Tuesday, January 07, 2014

Owners of planned horse slaughterhouse to sue New Mexico official for slander

Owners of a planned horse slaughterhouse in New Mexico that would be the first such facility to operate in the United States in years filed notice on Monday of their plan to sue the state attorney general for slander over his efforts to block the plant from opening. State Attorney General Gary King last month sued and secured a temporary restraining order against Valley Meat Co, which had planned to convert its cattle slaughterhouse in Roswell, New Mexico, to one processing horsemeat beginning on Jan. 1. Characterizing King's lawsuit as a libelous act of political grandstanding, an attorney for Valley Meat said the company would likely seek several million dollars in damages in a suit it plans to file next month. The lawsuit will claim slander, harassment and malicious abuse of process, according to the letter of intent. "He defamed a whole product and a whole industry," Valley Meat Co attorney A. Blair Dunn said of King. "My clients are not horrible environmental actors like he's trying to claim." The move is the latest in an ongoing legal battle that has pitted opponents of horse slaughter against an industry fighting to regain a foothold in the United States. A spokesman for the attorney general, a Democrat who has announced plans to run for New Mexico governor in 2014, dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous and insisted it would not sway his boss from fighting to keep the facility from opening...more

What a neat move.  Go, Mr. Dunn, Go. 



There's another politician who's used their office to oppose this private venture and that is Gov. Martinez (see here).   Ironically, I couldn't help but notice that in the Gov's budget released today there's an item to provide $2.6 million in tax benefits to "startup" firms.   Guess that will only apply to firms she personally likes.

To both Martinez & King I would say you have every right to voice your opinion about this or any business.  But it is an abuse of your office to go after a business either administratively (Martinez) or legally (King) that you personally don't "like".  Its just that type of political interference that has placed NM dead last in economic freedom.

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