Lawsuit Claims Beef Checkoff Paying for Lobbying
Associtated Press - Sat 11:53 AM 08/11/2012
A Kansas rancher has filed suit claiming the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is improperly using "beef checkoff" funds to influence government action and policy.
A Kansas rancher has filed suit claiming the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is improperly using "beef checkoff" funds to influence government action and policy.
The federal lawsuit by Michael Callicrate names the U.S. Agriculture Department, the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board and three other defendants. It seeks to bar the USDA from giving any checkoff dollars to the Cattlemen's Beef Association.
The filing was announced Friday in Kansas City, Missouri at a conference of the Organization for Competitive Markets. The organization has been critical of the checkoff program and supports the lawsuit.
The checkoff program generates more than $80 million annually to strengthen beef sales through promotion and research programs.
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association — which is not named as a defendant — criticized the lawsuit. USDA officials declined comment.
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jimdingo
Saturday 11 August 2012 22:44 Report this comment
Government is involved, it is corrupt.