Seminoles Sued Over Candlebox Deal

Court documents obtained by the New Times Broward-Palm Beach state that a letter of intent was signed by the tribe and Lujen, the band’s former marketing and management company, in January 2013.

According to the terms of that agreement, the Seminoles would invest $400,000 into the band in return for the rights to two new albums, 60 percent of sales and guarantees from a spring 2013 tour, and 100 percent of sales and guarantees from a summer 2013 tour until the investment was paid back, at which point the parties would split profits in half.

Lujen also alleges the band offered the tribe autographed guitars for the Boston Hard Rock location and agreed to play a March 2013 concert at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for a discount.

But when the $400,000 investment never materialized, Candlebox fired Lujen, which then filed the lawsuit.

Stefanie Moon, an attorney for the company, told the New Times that one day the tribe simply “stopped returning phone calls and stopped responding to emails.

The main issue is that the tribe portrays themselves as being friendly to business and entertainers when they’re not.”

Moon added that attorneys for the Seminoles often use the tribe’s sovereignty as protection from lawsuits.

“When you have an issue or a claim that they have harmed you,” she said, “They use their sovereign immunity.”

A Seminole spokesperson told the paper the suit was “frivolous,” noting “Candlebox is not even a party to this suit. Their former manager filed it without their involvement.”