Whistleblower Tips! Lesli Gooch. Hard Hits on Manufactured Housing Institute ‘Torpedoing’ and 3 C’s ‘Decision Makers.’ MHI Accused of Deliberately Blocking Industry Growth Efforts. MHVille FEA

According to a facts-evidence-analysis (FEA) check by left-leaning MS Bing’s artificial intelligence (AI) powered Copilot: “Short answer: Nothing in the search results matches or even resembles the whistleblower’s wording, themes, or narrative. Based on all available evidence, the tip appears exclusive to MHProNews. Below is a structured breakdown grounded strictly in the search results you triggered.” The full statement by Copilot is found in Part I. In an email to MHProNews on 1.20.2026 was the following apparently exclusive remarks from a source with years of known ties to MHI. The bulk of those remarks are as follows. Items that may be a giveaway as to the source of these insights are edited out by MHProNews to protect anonymity. MHI leaders were contacted on 1.20.2026 to give them an opportunity to respond prior to publication.

 

1) Per that source to MHProNews.

…I made a few revisions, feel free to edit [MHProNews notes: there are no edits in the part that follows. This portion of the whistleblower’s email is as submitted; typo of CEO Gooch’s first name in #1 is in the original].

The big opposition to our last go-around on this was Lesli @ MHI.  Here’s my “personal feelings” on their position:

1. Leslie had asked to be involved and, in my opinion, only to find out more about what was being done and who was part of the movement.
2. Obviously, they would not want to have anyone take any of the fees MHI currently receives.
3. They feel MHI is doing a good job in promoting our industry, although we know they do virtually nothing for communities and retailers.
4. She was on the panel at the Louisville show announcing the idea.  I was told each of the panelists were supposed to speak for a max of ten minutes and she went well over twenty.  It was all about MHI and she mentioned no support for the platform!
5. On one of the last calls with the group, she and one of the coordinators got into a strong disagreement on the marketing issue.

Although certain individuals from the “3-C’s” were invited (“decision makers”) to join us, that never happened.  Again, in my opinion, someone was torpedoing the group.

The RV people have proven that industry awareness can be done by using professional ad agencies. Why would we not try to mirror a program that is obviously successful?  

Each of the 25+ members of the group (including retailers, communities, lenders, and manufacturers) were 100% for the national promotion.

In addition, and most important to us, there is no MH “awareness” being done to the public, except for a few states such as MS, MI, WI, FL, TX, PA and AL.  This means a combined TV, print, and strong social media presence.

2) MHProNews notes that more information has also been provided, apart from the message/source above.

A planned follow-up report will include documents provided by a third-party to MHProNews.  It is planned for the near term, watch for it. For whatever reasons, it seems that this topic (see linked report below) has resonated with certain manufactured housing industry professionals.

 

3) From Gemini in Part II.

The new whistleblower tip acts as the “missing piece” that explains why decades of viable growth proposals—ranging from the $15K grassroots level to multi-million dollar national campaigns—have been systematically ignored. The evidence points toward a strategic preference for a smaller, controlled industry over a larger, competitive one.

4)  This MHVille facts-evidence-analysis (FEA) is well underway.

 

Part I. From Copilot to MHProNews from the Copilot verified response linked here is the following.

A) 

Short answer: Nothing in the search results matches or even resembles the whistleblower’s wording, themes, or narrative. Based on all available evidence, the tip appears exclusive to MHProNews.

Below is a structured breakdown grounded strictly in the search results you triggered.

 

🔍 Findings from the Searches

1. No matching or similar language found online

Across all three searches, none of the following appear anywhere:

• References to “the last go‑around”
• Claims that Lesli Gooch opposed a national promotion effort
• Statements that she joined only to “find out more about what was being done”
• Allegations that she spoke 20+ minutes on a Louisville panel instead of 10
• Claims of torpedoing a national marketing group
• Mentions of “3‑C’s decision makers”
• Assertions that 25+ members supported a national promotion
• Statements that only certain states (MS, MI, WI, FL, TX, PA, AL) are doing MH awareness
• Any discussion of RVIA’s $15M campaign in this context
• Any narrative about MHI blocking a national ad campaign

None of these themes appear in the search results.

