Things Look “Grimm” for HSUS Political Ally
UPDATE 12/30: After pleading guilty to felony tax fraud last week, Grimm has announced his resignation from office, effective January 5, 2015.
The Humane Society of the United States tries to get cozy with members of Congress as it pushes an animal-rights agenda on Capitol Hill. One of its pals, U.S. Congressman Michael Grimm from Staten Island, has seemed quite chummy with HSUS—something that HSUS’s P.R. handlers are probably trying to change. This morning, Grimm, a former FBI agent, surrendered to the bureau after he was indicted for fraud, perjury, and obstruction.
That’s Grimm, at right, with HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle, who signed at least one check implicated in a witness-payment scheme that’s central to a federal racketeering lawsuit. Don’t the two make a great couple?
You’ll find the picture alongside a press release put out by self-promoter Arthur E. Benjamin, an HSUS moneyman and member of the group’s National Council. Benjamin himself has had his own scandal, with a supposed education company he founded and led being sued by the U.S. Department of Justice for defrauding the government of over $200 million. According to the feds, the company wasn’t much help to its students, essentially using them as a pretense to fraudulently obtain government grants. Benjamin’s company agreed to shut down and pay millions in a settlement.
And then there’s news last week that the FBI is investigating animal rights activists in New York City for extortion. Allegedly, these activists may have broken the law in pressuring a mayoral candidate to oppose the use of carriage horses. We wrote about these carriage complainers in the New York Post recently.
There may not be as much animal-rights terrorism for the FBI to investigate these days, but from allegations of witness payoffs to racketeering to extortion, it seems that HSUS and its pals in the animal-rights movement are just one big mafia-like racket.
Grimm’s colleagues and political allies are no doubt trying to distance themselves from him at this moment. They should do themselves a favor and knock HSUS off their friend list, too.
