Posted on 01/22/2015 10:37:48 AM PST by Osage Orange
The Humane Society of the United States Sues Oklahoma Attorney General
by Randy Ellis
Published: January 21, 2015
Upset by state investigation into its fundraising activities, The Humane Society of the United States has filed a lawsuit against Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, accusing him of slandering and vilifying the animal rights organization for political gain.
“Religious leaders, pro-life groups and others with a values-based view of the world should be outraged by the misuse of the attorney general’s office to mount a political attack on a charitable organization because of that group’s mission and beliefs,” Cynthia Armstrong, Oklahoma state director of the Humane Society, said in a news release that accompanied the filing of the lawsuit in Oklahoma County District Court.
The attorney general’s office responded with its own news release, claiming the lawsuit was an attempt by the Humane Society to avoid releasing documents in response to a nearly yearlong investigation by Pruitt’s office into Humane Society fundraising practices.
“The attorney general’s office is reviewing the solicitation practices of the HSUS in order to address concerns that the group’s solicitations in Oklahoma may be misleading,” the news release said. “The concern is that the HSUS projects heart-wrenching imagery of puppies and kittens in solicitations in order to extract donations from unsuspecting Oklahomans who believe their donations are going to help local animal shelters, but instead, their hard-earned money may go to high-powered lobbying and special interest campaigns that are determined to shape state and federal legislation that would harm farmers, ranchers and other Oklahomans.”
Former Attorney General Drew Edmondson, a Democrat, is representing the Humane Society in the lawsuit.
Pruitt is a Republican.
In the lawsuit, the Humane Society accused Pruitt of making “false and defamatory” remarks to groups like the Oklahoma Farm Bureau concerning the Humane Society’s fundraising practices. The group claims Pruitt falsely accused it of using the May 2013 tornado to raise funds.
The organization said it had provided Pruitt’s office with voluminous documents in response to its investigation but argued that it was not required to provide documents that were proprietary or subject to attorney-client privilege.
The Humane Society said it offered to give the attorney general’s office proprietary information if its attorneys would sign a confidentiality agreement, but they refused.
Julie Bays, chief of the Oklahoma attorney general’s public protections unit, said it was unclear to her why the Humane Society would file a lawsuit rather than answer concerns about whether its Oklahoma fundraising efforts were misleading.
“Instead of respecting the donations of generous Oklahomans by providing clarity that such donations were used for the purposes represented in solicitations, the HSUS has decided to sue the attorney general’s office and wage a duplicitous war of misinformation against the people of Oklahoma,” Bays said in a prepared statement.
“Our office will not tolerate any charity using misleading or untruthful solicitations to take advantage of the generosity of Oklahomans and will not blink in the face of this unwarranted lawsuit.”
The Humane Society said it has nearly 7,000 Oklahoma members and contends Pruitt’s actions have damaged its reputation and relationships with members and contributors.
The organization is asking a judge to declare that it has provided the attorney general with all the information that is required and to declare that it will not have to release any additional information.
Of course...I don't live in a cave. And have known for years what the Humane Society is really about.
Didn’t they publicly partner with PETA for a bit?
Then backpedaled when it came out that PETA was slaughtering animals?
Or was that something else?
Good for AG Pruitt. HSUS scams the public for big bucks and they’re spending much of it for their anti hunting movement.
They will stop all hunting if allowed to.
The Humane Society does not get a dime from me…because last time I went there to get a pet, the BUILDING was new, shiny, gorgeous and clearly built by a high-end builder who made a bundle on it. But it held fewer animals than the old building.
I support a more humble shelter organization in this town that places tons of pets and even rescues abused horses. My cat sends them a thank-you note every anniversary and includes a donation.
One is "The Humane Society" - I am not sure, but I believe they are above board and really dedicated to helping animals.
But The Humane Society of the United States is a rip-off, charlatan group.
At least that is what I understand.
But fake out people to give them money!! Then give that money to Politicians...and very little goes to "saving" anything.
The World Wildlife Fund...is no better.
http://www.humanewatch.org/challenge_to_wayne_pacelle_put_up_or_shut_up/
I don’t think so..........
Can they only sue them for 19 bucks a month? What the heck is that all about anyway? All the charities want 19 bucks a month. Didn’t Calypso Louie already prove that the number 19 is an evil honky thing?
“The Humane Society does not get a dime from me…because last time I went there to get a pet...”
That’s a lot of the problem. HSUS is not what you think of as “the Humane Society”. They don’t run shelters. Shelters are generally run by an organization with a similar name but they are not HSUS. In my town the shelter is run by “Larimer Humane Society”, they are their own non-profit and not associated with HSUS. HSUS is just a PETA style group that chose a deceptive name to fool people into contributing to them.
While HSUS is suing folks, they should sue Charitynavigator.org for putting them under a donor advisory for deceptive practices.
I would say...investigate and ask questions before giving.....
I have a rescue Border Collie..and he's a prince. But got him from a local lady.
Had another rescue B.C. long time ago...same situation.
The CEO for the HSUS...is a dangerous lefty....
19 Planets
19 States
19 is the number!!
They’ve just about done that in Calif.
Here's two money paragraphs....
HSUS and animal rights groups the Fund for Animals, Animal Welfare Institute, Born Free USA (formerly the Animal Protection Institute), the Wildlife Advocacy Project, the law firm of Meyer, Glitzenstein & Crystal, and several current and former attorneys of that firm, paid the settlement for their involvement in the case brought under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that the U.S. District Court ruled was "frivolous," "vexatious," and "groundless and unreasonable from its inception." Today's settlement also covers the related Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) case that Feld Entertainment filed against the groups after discovering they had paid a plaintiff for his participation in the original lawsuit and then attempted to conceal those payments.
In December 2012, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), a former co-defendant in the case, settled its share of the lawsuits by paying Feld Entertainment $9.3 million. Today's settlement brings the total recovered by Feld Entertainment to more than $25 million in legal fees and expenses, which the company actually spent in defending the ESA case.
Of course....I never heard of this news!! Someone should have had criminal charges....filed. Bribing/paying a witness!!?? They play dirty....just like the DemocratSocialists!!
Thank you very much for that info.
Wow is right...It’s really sad that the majority of the animal rights groups scam people that are unaware for many millions every year.
Most of them are anti-hunting, vegetarians, vegans or enviro groups using the Endangered Species Act to keep people off both public and private lands.
They try to associate themselves with honest animal shelters and recovery centers for their fund raising when in fact they’re ripoff artists.
There is a nice “no kill” animal adoption shelter in my city. They are independent and there is not a peep about the HSUS.
Those type shelters are the honest ones, I’ve read that HSUS gives less than 1% of the funds they receive to actual animal shelters.
HSUS: Lawyers In Cages
“We’re basically PETA...with suits and deodorant...”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XTrhQd9GHlE
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