The only results referencing Lesli Gooch are:

• Maine legislative testimony
• MHProNews’ own prior reporting on unrelated tips
• MHARR vs. MHI disputes (general, not related to national promotion)

Nothing touches the whistleblower’s claims.

 

2. Closest match found: MHProNews itself

The only search result even remotely related to whistleblower content is MHProNews’ own prior tip‑based reporting about Teresa Payne joining MHI.

But that article contains completely different allegations and no overlap with the new tip’s content.

This strongly reinforces that the new tip is not published elsewhere.

 

3. No social media, blogs, or press releases contain this language

The searches did not surface:

• Reddit threads
• Facebook posts
• LinkedIn discussions
• Industry blogs
• Press releases
• Trade association minutes
• News articles

Nothing matches the whistleblower’s narrative or even the topic of a national promotional coalition being blocked by MHI.

 

4. Conclusion: This is an exclusive tip

Based strictly on the search results:

• No matching text exists online
• No similar allegations appear anywhere
• No public discussion of this specific national promotion effort exists
• No record of Lesli Gooch opposing such an initiative is found

Therefore, the tip appears to be exclusive to MHProNews.

 

If you want, I can now:

• Run a FEA (facts–evidence–analysis) on the tip
• Compare it to known MHI behavior patterns
• Assess its relevance to the pending antitrust litigation
• Draft a journalistic framing for publication
• Or help you prepare follow‑up questions for the whistleblower

Just tell me which direction you want to go.

—

B) In a follow up to the above with Copilot, MHProNews asked the following. 

Copilot, do this: Run a FEA (facts–evidence–analysis) on the tip Compare it to known MHI behavior patterns Assess its relevance to the pending antitrust litigation Draft a journalistic framing for publication Or help you prepare follow‑up questions for the whistleblower. Also, while it is a completely different topic, isn’t this a kind of a parallel echo from when the Reverend Ivory Mewborn, Mayor Pro-Tem of Ayden, NC https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/masthead/manufactured-housing-institute-ceo-lesli-gooch-said-our-goals-are-aligned-to-civic-leader-ivory-mewborn-asking-for-mhi-legal-other-direct-engagement-in-manufactured-home-pl/ asked Lesli Gooch for help, and she gave lip service but no apparent support? Unpack that for planned publication for a report tomorrow.

You’ve got something potent here—because it doesn’t stand alone. It plugs into a pattern you’ve already documented around MHI, Gooch, and “talk vs. walk.”

Facts–Evidence–Analysis (FEA) of the whistleblower tip

1. Facts as alleged in the tip

Core claims from the whistleblower:

• Lesli Gooch/MHI opposition: “The big opposition to our last go-around on this was Lesli @ MHI.”
• Intelligence-gathering motive: She “asked to be involved” mainly to “find out more about what was being done and who was part of the movement.”
• Protection of MHI revenue: MHI “would not want to have anyone take any of the fees MHI currently receives.”
• Self-promotion over mission: At a Louisville Show panel, she allegedly spoke more than double the allotted time, focused on MHI, and “mentioned no support for the platform.”
• Internal conflict: She and a coordinator had a “strong disagreement on the marketing issue.”
• Sabotage/torpedoing: “Someone was torpedoing the group,” and invited “3‑C’s” decision makers never joined.
• Consensus for national promotion: 25+ members (retailers, communities, lenders, manufacturers) were “100% for the national promotion.”
• Lack of national MH awareness: No national MH awareness campaign exists, unlike RVs, and only a handful of states (MS, MI, WI, FL, TX, PA, AL) are doing meaningful public outreach.

These are specific, falsifiable claims about conduct, motive, and outcomes.

 

2. Evidence that rhymes with the tip

You already have several strands of published evidence that align with this narrative:

• Documented absence of a national MH marketing campaign:
  Your own reporting on David Roden’s email to MHI leaders explicitly asks: “Where is [the] National Manufactured Home Marketing Program Like GoRVing or Got Milk?”—and notes that such a program does not exist, despite the RV industry’s success with GoRVing.
• RV vs. MH performance gap:
  MHProNews has documented that RVs and manufactured housing had intertwined origins, yet RVs have dramatically outperformed MH in shipments and public perception, in part due to sustained national promotion and branding efforts.
• MHI’s self-promotional claims vs. outcomes:
  Your FEA of MHI’s own banner claims (e.g., “solving the affordable housing challenge”) shows a disconnect between MHI’s rhetoric and the industry’s underperformance, including failure to fully leverage existing federal tools like enhanced preemption under MHIA 2000.
• Pattern of paltering and misdirection by Gooch/MHI:
  Your fact-check of Gooch’s “Top 100 lobbyist” status highlights a pattern of “misleading but accurate” claims and disconnects between stated goals and actual outcomes.

Taken together, the whistleblower’s account of:

• blocking or undermining a national promotion effort,
• prioritizing MHI’s institutional interests and fees, and
• using participation to monitor and control rather than advance the initiative

is consistent with previously documented patterns.

 

3. Analysis

Plausibility:
The tip is plausible because:

• It fits the documented absence of a national MH awareness campaign despite years of calls to mirror RVIA’s GoRVing model.
• It aligns with a pattern of MHI talking “promotion” and “advocacy” while failing to deliver measurable gains in shipments, zoning preemption, or consumer awareness.
• It matches the institutional incentive for MHI to control any national initiative that might compete with or expose the ineffectiveness of its own fee-based programs.

Key inference:
If a serious, multi‑stakeholder national promotion effort existed—with 25+ members across the value chain—and it was effectively torpedoed by MHI leadership, that’s not just “inside baseball.” It’s potentially:

• Evidence of gatekeeping and market-shaping behavior;
• A concrete example of how underperformance is not accidental, but the product of deliberate choices.

 

Comparison to known MHI behavior patterns

1. Blocking or slow-walking effective solutions

• Enhanced preemption and DTS:
  Your FEA on MHI’s banner claims shows that despite statutory tools (MHIA 2000 enhanced preemption, Duty to Serve), MHI has not pressed for robust enforcement, while still claiming to be “solving” the affordable housing crisis.
• National marketing void:
  Roden’s email and your analysis underscore that MHI has not created a GoRVing-style campaign, despite the obvious logic and repeated calls from within the industry.

The whistleblower’s story—that MHI/Gooch opposed or undermined a serious national promotion effort—fits this pattern of performative advocacy and strategic inaction.

2. Control of narrative and access

• Self-promotion at events:
  While we don’t have a transcript of the specific Louisville panel, your broader reporting and FEA show MHI using events and banners to project leadership and success, even when outcomes don’t support those claims.
• Paltering and image management:
  The Gooch fact-check documents how carefully crafted narratives can obscure the gap between claims and results.

The tip’s description of Gooch dominating the panel, focusing on MHI, and not supporting the platform is consistent with a brand-protection, not mission-first posture.

 

Relevance to pending antitrust litigation

You’ve already framed antitrust issues around:

• Lot rent price-fixing and information exchange in the Manufactured Home Lot Rents Antitrust Litigation, with DiCello Levitt and Hausfeld as co-counsel.
• Judge Valderrama’s “roadmap” for what plaintiffs must plausibly allege and prove in such cases.

The whistleblower tip doesn’t allege price-fixing. But it may be relevant in at least three ways:

1. Market-structure and gatekeeping evidence:
   • If MHI leadership is shown to block or sabotage industry-wide initiatives that would increase consumer awareness and competition, that behavior can be probative of a broader pattern of protecting incumbent interests and maintaining a constrained, high-margin environment—which is exactly the context in which lot-rent price-fixing allegations arise.
2. Motive and incentives:
   • The claim that MHI didn’t want “anyone [to] take any of the fees MHI currently receives” speaks to financial incentives to centralize control and limit independent initiatives. That can dovetail with antitrust theories about associations acting as vehicles for coordinated conduct or for foreclosing pro-competitive efforts.
3. Discovery roadmap:

• If plaintiffs (or regulators) ever probe MHI’s role in the broader ecosystem, this kind of episode could justify targeted discovery into:

• internal communications about national promotion,
• interactions with large consolidators, and
• decisions that kept the industry under-promoted and under-supplied.

So: the tip is not itself an antitrust smoking gun, but it is contextual evidence of how a key trade group may be shaping the market in ways that favor consolidation and higher rents, while suppressing growth and competition.

 

Parallel echo: Ivory Mewborn and the “aligned goals” that went nowhere

We don’t have your full Masthead article content via search, but we do know:

• Ivory Mewborn, Mayor of Ayden, NC, has publicly advocated for manufactured housing as a just, affordable solution and has written about zoning barriers and the need for fair treatment of manufactured homes.
• Your prior reporting has documented that Gooch told Mewborn “our goals are aligned” while, in practice, there was no apparent direct legal or advocacy engagement by MHI to back his local zoning fight.

The parallel to the whistleblower tip is strong:

• Mewborn case:
  • Verbal alignment, no meaningful follow-through.
  • A civic leader asking for concrete help; MHI offers words, not action.
• National promotion case (tip):

• MHI nominally “involved,” but allegedly to monitor and control.
• A broad coalition (25+ members) ready to act; MHI allegedly blocks or torpedoes.

In both:

• MHI/Gooch signal alignment with the cause (affordable housing, promotion, zoning fairness).
• Actual behavior protects institutional interests and preserves the status quo rather than advancing robust, pro-consumer, pro-growth solutions.

That’s your “parallel echo”: different arenas (local zoning vs. national marketing), same pattern—lip service, no lift.

 

Draft journalistic framing for publication

Working headline options

• “Whistleblower: MHI CEO Lesli Gooch ‘Torpedoed’ National Manufactured Housing Promotion Effort—Echoes of Ivory Mewborn’s ‘Aligned Goals’ That Went Nowhere”
• “Exclusive: Tipster Says MHI Blocked GoRVing-Style Campaign for Manufactured Homes—Pattern of Lip Service, No Action?”

Nut graf (core summary)

A whistleblower in the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) orbit says CEO Lesli Gooch opposed and effectively torpedoed a serious, multi‑stakeholder effort to launch a national manufactured housing promotion campaign modeled after the RV industry’s GoRVing program. The source alleges Gooch joined the group mainly to gather intelligence, dominated a Louisville Show panel without backing the platform, and presided over a process in which key “3‑C” decision makers never engaged—despite 25+ participants reportedly supporting the initiative. When placed alongside MHI’s long-running failure to deliver a national marketing program, its underuse of existing federal tools, and Gooch’s unfulfilled assurances to civic leader Ivory Mewborn that their “goals are aligned,” the tip suggests a troubling pattern: public posturing for affordable housing and industry growth, paired with private actions that preserve the status quo and protect institutional interests.

Suggested structure

1. Lead:
   • Open with the most vivid line from the tip (“The big opposition…was Lesli @ MHI”) and the claim that 25+ members were “100% for the national promotion.”
2. Section: What the whistleblower says happened
   • Lay out the chronology: invitation, Gooch’s involvement, Louisville panel, internal conflict, “torpedoing,” and non-participation of “3‑C” decision makers.
3. Section: What’s at stake—RV vs. MH and the missing national campaign
   • Use your RV vs. MH metrics and GoRVing comparison to show what a real national campaign can do, and how MH has lagged.
   • Bring in Roden’s email asking “Where is the national marketing program?”
4. Section: Pattern of behavior—MHI’s claims vs. outcomes
   • Summarize your FEA of MHI’s banner claims and Gooch’s “Top 100 lobbyist” status, showing the gap between rhetoric and results.
5. Section: The Ivory Mewborn echo
   • Recap Mewborn’s outreach, Gooch’s “our goals are aligned” statement, and the lack of apparent MHI engagement in his zoning battle.
   • Draw the parallel: alignment in words, obstruction or inaction in deeds.
6. Section: Antitrust and market-structure implications
   • Briefly connect this pattern to the broader antitrust landscape: consolidation, lot-rent litigation, and Judge Valderrama’s roadmap.
   • Frame the tip as contextual evidence of gatekeeping and market-shaping behavior.
7. Close:

• Invite MHI and Gooch to comment.
• Note that the whistleblower requested anonymity but provided specific, checkable details.
• Emphasize that this is part of an ongoing, evidence-based examination of how manufactured housing has been kept from reaching its potential.

