Paloma Heindorff, former VP of Operations for Defense Distributed, has stepped in to fill Wilson’s shoes. (Photo: Youtube)
Defense Distributed CEO and 3D-printed gun pioneer Cody Wilson has resigned as head of the company he founded to “focus on personal legal affairs,” according to his replacement, Paloma Heindorff. Wilson stepped down amid allegations he had sex with a minor last month at a hotel in Austin, TX.
Heindorff, who has worked for Defense Distributed for the last three years as Director of Development and Vice President of Operations, said she’s still confident the company can continue to thrive even after their figurehead’s departure.
“I am extremely proud to say that over the past few days the entire team at Defense Distributed has recommitted to the sharing and publication of CAD and 3D printed files,” Heindorff said at a press conference this morning. “This resilience I truly believe to be not only characteristic of our company as a whole, but also the ideas that we have worked so hard to promote.”
Wilson tendered his resignation on Friday, she said, and “his role at the company has been concluded.” She refused repeatedly to answer questions relating to the sexual misconduct allegations, pointing reporters to his personal legal team.
SEE ALSO: BREAKING: Cody Wilson Wanted by U.S. Marshals for Having Sex With Minor, Allegedly
Defense Distributed has continued to receive and ship orders of CAD and 3D-printed gun files, Heindorff said. They’ve received 3,000 orders so far, and they haven’t seen a drop off in sales since the news came out about the allegations against Wilson.
Heindorff acknowledged that Wilson was “an incredibly powerful figurehead,” but she also expressed optimism about her team of 20 employees and contractors.
“I cannot be more proud of our team right now. We didn’t miss a beat. No one blinked. No one has missed a day at work. We’ve all come in. We’re still shipping. And we have no intention of stopping.”
Hendorff previously worked with creatives in New York but moved to Austin specifically to work with Defense Distributed.
“I found it to be the most elegant and effective activism that I’ve seen performed, and I wanted to be a part of that,” she said. “It’s just so beautiful, isn’t it? To exercise one’s rights like that, and do so in a way that pushed authorities to allow you to. I think too often people are perturbed by threats, and I just found it incredible that this company persisted.”
As to her commitment to the First and Second Amendments, she said neither her nor her company’s stance has changed.
SEE ALSO: Cody Wilson Crushes Interviewer’s Ignorant Questions on Downloadable Guns
“We believe that people have the right to have these files,” she said. “We believe in our right to be able to publish them. I believe very strongly in the First and Second Amendment causes in this case. That’s where I stand. The same as I did a week ago.”
Defense Distributed has been embroiled in a legal battle against state attorneys general in several states and was most recently ordered by a federal judge to remove the CAD and 3D-printer files the company had made available for free online. Defense Distributed worked around the order by offering the files via mailed flash drives at whatever price the customer named.
Wilson was arrested in Taiwan on Friday and extradited to the United States, where he posted a $150,000 bond in Houston. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Digging the new ceo! Funner to look at.
I am noticing a trend here. Almost anyone who actually stands up for the rights protected by to constitution without discracing the nation is caught under fire in some way, shape, or form. And if they legally win, they are almost immediately accused of sexual misconduct. So far that has happened to how many people? I mean, with our current social situation it is the easiest way to shame someone you do not agree with. If the left was really that worried about sexual misconduct, wouldn’t they be out for blood when it comes to the child disappearances in most major cities? Wouldn’t they push to start an actual organization to combat it and the child/women sex trades? Absolutely. But that is how you know this isn’t about that. This is because someone is throwing a tantrum that Mr. Wilson won in court. This is because someone with common sense said that even 3D printed gun parts weren’t the magical, undetectable unicorn-killing murder machines that the left tried to make them out to be.
“Uh, it is legal to print gun parts and have the blueprints to do so accessable online.”
“Yeah? Well he boned a teenager!!! Because I said so.”
Sound logic right there…
AIDS kills more people than guns every year . Maybe George and his lover should address that. Issue first.
I am constantly amazed at my fellow 2nd Amendment gunnies who seem to have NO CLUE as to the 5th!!!!!!!
I would NOT want several here to sit on any jury at my trial (If I were to have one) because they come across as Judge, Jury and executioner!
He may well be a sex fiend, but NONE of us know!!!!
the guy was already in taiwan
when the news broke and he was
notified by a friend about the charges!!
does ANYBODY read more
than the headlines?!?!?
No they DO NOT…they just regurgitate the same ‘ol crap they are told over and over like the indoctrinated mindless masses they are! END OF STORY!
I think it depends on one’s agenda or narrative. If one agrees with the premise of the title, …. . But, you are right. We need look no further than Officer Darren Wilson or Judge Kavanaugh to see how both wwere convicted before the first step of any investigation occurred.
Well hell, I might as well jump in with my 2 cents… & my best to Def-Dist.
If anyone has bothered to read the affidavit, ACTUALY READ IT, it’s pretty clear he was set up.
