The USDA unlawfully approved spending $3 million a year of pork farmers’ money on a defunct promotional campaign, according to a federal judge.
Farmers pay a “checkoff” fee of 40 cents for every $100 worth of pigs sold in the U.S. to raise money for a pork industry research and promotion program, which is overseen by USDA.
kAm&]$] s:DEC:4E yF586 p>J q6C>2? D2:5 E96 286?4J 2AAC@G65 A2J>6?ED 7@C D6G6C2= 5:D4@?E:?F65 “!@C< %96 ~E96C (9:E6 |62E” EC256>2C<D 32D65 @? 2 “4@>A=6E6=J 2C3:EC2CJ” 2DD6DD>6?E @7 E96:C G2=F6]k^Am
kAmu@C E92E C62D@?[ E96 &$sp >FDE DE@A E96 }2E:@?2= !@C< q@2C5[ H9:49 25>:?:DE6CD 4964<@77 5@==2CD[ 7C@> >2<:?8 2?J 7FCE96C A2J>6?ED 7@C E96 EC256>2C<D[ H9:49 H6C6 =2C86=J 232?5@?65 23@FE D6G6? J62CD 28@[ E96 ;F586 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 G2=F2E:@? @7 S``b >:==:@? E@ S`ba >:==:@? H2D 32D65 @? E96 4@DE @7 C6A=24:?8 E96 “~E96C (9:E6 |62E” EC256>2C<D[ H9:49 5@6D?’E >2<6 D6?D6 3642FD6 E96 @=5 42>A2:8? 925 2=C625J 366? D96=G65 2?5 >:==:@?D @7 4964<@77 5@==2CD 925 366? DA6?E @? 2 ?6H D=@82?[ “!@C< q6 x?DA:C65[” 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 ;F586]k^Am
kAm“x? 67764E[ E96 3@2C5 :D :?4FCC:?8 E96 6IA6?D6 @7 C6A=24:?8 E96 EC256>2C<D 7@C 2 D64@?5 E:>6[” q6C>2? D2:5]k^Am
kAm%C256>2C<D 7@C “!@C< %96 ~E96C (9:E6 |62E” 2C6 @H?65 3J E96 }2E:@?2= !@C< !C@5F46CD r@F?4:=[ 2 EC256 2DD@4:2E:@? E92E =@33:6D E@ :?7=F6?46 8@G6C?>6?E A@=:4J]k^Am
kAm%96 }2E:@?2= !@C< q@2C5 =:46?D65 E96 EC256>2C<D 7C@> }!!r 7@C 2 766 E92E C2?865 7C@> S` E@ Sg`g[___ 2 J62C 367@C6 3FJ:?8 E96> :? a__e 7@C Sbc]e >:==:@?] (:E9 :?E6C6DE 4@DED[ E96 E@E2= AFC492D6 2>@F?E 42>6 E@ Se_ >:==:@?[ H9:49 E96 3@2C5 28C665 E@ A2J @77 @G6C a_ J62CD]k^Am
kAm%96 wF>2?6 $@4:6EJ @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ 2? 2?:>2= C:89ED 8C@FA[ 7:=65 2 =2HDF:E @AA@D:?8 E96 562= 2=@?8 H:E9 2 9@8 72C>6C 2?5 2 4@>>F?:EJ @C82?:K2E:@? 7C@> x@H2]k^Am
kAm{:E:82E:@? @G6C E96 562= AC@>AE65 &$sp E@ C6\6G2=F2E6 E96 AFC492D6 :? a_`e[ 3FE E96 286?4J 564:565 E@ 4@?E:?F6 H:E9 E96 AFC492D6 AC@46DD]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 A=2:?E:77D[ E96 D2=6 28C66>6?E H2D 24EF2==J :?E6?565 E@ 7F?5 ?62C=J @?6\E9:C5 @7 }!!r’D 3F586E 2?5 “6G256 7656C2= C6DEC:4E:@?D 282:?DE E96 FD6 @7 A@C< 4964<@77 5@==2CD 7@C AFCA@D6D @7 :?7=F6?4:?8 =68:D=2E:@? 2?5 8@G6C?>6?E A@=:4J]”k^Am
kAm%96 }2E:@?2= !@C< q@2C5 28C665 E@ A2J Se_ >:==:@? 6G6? E9@F89 :E H2D :? 2 DEC@?8 A@D:E:@? E@ ?68@E:2E6 72G@C23=6 E6C>D[ D:?46 ?@ @E96C 6?E:EJ H2D 4@>A6E:?8 E@ 3FJ E96 EC256>2C<D 7C@> }!!r[ E96 4@>A=2:?E D2:5]k^Am