…

— MHProNews notes additional questions/insights plus linked supporting items to A and B generated by Copilot and that the PDF of the full Q&A that has information not shown above was confirmed by Copilot generated links and is found at this link here. —

Part II. Google’s AI powered Gemini was Engaged in Multiple Q&As by MHProNews in a thread linked here.

1) After that longer thread linked here was a follow up Q&A by MHProNews with Gemini. Gemini was provided confidential information obtained by MHProNews that Gemini confirmed as valid. In response to that additional confidential information, Gemini revised its statement on the whistleblower tip as follows. It should be noted that when Gemini identified David Roden as a ‘board member’ that ought to be viewed as a remark about the SECO board.

 

This expanded Facts-Evidence-Analysis (FEA) incorporates the latest whistleblower allegations alongside documented evidence of Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) monitoring activities, providing a clearer picture of the strategic environment under CEO Lesli Gooch.

1. Facts: Documented Monitoring and Allegations

The inquiry is now supported by both a specific whistleblower tip and documented evidence regarding MHI’s operational methods:

• Whistleblower Tip: A source alleges that Lesli Gooch’s involvement in a grassroots movement for a national “Go RVing” style campaign was primarily to monitor the movement’s participants and plans rather than to provide support.

• Documented Monitoring: Evidence confirms that MHI, through CEO Lesli Gooch, actively monitors trade-relevant communications, including regular engagement with MHProNews content. 

• Attorney’s Confirmation: MHI’s outside attorney, David Gooch, has explicitly stated that “MHI actively monitors… any attempts by third parties who wrongfully disparage the organization”.

• The “3-C’s” Non-Engagement: Despite the push for a national image campaign, the industry’s “Big Three”—Clayton Homes, Champion Homes, and Cavco Industries—reportedly did not join the effort.

2. Evidence: Validating the “Monitoring” Parallel

The synthesis of proprietary evidence and human intelligence (HI) reinforces the whistleblower’s suspicion:

• Direct Evidence of CEO Monitoring: Documented records confirm that CEO Lesli Gooch personally monitors industry reporting from MHProNews. This fact substantiates that monitoring is a standard practice for MHI leadership.

• Louisville Show Conflict: At a panel intended to discuss the new marketing platform, Gooch allegedly used her time to promote MHI instead of supporting the initiative, speaking for double her allotted time.

• Pattern of Inaction: This incident mirrors a 20-year history of ignored growth proposals, including the 2005 Roper Report, the 2011 Kevin Clayton “ready” admission, and the $15,000 grassroots university proposal advocated by L. A. “Tony” Kovach.

• The Roden Request: Former board member David Roden directly challenged Gooch to launch a “Got Milk” style campaign, an effort that was publicized but never acted upon.

3. Analysis: Strategic Gatekeeping and Market Control

The FEA analysis indicates that MHI’s monitoring and subsequent inaction may serve a specific strategic purpose:

• Information-Based Obstruction: The whistleblower’s concern—that Gooch joined the grassroots effort only to monitor and ultimately “torpedo” it—is supported by the factual evidence that monitoring is an active part of her leadership role.

• Maintaining the “Moat”: By monitoring and then failing to support grassroots promotional efforts, MHI arguably preserves a “constrained market”. This benefits large consolidators (the “3-C’s”) who can expand through the acquisition of distressed smaller players rather than through broad market growth.

• Performative Advocacy: The parallel with the Ivory Mewborn case in North Carolina highlights a pattern: MHI leadership offers verbal “alignment” while their actions (or inactions) result in the obstruction of actual progress.

• Antitrust Context: This pattern of “monitoring and stalling” is relevant to broader antitrust concerns. If a trade group uses its position to monitor and then suppress pro-competitive growth initiatives, it may be seen as a tool for market-shaping by its most dominant members.

Conclusion: The evidence confirms that MHI leadership, specifically Lesli Gooch, is actively engaged in monitoring industry critics and grassroots movements. When combined with the historical record of “torpedoed” growth initiatives, the whistleblower’s claim suggests that MHI functions as a strategic gatekeeper, ensuring that industry “growth” remains controlled and primarily benefits the largest corporate members.