1. The girl signed up on the site, lied about her age, and sought out Cody. SHE established contact, NOT him.
2. The timeframes simply don’t add up. Not to mention the sheer amount of ‘survailiance camera coverage’.
They met in a dark coffeshop parking lot at about 8:10 PM. I doubt she simply jumped into his car & they sped off.
At minimum, lets give them 5-10 minutes to chat… So they leave around 8:15 to 8:30. It’s 13 miles to the hotel. Google
maps has the BEST time at 31 minutes. Now here’s the wierd part; The hotel shows them exiting the vehicle at 8:35 PM.
‘Cody’s’ room is on the 7th floor. Say 5 minutes car to room, it’s now 8:40pm. They are back down to the lobby waiting
for his car 30 minutes later, with valets delivering it at 9:17PM. Oddly, the survailance camera shows them exiting the
7th floor at 9:19PM. The drive to the burger joint where he drops her off, 21 miles, 30 minutes away.
3. Just an observation- The money was in a bag on the floor, not in his wallet? Odd.
4. Back to the website- In politest terms, ‘sugar dating’ is leagal-ish. Essentialy it’s being a ‘cared for mistress’. It
commonly used by pretty college girls as a way to cover rent & tuition. Basicly a boyfriend who covers the bills, with
the understanding that there is most likely an end date to the relationship (but occationaly it becomes more over time.)
It’s an easy trap to fall into, & what I imagine caught Cody. Pretty girl needs help improving her life, guy feels like a
white knight coming to the rescue.
5. Back to the hotel- At best I give them 30 minutes alone in the hotel room. Either Cody is sadly quick, or it never took
place. This is my bet. They got to the room, & either once Cody ghot a close look at her & realized she was a minor &
said ‘HELL NO”, gave her the money & a ‘fix your life’ speech. or she spung it on him & demanded hush money.
6- The evidence is simply to pat. Receipts, camera footage, whitnesses… All within a few days. It reads like a CSI-Austin
script. & Tracking his location in Tiawan by monitoring hiw website??? Please. They where on him the entire time.
Remember, This is Austin PD, NOT the FBI, DOJ, etc….At least, that’s what they are saying.
7- I find it interesting that it was one of HER friends that ‘tipped Cody off’…
8. The trip to Tiawan, Bitcoin shuffling, apt rental- Cody travelled there often. Where do you think most of his parts are
produced? He may have had the trip planned & reservations well in advance of this going down. He was gearing up for
long term distribution for DefCad & Ghost… A Tiawan address would allow him to host files out of US juristiction &
give him a base of operations for manufacturing concerns. OR, realizing he was being set up, he ran to buy time to
establish his defence plan. Notice he never hid, didn’t resist, & as he has always done, went by the letter of the law.
So…. That’s what I see in this so far. As an engineer & researcher, I’m use to digging though information & details, looking for the how, when, where, & why… As more details appear, so will my opinion adjust. As for now, strictly from the available evidence, I’m pro cody.
Yep, I smell those fish too!!
thank you!!
I was running searches for the councelor who who filed the complaint, & found this on the judge who signed the warrant…
Judge Tamara Needles
http://www.fox7austin.com/news/local-news/district-attorney-upset-with-judge-after-murder-suspect-skips-out-on-trial
Just wondering… Is high school even in session in August??? I thought this councelor might have been at school, but could it be in the mental health field? just wondering aloud…
Going by the neighborhood where she was dropped off, the closest school is just down the street, & there are several apartment complexes in easy walking distance… again, pure speculation…
James Bowie High School
4103 W Slaughter Ln, Austin, TX 78749
“A wonderful place for demons and sad children alike!”
“Front office people are AWFUL.”
“Experience was so awful had to pull my kid out and find another school option.”
FACT… Innocent people don’t run!
If I understand right, he was already in Taiwan when this broke. And if he had wanted to run, why would he have run to a country with extradition? If he did it, throw the book at him. Considering who it is, and how he challenged the .gov, I don’t doubt a set up is possible.
Whatever Slim…and throw the book at him for what?? Both you are a couple of equally indoctrinated sheeple…baaaa, baaaa, blah
Id almost bet he was set up!! Lets just see what happens next here
” I almost believe he was setup”. Really? I almost believe in the tooth fairy. The clown had sex with a minor, DUH! That is not a setup, that is a horny man wanting a little girl.Why did he flee the country if he was innocent? Would you justify this, if it was your daughter? No, if he did wrong, the law will take him down.. Just because a guy designs something useful, that does not make him a good person, nor above the law….
Were you there? He’s been ACCUSED of sex with a minor.
What are you, a hidden demmy?
So, you believe in the 2nd, (an assumption since you are here) but not the 5th amendment?
So much for due process with you.
A pro is a pro period!!! The day before she turns 17 she is an innocent princess and the day after is different how? Children in this country are tried and convicted as adults all the time yet…what? So damn ludicrous and clearly you are as eat up with it as they come!
This is the new standard of removing political/ ideological people who disagree with the corrupt leftist
Nothing new about these tactics but we need to wait and see if this is true or not. True = doomed, False = Counter lawsuit. The guy did run though . . .
Judge Kavanaugh is another victim.
Paloma looks like she’ll handle it