Peter Flaherty of the National Legal and Policy Center was removed from a shareholder meeting and arrested by Omaha police after questioning Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett’s backing of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Flaherty criticized Gates for his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which he claims Buffett indirectly supports through his donations to the Gates Foundation. Flaherty was promoting Proposal No. 8, which sought to separate the roles of CEO and Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, and criticized Buffett’s personal political activities.
During the meeting, Flaherty spoke for a minute, criticizing the Gates Foundation for supporting left-leaning initiatives like defunding the police and critical race theory. When Flaherty brought up Epstein, a few audience members booed, and he was approached by security personnel who threatened him with arrest if he persisted. Shortly afterward, his microphone was shut off by a Berkshire Hathaway staffer.
Watch Liz Wheeler’s full interview with Peter Flaherty
He was later arrested and taken to the Omaha Douglas County Correctional Center, where he was held for three hours and posted a $2,500 bond to be released. Flaherty, who has participated in and delivered speeches at annual shareholder meetings for numerous companies, including Bank of America, Coca-Cola, and Amazon, claims he has never before had his microphone cut off or been arrested.
Flaherty is requesting an apology from Berkshire Hathaway and the dismissal of the charges. He is scheduled to appear in court on May 22. Berkshire Hathaway did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
