sloan |website=[[Ballotpedia]] |access-date=20 May 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

In [[July]] [[2006]], Sam Sloan was elected to the Executive Board of the [[United States Chess Federation]].<ref>http://beta.uschess.org/frontend/section_111.php</ref> He placed second from a field of five candidates vying for two seats on the board that had been vacated by the resignations of former board members Greg Shahade and Timothy Hanke, resulting in a special election. Sloan ran on an outsider platform, stating that two of the five then-incumbents were former USCF employees and that a third had previously also done paid work for the USCF, and saying the board was supposed to be completely independent from the staff. He advocated a major expansion of scholastic chess, stating that the USCF should establish a program to certify school chess teachers. He also criticized the USCF's recent move from [[New Windsor, New York]] to [[Crossville, Tennessee]].<ref>USCF Board Candidates Statements, "Sam Sloan for USCF Executive Board", http://beta.uschess.org/frontend/magazine_124_28.php</ref>

Sloan appeared on the New Hampshire primary ballot for the Republican nomination for the [[2024 United States presidential election]], receiving just 7 individual votes.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Leonard |first=Collin |date=2022-12-01 |title=The strangest 2024 presidential candidates you've never heard of |url=https://www.deseret.com/2022/11/30/23460850/2024-lesser-known-presidential-candidates |access-date=2024-01-09 |work=Deseret News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Saperstone |first1=Jeff |last2=Palumbo |first2=Alysha |title=Key takeaways from Tuesday's NH primary: Haley vows to fight on despite Trump victory |url=https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/key-takeaways-from-tuesdays-nh-primary-haley-vows-to-fight-on-despite-trump-victory/3256706/ |work=NBC Boston |date=January 24, 2024}}</ref>

As second-place finisher in the special election, Sloan will serve a one-year term on the board (the first-place finisher will serve a three-year term).<ref>http://www.uschess.org/org/govern/SpecialElection2006.php</ref> Sloan's term of service began in August 2006, after the election was certified by the Board of Delegates at the USCF Delegates Meeting. [[International Grandmaster|Grandmaster]] [[Susan Polgar]] was highly critical of Sloan's election, accusing Sloan of having recently misrepresented himself as having been Polgar's business manager, and calling for a retraction and apology.<ref>Susan Polgar, [http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2006/07/serious-issues-with-uscf.html Serious issues with the USCF]</ref> She later escalated her opposition to Sloan's being seated on the board, calling (among other things) for the USCF delegates to refuse to certify the election.<ref>http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2006/07/you-can-protect-uscf.html</ref>

==RecentPersonal activitieslife==

Sloan has married five women.<ref name="Hallman"/> In 1976, he converted to [[Islam]] and changed his name to Mohammad Ismail Sloan, though he continued to also use the name Sam Sloan.<ref name="Hallman" /> In 1986, he was accused of kidnapping his daughter by the couple who had adopted her.<ref name="Hallman" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationmultimedia.com/special/shamema/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010215015926/http://www.nationmultimedia.com/special/shamema/ |archive-date=2001-02-15 |title="Kidnapped" US girl held in Bangkok |work=The Nation nationmultimedia.com |date=September 12, 1990 |access-date=2020-11-28 }}</ref> He was convicted of attempted kidnapping in 1992 and served 18 months in a Virginia prison.<ref name="mcclain1">{{cite news |last1=McClain |first1=Dylan Loeb |title=Chess Group Officials Accused of Using Internet to Hurt Rivals |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/08/nyregion/08chess.html |access-date=27 November 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=8 October 2007}}</ref>

== References ==

Sam Sloan has operated his website since the mid-[[1990s]], posting over 3,000 pages of information and opinion on a wide range of topics, including court transcripts that Sloan has himself transcribed into web pages for the many other cases that he has initiated and attempted to argue ''pro se''.

{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

In an [[April 30]], [[2006]], email to [[Michael Badnarik]]'s 2004 [[President of the United States|Presidential campaign]] mailing list, an individual claiming to be Sloan announced his intention to seek the [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]] nomination for [[Governor of New York]] State.

{{commons category|Sam Sloan}}

* {{Official website|http://samsloan.com}}

* {{C-SPAN|100395}}

* {{imdbIMDb name |id=0806012 | name = Sam Sloan}}

* {{ballotpedia |Sam_Sloan}}

* {{Fide}}

* {{chessgames player|id=10021}}

{{2012 United States presidential election}}

== Books ==

{{2024 United States presidential election}}

* Sex Marchers (with [[Jefferson Poland]], eds., Elysium, Inc. 1968) ISBN 0-923891-13-7

{{Authority control}}

* [[Khowar language|Khowar]] English Dictionary (as Mohammad Ismail Sloan, 1981) (published in Pakistan)

* [[Chinese chess|Chinese Chess]] for Beginners (1989) ISBN 0-923891-11-0

* How to Take over an American Public Company (1992) ISBN 1-881373-01-0

* The [[Sally Hemings|Slave Children]] of Thomas Jefferson (1992) ISBN 4-906574-00-9

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sloan, Sam}}

== References ==

[[Category:1944 births]]

<references />

[[Category:American businesspeople]]

[[Category:American chess players]]

== External links ==

[[Category:American chess writers]]

[[Category:American male non-fiction writers]]

*[http://www.samsloan.com/ Sam Sloan]

[[Category:American non-fiction writers]]

*{{imdb name |id=0806012 | name = Sam Sloan}}

[[Category:American people convicted of kidnapping]]

*[http://www.anusha.com/judgego.htm US Magistrate Judge Marilyn Go on Sloan: Factual Background]

[[Category:Candidates in the 2010 United States elections]]

*[http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlMain.php?11115292 US Tournament record for Sam Sloan]

[[Category:Candidates in the 2012 United States presidential election]]

*[http://www.chessgames.com/player/sam_sloan.html The Chess Games of Sam Sloan]

[[Category:Candidates in the 2016 United States presidential election]]

*[http://dackman.homestead.com/SamSloanSun.htm The Man in the Yellow Cab: Sam Sloan]

[[Category:Candidates in the 2020 United States presidential election]]

*[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2923758601441815246 Sam Sloan for Governor on Google Video]

[[Category:Converts to Islam]]

*[http://www.courts.state.va.us/courts/courts.html Virginia Circuit case information]

[[Category:Living people|Sloan, Sam]]

*[http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=1539 Chessbase News article mentioning Sloan's background]

[[Category:Muslims from New York (state)]]

[[Category:1944New births|Sloan,York Sam(state) Democrats]]

[[Category:AmericanNew chessYork players|Sloan,(state) SamLibertarians]]

[[Category:chessUniversity players|Sloanof California, SamBerkeley alumni]]

[[Category:Candidates in the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections]]

[[Category:Usenet people|Sloan, Sam]]

[[Category:Living people|Sloan, Sam]]