A lawsuit was filled against the US Treasure Secretary Henry Paulson by a man from Florida who states that before George Washington there were ten men in the United States, who had the same powers as the president. The man asks these men to be added into the Presidential $1 coin series. Stanley L. Klos of Palm Beach, Florida, looks forward to make everyone aware of the ten persons who were "Presidents of the United States in Congress Assembled." He would like people to recognize the existence of the leaders after the Articles of Confederation
were approved in March of 1781 and before George Washington became the president of the United States in 1789.
Stanley L. Klos says that these ten men were: Samuel Huntington, Thomas McKean, John Hanson, Elias Boudinot, Thomas Mifflin, Richard Henry Lee, John Hancock, Nathanial Gorham, Arthur St. Clair and Cyrus Griffin.
According to the book President Who? Forgotten Founders
, written by Stanley L. Klos, besides holding the top positions in the history of the United States, these men signed the country's national documents as the President.
"If you go into the national archive, the first thing that greets you is the Treaty of Paris proclamation signed under the great seal of the United States of America by our president, Thomas Mifflin. It ended the war with Great Britain," outlines Mr. Klos.
The main reason why the man sues Treasure Secretary Henry Paulson is linked with the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005
, which obliges "…the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of each of the Nation’s past Presidents…" The Act also states about the design of every Presidential $1 coin: "…The design on the obverse shall contain - the name and likeness of a President of the United States…"
Henry Paulson is the top government official in charge for managing the obligations stipulated in the law for the Presidential $1 coins and coins' mintage.
Mr. Klos says that the Presidential dollar series should start with Samuel Huntington of Connecticut, who was the president of the United States after the adoption in 1777 of the Constitution by the Continental Congress.
According to historians the ten men mentioned by Klos did not have the same legal power as the later presidents, but Klos says that in some cases they had even greater power. In addition he says that Huntington, Mifflin and others were heads of a unicameral government.
It is worth mentioning that Klos filled the lawsuit on May 1, 2008 in the Middle District of Florida. The case will be headed by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday.