WASHINGTON, D.C. — What was promoted online as a historic federal breakthrough for family-court reform — a congressional “bill presentation” and “hearing” organized by Punished 4 Protecting founder Francesca Amato and several social media personalities — was, in reality, a privately organized meeting held at the Cleveland Park Library in Washington, D.C.
This reporting does not minimize the urgent need for reform — America is at DEFCON 1 for justice. The nation’s family-, juvenile-, probate-, and child-welfare systems are in moral and institutional crisis. Survivors and families deserve transparency and accountability.
The congressional event that wasn’t
The Oct. 20 gathering, held during the federal government shutdown, drew families and supporters from across the country — but no members of Congress, no congressional staff, and no representatives of any federal agency.
Organizers claimed that the 94-page Family Justice & Accountability Act (FJAA) was sponsored by Rep. Barry Moore, R-Alabama, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and that 25 lawmakers would attend. But multiple attendees, congressional offices, and sources confirmed that no lawmakers were present — and no such bill exists in the congressional record.
False claims of a congressional bill
Francesca Amato, a New York resident and advocate, repeatedly asserted online that her Family Justice & Accountability Act had been “formally presented” in Washington and “officially scheduled at the Rayburn House Office Building under the congressional sponsorship of Barry Moore.”
“We are on a fast track to passing the Family Justice and Accountability Act,” Amato wrote in one post.
A staffer for Rep. Barry Moore’s Washington office said the congressman’s staff merely helped Francesca Amato reserve a room “as a courtesy” after she used the name of author, investigative journalist, and Alabama congressional candidate Terri LaPoint. Moore’s office, the staffer said, had a longstanding working relationship with LaPoint and had recently collaborated with her on H.R. 5647, the Advocates for Families Act of 2025, introduced in September.
The staffer added that confusion arose when Amato invoked LaPoint’s name, leading some staff to believe she was part of the H.R. 5647 team. According to the staffer, Amato sent roughly 20 emails requesting a meeting room and later appeared in person at the D.C. office seeking space. “We did not sponsor or endorse the event or a bill,” the staffer said.
The reservation was later canceled because of the shutdown, leading Amato to secure the library instead.
“Rep. Moore did not co-host or sponsor the event,” the staffer said. “No one from our office attended. There were no requests to meet or discuss any bill.”
When contacted, David Bader, press secretary for Sen. Chuck Grassley, said he initially believed the inquiry referred to a similar-sounding bill — Sen. Tim Scott’s Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act, a legitimate measure introduced in January 2025. After a quick computer search for FJAA turned up nothing, he said:
“I will look into this one — and get back to you with some details,” Bader said.
That clarification underscores one of several key distinctions: although a federal bill (S. 204) does exist under Sen. Scott’s name, the event organized by Amato and the FJAA has no comparable official existence—no sponsors, no hearing, no congressional record.
That statement directly contradicts Amato’s repeated public claims that Grassley “sponsored” her act. A formal written response from Grassley’s office is pending.
Searches of Congress.gov, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the House Judiciary Committee calendars show no bill or hearing titled Family Justice & Accountability Act.
Leaked messages show repeated claims of congressional sponsorship
Messages reviewed by this reporter, posted between Sept. 2 and Oct. 11, 2025, in a Facebook group titled Family Justice & Accountability Act: Team Leaders, show Amato repeatedly assuring followers that they would participate in a “congressional hearing.”
In one message, she wrote:
“You are the face of your state — you will be the ones that we will be pointing to during the congressional hearing.”
In another, she promised to “announce [her] court team and witnesses by name before Congress.”
As late as Oct. 11, 2025, she told participants:
“We’re going to be in a congressional hearing room unless the government doesn’t open, and then we have a separate room outside of Congress that’s 20 minutes away.”
Another message read:
“We will get formal sponsors when we have the formal presentation during the congressional hearing.”
All messages referred to an official congressional event that did not exist, as confirmed by both Grassley’s and Moore’s offices. These communications show that many participants were misled into believing they were part of a genuine federal proceeding, when in fact, it was a privately organized meeting.
Eyewitness accounts: “It was devastating”
One participant described the event as “a painful disappointment.”
“No legislators were there,” the attendee said. “Francesca told us Grassley sponsored the bill, that 25 legislators would attend, and that the video would go to all of Congress. You could see people were desperate and traumatized — this gave them hope. To mislead them like that… it’s beyond cruel.”
Social media amplifies false narratives
After the event, misinformation spread rapidly via multiple social media postings.
