PETA Sues Ringling CEO Over Document Theft, Illegal Spying, Other Unlawful Acts

PETA’s lawsuit alleges that Feld and his operatives, including a former head of covert operations for the CIA, used misrepresentation, illegal electronic surveillance, and stolen PETA documents as part of a conspiracy designed to destroy PETA and other animal protection organizations.

Ringling has repeatedly failed to meet minimum standards for animal care as established by the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA). It paid $20,000 to settle charges of failure to provide veterinary care to a dying baby elephant and is currently the subject of three investigations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for possible violations of the AWA. The USDA is investigating the death of a 2-year-old lion named Clyde, who apparently died of heatstroke while traveling through the Mojave Desert in a poorly ventilated boxcar; the death of an 8-month-old elephant named Riccardo, who was destroyed after fracturing both hind legs when he fell off a circus pedestal; and the excessive use of a sharp steel-tipped bullhook on a chained elephant, an incident that was caught on videotape.

"This is Elephantgate," says Jeffrey Kerr, PETA’s general counsel. "The public is about to learn how low a circus boss will stoop to silence those of us who want Ringling’s abuse of animals to end."

In pre-trial hearings, the judge sanctioned Feld’s legal team for making false accusations about the judge’s conduct and held one of Feld’s attorneys in contempt of court for violating court orders compelling the deposition of a self-confessed Ringling spy. The judge also vacated an earlier order that sealed the entire court file from the public.

http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=7885


For more information about Ringling’s abusive treatment of animals and to view a copy of PETA’s lawsuit, please visit PETA’s Web site Circuses.com.
http://circuses.com/