kAm#@F89=J 92=7 2 3:==:@? 4964<@77 5@==2CD 925 366? DA6?E 3J E96 }2E:@?2= !@C< q@2C5 E@ AC@>@E6 E96 “~E96C (9:E6 |62E” D=@82?[ H9:49 H2D?’E 244@F?E65 7@C :? E96 D2=6 AC:46[ E96 A=2:?E:77D 2==6865]k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 E96D6 2C8F>6?ED[ E96 ;F586 92D C6;64E65 E96 A=2:?E:77’D 4=2:> E92E E96 EC256>2C< 562= G:@=2E65 2 7656C2= AC@9:3:E:@? @? FD:?8 4964<@77 5@==2CD 7@C A@=:E:42= =@33J:?8]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 D@>6 @7 E96 >@?6J 56C:G65 7C@> E96 D2=6 =:<6=J H6?E E@H2C5 =@33J:?8[ E96 7F?5D H6C6?’E 5:C64E=J DE66C65 E@H2C5 :?7=F6?4:?8 =68:D=2E:@?[ E96 CF=:?8 D2:5]k^Am
kAm!FC492D:?8 AC@>@E:@?2= EC256>2C<D H2D 2 =68:E:>2E6 6IA6?D6 7@C E96 }2E:@?2= !@C< q@2C5[ 6G6? :7 E96 D6==6C H2D 2 =@33J:?8 @C82?:K2E:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 ;F586]k^Am
kAmtG6? D@[ E96 D2=6 28C66>6?E G:@=2E65 25>:?:DEC2E:G6 =2H 3642FD6 E96 EC256>2C< 2AAC2:D2= AC@46DD H2D “BF:E6 5:D4@??64E65” 7C@> E96 8@2= @7 56E6C>:?:?8 E96:C 4FCC6?E G2=F6[ q6C>2? D2:5]k^Am
kAm&$sp’D 2AAC@G2= @7 4@?E:?F65 A2J>6?ED H2D “F?>@@C65 7C@> E96 724ED 2?5 4:C4F>DE2?46D 367@C6 E96 286?4J[” D:?46 E96 EC256>2C<D H6C6 “564=2C65 E@ 36 @3D@=6E6[ 2?5 E96J 92G6 366? C6E:C65 7C@> 24E:G6 FD6] $@ E96:C G2=F6 :D >:?:>2=[ @C 2E 36DE[ F?56E6C>:?65[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 “~E96C (9:E6 |62E” 42>A2:8? DE@AA65 36:?8 24E:G6=J AC@>@E65 :? a_``[ 27E6C H9:49 E96 }2E:@?2= !@C< q@2C5 3682? DA6?5:?8 23@FE Sae >:==:@? 2 J62C @? E96 “!@C< q6 x?DA:C65” 42>A2:8?]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 E96 2AAC2:D2= 5:5 24<?@H=6586 E96 5:D4@?E:?F2E:@? C65F465 E96 G2=F6 @7 “%96 ~E96C (9:E6 |62E” EC256>2C<D[ 6DE:>2E6D @7 E9:D 564=:?6 H6C6 “?@E 32D65 @? 2?J C6D62C49 @C 724EF2= 2?2=JD:D[” E96 ;F586 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 }!!r 492C24E6C:K65 E96 =2HDF:E 2D “7C:G@=@FD” =:E:82E:@? AFCDF65 3J 2? “2?E:\>62E 24E:G:DE 8C@FA” E92E 2:>D E@ 52>286 E96 &]$] =:G6DE@4< :?5FDECJ]k^Am
kAm%96 @C82?:K2E:@? :D 6G2=F2E:?8 :ED @AE:@?D C682C5:?8 E96 “5:D2AA@:?E:?8” CF=:?8[ }!!r D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E] “#682C5=6DD @7 E96 7:?2= @FE4@>6 :? E9:D 42D6[ H6 2C6 H6== A@D:E:@?65 E@ 4@?E:?F6 7:89E:?8 7@C E96 =:G6=:9@@5 @7 72C>6CD 2?5 @E96CD :? CFC2= p>6C:42]”k^Am
kAm%96 wF>2?6 $@4:6EJ @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 4966C65 E96 CF=:?8[ H9:49 “92=ED 2? 23FD:G6 >:DFD6 @7 >:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD @7 7656C2= 7F?5D E92E H2D 92C>7F= E@ 2?:>2=D 2?5 C6DA@?D:3=6 72>:=J 72C>6CD 2=:<6]”k^Am
