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Ringling Bros. circus hired private eye to infiltrate PETA, jury told
The Washington Post via Seattle Times ^ | February 28, 2006 | Tom Jackman

Posted on 02/28/2006 9:30:00 AM PST by presidio9

The Ringling Bros. circus infiltrated animal rights groups, stole sensitive internal documents and illegally wiretapped circus opponents as part of a national conspiracy to disrupt animal rights groups, a lawyer told a Fairfax County, Va., jury Monday.

The allegations by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals launched a trial five years in the making. It also culminates a lengthy legal battle between PETA and Kenneth Feld, whose family has owned the circus for nearly 40 years.

During opening statements, PETA accused Feld of overseeing the espionage campaign against it and other animal rights organizations. Feld's attorney responded that infiltrating groups is not a crime, that PETA was not harmed by any alleged action by Feld or his employees and that Feld did not know of the operation or do anything illegal. Monitoring rights groups was necessary to protect the circus and its customers, Feld's attorney argued, and he noted donations to PETA have risen, not fallen, since the start of the conspiracy.

Feld was sued by PETA in Fairfax because headquarters for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is in the county. The trial is expected to last two weeks.

PETA's first witness was a man with no love lost for either side: Charles F. Smith, former chief financial officer of Feld Entertainment and the immediate supervisor of the investigator who launched the covert probes into PETA and others. In 1997, Feld fired Smith after he was arrested for surveilling his girlfriend. Smith then sued Feld and tipped off some animal rights activists to the circus's clandestine operations, PETA attorney Philip Hirschkop said in his opening statement.

Smith acknowledged Monday that he hired private investigator Richard Froemming to not only monitor such groups as PETA and the

(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: animalwhackos; circus; ringlingbros; smartmove; workingdogs
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1 posted on 02/28/2006 9:30:01 AM PST by presidio9
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To: presidio9

For some reason, I'm laughing and am not sympathizing...


2 posted on 02/28/2006 9:32:34 AM PST by TomServo
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To: presidio9

BOO HOO HOO


3 posted on 02/28/2006 9:32:47 AM PST by NRA1995 (If feminists are so smart, why do they need masturbation workshops?)
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To: presidio9

THIS IS GREAT! How did they find out? Somebody asked, "Who the heck is this clown?"


4 posted on 02/28/2006 9:33:36 AM PST by barj
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To: presidio9

Ringling was protecting itself and its animals from a terrorist organization.
Wish I was on that jury.


5 posted on 02/28/2006 9:35:45 AM PST by jjmcgo
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To: presidio9

Meanwhile...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1586908/posts


6 posted on 02/28/2006 9:37:35 AM PST by LRS
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To: jjmcgo

PETA infiltrates super markets, barns, circus' etc and stages abuse which it videotapes inorder to destroy the industries. And they don't like it when their tactics are used against them.


7 posted on 02/28/2006 9:38:27 AM PST by massgopguy (massgopguy)
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To: presidio9

 

Busted.


8 posted on 02/28/2006 9:39:05 AM PST by Fintan (Did you really think I could post such insightful replies if I actually read the article???)
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To: barj

When I saw this article, I couldn't help but think of the scene from Octopussy when James Bond dresses up as a clown to infiltrate the East German circus terrorists.


9 posted on 02/28/2006 9:39:20 AM PST by presidio9 ("Bird Flu" is the new Y2K Virus -Only without the inconvenient deadline.)
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To: barj

Come on, the guy switched out his red nose for a green one, and wore the little feet instead of the big feet.
How were the Peta folks to know.


10 posted on 02/28/2006 9:40:04 AM PST by Waverunner
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To: barj
LOL! Nah, it was the fact that she kept drinking the toilet water.

A PETA girl assumes the position!


11 posted on 02/28/2006 9:41:03 AM PST by bill1952 ("All that we do is done with an eye towards something else.")
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To: presidio9

Syping on terrorists! Shame!


12 posted on 02/28/2006 9:44:12 AM PST by BooksForTheRight.com (what have you done today to fight terrorism/leftism (same thing!))
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To: massgopguy
PETA infiltrates super markets, barns, circus' etc and stages abuse which it videotapes inorder to destroy the industries. And they don't like it when their tactics are used against them.

my thoughts exactly. they have been, and probably still are, doing the same thing, but it is just horrible when someone dares turn the tables on them. LOL too fluffing bad!!!

13 posted on 02/28/2006 9:44:27 AM PST by ferri (Be Politically Incorrect: Support the Constitution!)
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To: presidio9

turnabout... fair play...


14 posted on 02/28/2006 9:44:45 AM PST by dangus
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To: presidio9
Yeah, PETA's character witness sounds like a real stand-up guy /sarc.

Not that PETA would know anything about character.

15 posted on 02/28/2006 9:47:19 AM PST by WestVirginiaRebel (Islamofascists don't need cartoons. They're already caricatures.)
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To: presidio9

PETA is a terrorist group. Somebody ought to be infiltrating it.


16 posted on 02/28/2006 9:51:20 AM PST by B Knotts
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To: massgopguy

I am surprised they have not gotten into terrorist acts at supermarkets. I might start buying all my steaks from Omaha Steaks.


17 posted on 02/28/2006 9:52:30 AM PST by Sensei Ern (Now, IB4Z! http://www.myspace.com/reconcomedy/ "I believe Hillary is the aunti-christ.")
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To: presidio9

Horrors! Imagine that, Ringling Brothers hiring a private investigator to protect itself against a group linked to terrorism and vandalism.


18 posted on 02/28/2006 9:52:34 AM PST by Ol' Sparky
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To: presidio9

I sense a new PETA protest brewing...PETAple in circus cages, naked, eating and drinking from bowls, being whipped by guys in ringmaster and clown suits.


19 posted on 02/28/2006 10:04:51 AM PST by polymuser (Losing, like flooding, brings rats to the surface.)
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To: presidio9

WAY TO GO RINGLING BROS! TAKE THAT PETA/ACLU LAWYER PUKES!


20 posted on 02/28/2006 10:25:24 AM PST by GodfearingTexan
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