September 10, 2015
DEAR FRIENDS,
DEAR FRIENDS,
Last year, SHARK investigator Stu Chaifetz filmed a live pigeon shoot political fundraiser held by Jim Inhofe, the United States Senator from Oklahoma. This was a groundbreaking exposé that showed the cruelty and immorality of Senator Inhofe.
This year, SHARK has sent a team to Oklahoma and they will be publicly filming the shoot and the shooters who attend it. Today, however, they will be holding two press conferences, one in front of Senator Inhofe’s offices in Tulsa and the other at his office in Oklahoma City.
We asked Michael Thompson, Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, to shut down Senator Inhofe’s pigeon shoot as it violates state anti-cruelty laws. He wrote to us and said that they did not enforce anti-cruelty law and that we should go to the local sheriff and game wardens.
The problem is that both those agencies are not objective law enforcement authorities, and in fact work for Senator Inhofe. This is not speculation on our part. Game Wardens were at Senator Inhofe’s pigeon shoot fundraiser last year - not to enforce the law but to serve as workers helping the Senator’s donors learn to shoot shotguns. As for the Kiowa County Sheriff, all you need do is read what Ryan Jackson, Senator Inhofe’s Chief of Staff said regarding them in the The Journal Record on September 3, 2015:
"Jackson also said that despite calls to law enforcement, the local sheriff’s department did not have any questions about the event. Instead of investigating, Jackson said, the deputies provided security.”
How can we turn to the Sheriff for help when the Senator’s own Chief of Staff brazenly admits that they work to benefit the Senator, not the public and law? As for the Game Wardens, their documents, that we received from a public records request, show their deep ties to the Senator and how they have worked at his fundraiser for years. That this government agency is providing workers for a political fundraiser, with no one either questioning or seeking to stop it, shows that they are biased and not going to do anything that would, in the end, incriminate themselves for participating in the illegal acts.
Please politely and respectfully write to Commissioner Thompson and ask him to take action to shut down Senator Inhofe’s illegal pigeon shoot.
This year, SHARK has sent a team to Oklahoma and they will be publicly filming the shoot and the shooters who attend it. Today, however, they will be holding two press conferences, one in front of Senator Inhofe’s offices in Tulsa and the other at his office in Oklahoma City.
We asked Michael Thompson, Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, to shut down Senator Inhofe’s pigeon shoot as it violates state anti-cruelty laws. He wrote to us and said that they did not enforce anti-cruelty law and that we should go to the local sheriff and game wardens.
The problem is that both those agencies are not objective law enforcement authorities, and in fact work for Senator Inhofe. This is not speculation on our part. Game Wardens were at Senator Inhofe’s pigeon shoot fundraiser last year - not to enforce the law but to serve as workers helping the Senator’s donors learn to shoot shotguns. As for the Kiowa County Sheriff, all you need do is read what Ryan Jackson, Senator Inhofe’s Chief of Staff said regarding them in the The Journal Record on September 3, 2015:
"Jackson also said that despite calls to law enforcement, the local sheriff’s department did not have any questions about the event. Instead of investigating, Jackson said, the deputies provided security.”
How can we turn to the Sheriff for help when the Senator’s own Chief of Staff brazenly admits that they work to benefit the Senator, not the public and law? As for the Game Wardens, their documents, that we received from a public records request, show their deep ties to the Senator and how they have worked at his fundraiser for years. That this government agency is providing workers for a political fundraiser, with no one either questioning or seeking to stop it, shows that they are biased and not going to do anything that would, in the end, incriminate themselves for participating in the illegal acts.
Please politely and respectfully write to Commissioner Thompson and ask him to take action to shut down Senator Inhofe’s illegal pigeon shoot.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
One of the victims of Senator Inhofe's fundraiser
You can watch our original video exposing the shoot HERE.
Watch our new video detailing the ethics complaint filed against Senator Inhofe HERE.
Watch our new video detailing the ethics complaint filed against Senator Inhofe HERE.
KFOR TV: Animal Rights Group Asks State Police to Shut Down Inhofe Fundraiser
NEWS OK: Animal-protection group asks law enforcement to stop Inhofe's planned pigeon shoot (This story was picked up and carried on a number of news sites)
Tulsa World: Animal welfare group wants Oklahoma Highway Patrol to shut down Sen. Jim Inhofe 'dove hunt'
NEWS OK: Animal-protection group asks law enforcement to stop Inhofe's planned pigeon shoot (This story was picked up and carried on a number of news sites)
Tulsa World: Animal welfare group wants Oklahoma Highway Patrol to shut down Sen. Jim Inhofe 'dove hunt'
In our last update, we told you that SHARK filed multiple complaints against Senator Inhofe and his associates. We can tell you that the US Office of Special Counsel, which we sent a complaint regarding the use of federal employees as workers, has assigned an attorney to investigate the matter.
We also sent a letter to the US Bureau of Reclamation, as the pigeon shoot was held on federal property owned by them. We spoke to them this week and were told that when they had seen our original video, they realized it was their property being misused and that they had ordered Tom Buchanan (who we filed complaints about as well) to never hold another shoot on the property, as well as to dismantle a brick structure that was built on the property for the specific purpose of holding pigeon shoots.
This information is critical, as it fully backs up our complaints that Senator Inhofe broke the rules and used federal property to hold a political fundraiser!
We also sent a letter to the US Bureau of Reclamation, as the pigeon shoot was held on federal property owned by them. We spoke to them this week and were told that when they had seen our original video, they realized it was their property being misused and that they had ordered Tom Buchanan (who we filed complaints about as well) to never hold another shoot on the property, as well as to dismantle a brick structure that was built on the property for the specific purpose of holding pigeon shoots.
This information is critical, as it fully backs up our complaints that Senator Inhofe broke the rules and used federal property to hold a political fundraiser!
Please contact the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics and ask that they open an investigation into Senator Inhofe’s actions.
Senator Johnny Isakson
(202) 224-3643
http://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-me
Senator Barbara Boxer
(202) 224-3553
https://www.boxer.senate.gov/contact/shareyourviews.html
Senator Johnny Isakson
(202) 224-3643
http://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-me
Senator Barbara Boxer
(202) 224-3553
https://www.boxer.senate.gov/contact/shareyourviews.html
