WHACK! Humane Society of the US and co-conspirators pay $15.75M in RICO suit

Here’s one that will get buried in an obscure corner of most newspapers in America.

The extremist anti-gun, and anti-hunting Humane Society of the US has long played fast and loose with the facts and truths in their crusades to limit freedom for humans and expand so-called “animal rights”.

They got whacked smartly in recent days as they’ve paid a settlement of nearly $16 million dollars in a RICO lawsuit filed by Ringling Brothers Circus.   Yes, Virginia.  The suit was filed under the same Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act used by the federal government to go after the mob and other organized crime.

The ASPCA also got whacked for $9 million in a separate settlement in 2012 – also paid in full.

That’s a lot of gullible animal lovers sending in their $25 donations.

WASHINGTON (The Republic) — The parent company of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus says it has received a nearly $16 million settlement from the Humane Society of the United States and other animal-rights groups that filed a frivolous lawsuit against them.

The lawsuits in federal court in Washington have dragged on for more than a decade. In 2012, a judge said the case, alleging abusive treatment of elephants, was frivolous and forced the circus’ owner, Vienna, Virginia-based Feld Entertainment, to spend millions in legal fees.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals already agreed separately to pay more than $9 million to settle.

Here’s more from Humane Watch:

The suit stems from litigation that animal rights activists, including an HSUS affiliate, pursued against the owner of the Ringling Bros. circus, Feld Entertainment. In that case, activists claimed that the circus was unlawfully harming elephants in its care, and their key witness was a former Feld handler.

However, as that case unfolded over a decade, a payment scheme was discovered going from plaintiffs and their lawyers to this witness. The court eventually threw out the lawsuit, finding that the witness was a “paid plaintiff” who was “not credible.” This paid witness even “lied” to the court.

Feld then filed suit under RICO, alleging bribery, illegal witness payments, and other torts. The ASPCA settled in late 2012 for $9.3 million. And today, the other co-defendants have paid $15.75 million.

The animal liberation movement has long been associated with extremist, bullying, and sometimes even terroristic tactics in pursuit of its radical goal to institute prohibition on how we use animals, whether for food, fiber, or entertainment. The FBI cracked down on the terroristic fringe over the past two decades. And the suit-wearing, lawyered-up part of the movement has now had its day in court. It comes up $15.75 million poorer, but with its inner workings exposed, the rest of society should feel better off.