A verified Facebook page, Jersey Coast Emergency News, posted a video of podcaster Chris Lyle speaking at the library, claiming he had “been called upon to testify in front of congressional members.”
Lyle is reportedly associated with the Jersey Coast Emergency News page, though that affiliation has not been independently confirmed.
“He talked about issues to dozens of congressional members,” the caption read.
No lawmakers attended, according to witnesses and congressional offices.
Prior coverage and escalating scrutiny
The D.C. event followed weeks of mounting controversy.
On Oct. 18, journalist Michael Volpe published “Francesca Amato’s Trip to D.C. Is a Farce” on Substack, warning families not to travel for what he called a misleading “federal bill presentation.”
“If you are going, I urge you to reconsider,” Volpe wrote.
Volpe told this reporter:
“Francesca organized a conference on family court in D.C. That is fine — though getting victims together and no one else is of limited value.
“She did it by mischaracterizing the event. The Family Justice and Accountability Act does not exist. It’s something she wrote, and since no one elected her, it’s worthless. There were no hearings. No politicians sponsored the bill, nor is there any interest.
“Francesca has repeatedly said things that aren’t accurate. She claimed enormous media interest, and the only articles I’ve seen expose her malfeasance.
“The latest are claims by her and others that there was testimony about her non-existent bill. There was not. People made presentations in a meeting she organized. Testimony is under oath in a formal setting. A bunch of parents got together in a library. That’s not testimony.”
After Amato threatened legal action, Volpe published “Francesca Amato Issues Lawsuit Threat,” including excerpts from her cease-and-desist letter accusing him of defamation and “tortious interference.”
That same day, journalist Richard Luthmann reposted Volpe’s piece, adding:
“She’s the self-anointed author of a ‘federal bill’ called the Family Justice and Accountability Act — which, for the record, isn’t a bill, doesn’t have sponsors, and has no number.”
Luthmann continued:
“She promised her followers a revolution in family-court reform and a historic march on Washington. What she delivered instead was a copyright notice, a cease-and-desist letter, and a legal tantrum.”
On Oct. 20, Volpe, Luthmann, and M. Thomas Nast co-authored “I’ll Sue You!: Francesca Amato’s Legal Lesson,” revealing IRS records showing that Punished 4 Protecting, Inc. lost its nonprofit status in 2024 after failing to file Form 990s and that Amato had paid herself roughly 80 percent of donations.
“You absolutely cannot take in $25,000 a year in donations and pay yourself $20,000 of that. That is called financial fraud,” said David W. Weigel, CFP®, CPM®, founder and principal of Weigel Fiduciary Asset Management LLC, an independent registered investment advisory firm based in New York City. Weigel added that Amato’s claim that her nonprofit’s status change was voluntary is false, stating that the 501(c)(3) designation was removed for violations.
The trio’s reporting documented a pattern of false claims, intimidation, and financial irregularities.
“Public figures pushing federal laws are fair game for journalists — that’s how democracy works,” Luthmann said publicly.
Email exchange analysis: Breakdown of professional conduct
In a series of email communications exchanged between Oct. 19 and 23, 2025, tensions escalated sharply between Francesca Amato, advocate and self-described author of the Family Justice & Accountability Act (FJAA), and journalists Richard Luthmann and Michael Volpe.
What began as a standard press inquiry into the bill’s legitimacy and authorship quickly devolved into personal accusations, profanity, and legal threats.
Amato’s responses throughout the thread were emotional, defensive, and heavily laced with religious language — often invoking scripture and divine judgment rather than addressing factual questions about the FJAA. She repeatedly accused the journalists of “gang stalking,” “harassment,” and alignment with “pedophile organizations,” but provided no evidence to support those claims.
Her emails shifted from advocacy rhetoric to personal grievance, avoiding direct engagement with substantive questions about the bill’s status or congressional sponsorship. The tone and content of these exchanges, taken together, illustrate a breakdown of professionalism.
At the same time, the broader family-court reform movement remains urgent and essential. Families harmed by systemic failures deserve transparency, responsible leadership, and a platform to be heard. Speaking out, organizing rallies, and holding press conferences are vital tools for advocacy — but they must never be mischaracterized as congressional hearings or official proceedings that compel vulnerable families to travel across the country under false pretenses.
Authentic reform depends on truth, not illusion. When advocacy abandons accuracy, it risks breaking the very trust it seeks to rebuild.
