George Bernard Shaw

Contents

Elephantgate' trial: Feld off the hook for now

For Immediate Release:
March 15, 2006

Contact:
Holly Mattern 757-622-7382, ext. 8340,
HollyM@peta.org

Elephantgate’ Trial exposes document theft, eavesdropping, other unlawful acts by Feld Entertainment operatives against Peta and other groups.

Jury Lets ‘Busy CEO’ Feld off the Hook for Now Over Dirty Tricks, Multimillion-Dollar Operation to Destroy Critics of Circus Cruelty

Fairfax, Va. — In a blow that felt like a bullhook on an elephant’s back, PETA learned today that—despite being presented with extensive evidence of his involvement in a decade-long operation to infiltrate and disrupt PETA and other animal protection groups that spoke out against the abuse of animals in the circus—a Fairfax County, Va., circuit court jury decided today that there wasn’t enough evidence to find Kenneth Feld—chair and CEO of Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus—liable for the covert operations perpetrated by his senior vice presidents and other staff between 1988 and 1998. Although Feld admitted and other witnesses confirmed that the CEO received regular reports on the operation and that Feld’s senior vice presidents and other senior staff as well as his controller, accountants, and auditors knew of the operation, Feld claimed that he had no knowledge of illegal activities during the multimillion-dollar operation by Feld entities.

PETA filed suit against Feld to expose the details of what it believed was a conspiracy to destroy the animal protection groups that were the most outspoken critics of Ringling’s abuse of animals in the circus. The operation was overseen by Clair George, former head of the CIA’s covert operations, who received millions of dollars from Feld entities. The operation was known about and managed by senior Feld staff, including former Feld Entertainment CFO Charles Smith.

During the operation, Feld entities paid more than $8.8 million to a private eye named Richard Froemming and his shell entities, which had no employees or functions. Payments continued after Feld hired Froemming as a vice president. According to Smith, he and Froemming placed approximately 16 operatives undercover at PETA and other animal protection groups from coast to coast. Operatives illegally recorded conversations and obtained confidential financial, medical, and personnel information, which they used against the groups. One operative, Steven Kendall, used a confidential list of PETA contacts to interfere with anti-circus demonstrations and attempted to cause PETA to lose members.

“The destruction of evidence—including secret reports and boxes of audio tapes, videotapes, and photographs—that the jury was not allowed to see gave Feld a deniability that was impossible to overcome,” says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. “Feld may walk, but PETA has put on record Ringling’s dirty tricks, animal abuse, and sleazy business practices.”

For more information, please visit PETA’s Web site Circuses.com.