After winning by getting the case against them dismissed, Feld Entertainment (the parent company of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus) has turned the tables and filed a RICO suit against their former accusers. Just check out this list of defendants:
- The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS);
- The Fund for Animals (which merged with HSUS in 2004);
- Jonathan Lovvorn, an attorney employed by HSUS;
- Kimberly Ockene, an attorney employed by HSUS;
- The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA);
- The Animal Welfare Institute;
- The Animal Protection Institute (d/b/a/ Born Free USA);
- Tom Rider (a discredited witness in a recently dismissed lawsuit against Feld, who a judge ruled was paid at least $190,000 for his testimony);
- Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal (the outside law firm which handled that lawsuit against Feld);
- Katherine Meyer (of Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal);
- Eric Glitzenstein (of Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal);
- Howard Crystal (of Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal); and
- The Wildlife Advocacy Project (a nonprofit organization founded and managed by Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal, which was used as a pass-through vehicle to allow animal rights groups to pay Tom Rider for his discredited testimony against Feld).
Make no mistake about it, the ASPCA is a vicious wolf in sheep's clothing just like HSUS and PETA.
To the state bar that should be dealing with these outrageous attorneys: Ya knew it would happen! If you don't wrangle your critters, someone else will!!!
Too bad they couldn't squeeze PETA in there but y'all know that PETA and HSUS are competing for "most abusive to humans and animal owners", right?
I sure hope Feld gets employee lists during discovery so all can know how the same employees just float back and forth between these groups as training grounds.
I've been a fan of Ringling for decades and becoming a bigger one by the minute! I just might have to buy a batch of tickets to give out to support their litigation efforts.