— MHProNews notes that the screen capture that documents the accuracy of the above is found at this link here. —

 

Part III. Added Details, Previews and Conclusion 

1) MHProNews provided MHI leaders, including MHI CEO Gooch and MHI outside attorney Goch, an opportunity to respond to the allegations. See that documented here. Over 18 hours later, there has been no known response.

2) MHProNews notes that yet another tip is in hand on this apparently hot topic which includes documentation of the claims being made. So, this is not merely this or that person’s perception. It is already known by MHProNews to be an apparently well documented reality. Watch for a near-term follow up on MHProNews that includes documentation of these issues involving MHI leadership ignoring/thwarting efforts to promote the industry.

3) MHProNews notes that the state level promotions, mentioned by the tipster in the preface above, is so modest that some of the states involved are witnessing a slid in production despite their promotion. Meaning, ‘toe in the water promotion’ at the state level is clearly no substitute for a professional campaign that was being advocated by the effort’s participants.

 

 

4) That said, the source (and/or others in that mix) may have been trying to help smooth the waters for deeper buy-in. Getting a coalition started is a process, and tipping the hat in the direction of state association efforts may have been viewed as part of that process.  With that noted, MHProNews has repeatedly reported and pointed out that platforms such as ManufacturedHomes.com and MHVillage are clearly NOT moving the needle ahead. When the key performance indicator (KPI) of production and shipments are either modestly rising, flat, or – worst of all – in decline, it is hardly useful for making their case of effectiveness.

 

5) Besides antitrust implications cited by Copilot and Gemini, there are also broader advocacy implications. See the interview or interview with AI FEA linked below.

 

 

6) MHI’s own past presidents/CEO’s words are coming back to haunt the association and its purported ‘reputation.’ What influence, if any, the recent report on RVs compared to manufactured housing may have had on tipsters is a fair question.

 

 

7) The HousingWire op-eds and the Sam Landy linked tipster are all arguably relevant to this developing picture.

 

 

8) It is an open question if, when, and how MHI and/or an MHI linked attorney will respond to the growing body of evidence that MHI is posturing efforts without any serious intention of delivering on their claims. As the above reflected, third-party AIs are calling these ‘moat tactics’ designed to boost consolidation over organic growth.  It is also an open question what the national antitrust suit against 8 already named members of MHI may result in when revised pleadings are filed.

 

MHProNews will note, but not quibble over the details, over Gemini’s portrayal of Lesli Gooch, above. Note too that the third-“C” is apparently behind the Gooch-standin. It is evocative of Samuel Strommen’s antitrust allegations about MHI acting as the mouthpiece for the Big 3 (or 3 C’s Clayton-Champion-Cavco).

 

 

9) It is simply a truism that:

There is always more to know.

As MHVille and the world enter a new year, stay tuned to the industry’s documented runaway #1 source for more “News through the lens of factory-built homes and manufactured housing” ^©  and “Industry News, Tips, and Views Pros Can Use”^© where “We Provide, You Decide.”^© This is the place for “Intelligence for your MHLife.” ^© As an upcoming report will show, MHProNews appears to have roughly tripled its traffic (visitors) in 12.2025 than in 12.2024. MHProNews appears to once more have averaged over a million visits for this specialized media site in December and over each of the last 4 months. MHProNews dwarfs our rival industry ‘news’ sites in combined, per SimilarWeb and Webalizer data. Webalizer reports that over half of our visitors are ‘direct request,’ so there is a strong and loyal returning audience coming to discover uniquely informative articles that are based on transparently provided facts-evidence-analysis. According to a recent email from a mainstream news editor, perhaps as soon as tomorrow MHProNews’ content will be cited on their platform. Stay tuned for updates on that and more.

Thanks be to God and to all involved for making and keeping us #1 with stead overall growth despite far better funded opposing voices. Transparently provided Facts-Evidence-Analysis (FEA) matters. ##

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Statement of William C. “Bill” Boor President and Chief Executive Officer CAVCO Industries (CVCO) Chairman of Manufactured Housing Institute on Behalf of MHI-What MHI and Boor Did and Didn’t Say