Internal fractures among organizers
As scrutiny grew, Francesca Amato’s coalition began to splinter.
Soon after the Oct. 20 meeting, communications reviewed by this reporter show that Kathleen Arthur — who goes by Kathlee Arthur on Facebook — a volunteer previously connected to an unrelated measure, H.R. 5647, the Advocates for Families Act of 2025, broke from that group to join Francesca Amato’s team at the library. Shortly after the event, Arthur announced she had cut ties with Amato, citing “unconstitutional issues” in Amato’s proposed bill.
Arthur claimed she was pursuing her own legislation “backed by a large organization,” saying she was getting “an opportunity to speak with Trump on the ‘Ghost Child issues.’” She also said she was “going to be getting Trump’s recommendation,” with meetings “scheduled” with Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; Patty Murray, D-Wash.; and Ron Wyden, D-Ore.
No such meetings appear on congressional calendars, and none of the offices confirmed them.
Questionable claims of federal appointment
Arthur’s Facebook page lists her as “Trump’s Title IV Policy Advisor” and claims she was asked “to write him an executive order to fix things.”
No official record supports those assertions. Neither Kathleen Arthur nor Kathleen Kelly appears in any White House, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or federal advisory-committee listings related to Title IV-B, -E, or -D policy.
To verify, this reporter submitted a media inquiry to the White House Press Office at MediaRequests@state.gov seeking confirmation of any advisory role related to Title IV programs. As of publication, no response has been received.
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Footnote:
Title IV-B, IV-E and IV-D refer to federal child-welfare assistance and enforcement programs administered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Advisory roles related to those programs are typically documented via HHS/ACF or federal advisory-committee records, not the U.S. Department of State.
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These claims reflect a broader pattern of exaggerated political affiliations surrounding the Family Justice & Accountability Act (FJAA) and similar initiatives.
A movement built on false foundations
This investigation does not question the urgent need for reform in America’s family, juvenile, probate, and child-welfare systems. Survivors and families deserve transparency and accountability — now.
But reform cannot be built on deception — particularly deception affecting survivors already traumatized by the system.
When something is built on rot, it will fall.
When advocacy is built on ego and illusion, it becomes another tool of oppression.
Truth is the only foundation that endures. Strip it away, and what stands in its place — whether power or advocacy — will one day turn to dust.
For many attendees, the Washington event represented both hope and heartbreak — and a warning that misinformation can corrode even the most urgent reform movements.
This ongoing series on the OC family court crisis and nationwide family court crisis aims to bring national attention to these systemic issues, advocating for immediate reform and accountability. The time for action is now. It is imperative that lawmakers, the media, and the public unite to demand justice and protection for all families involved.
Are you committed to protecting America’s children and restoring integrity to our legal system?
Contact your legislative representatives. Speak out. Reach out to media outlets. And vote. Find your state and federal legislative representatives HERE.
Whistleblowers and victims of family court, CPS, probate court, IDEA/ADA or foster care corruption anywhere in the U.S.—please contact this reporter at juliea005@proton.me or rjh.investigative.reports@gmail.com.
Together, we can ignite a national movement and create lasting change.
Julie M. Anderson-Holburn is a California-based investigative journalist reporting on criminal and family court corruption, judicial abuse, domestic violence, child abuse and systemic failures. Her work is published on NewsBreak, Substack, and The Family Court Circus, and has been featured by the Center for Judicial Excellence and National Safe Parents. Julie believes that exposing the truth is the first step toward meaningful reform.
This article was made possible by the support of readers like you. Thank you.
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She did give some victims an opportunity to be heard - a Right afforded (supposedly) by our government - that doesn't exist. What most people in America do not know, is that "Laws" are ignored by judges. The real issue here -- even with a true bill/law, who is there to enforce it????
Please be very careful. As stated in this article, her organization’s 501(c)(4) status was revoked in 2024, yet she continued conducting paid “consultations” without disclosing that fact to the people she collected fees from. Several online reviews and YouTube videos have warned about her questionable practices. She also reportedly claims to be an ADA advocate and through high-pressure sales tactics she tries to coax individuals into paying non-refundable retainers of over $2,000 for “advocacy” services. She also requests highly sensitive personal information from her prospects through her emails (in writing) — including dates of birth of clients and their children as well as info related to health, employer and personal income and more — as part of her intake process — This is even BEFORE any contract, confidentiality agreement, or formal client relationship is established. The Attorney General’s Office and the IRS should investigate her company and its practices.