Ringling Circus Hired PI to Infiltrate PETA

[MountainLaurel]

Some weird shit.

The Ringling Bros. circus infiltrated animal rights groups, stole sensitive internal documents and illegally wiretapped circus opponents as part of a national conspiracy to disrupt animal rights groups, a lawyer told a Fairfax County jury yesterday.

The allegations by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals launched a trial five years in the making. It also culminates a lengthy legal battle between PETA and Kenneth Feld, whose family has owned the circus for nearly 40 years.

During opening statements, PETA accused Feld of overseeing the espionage campaign against it and other animal rights organizations. Feld's attorney responded that infiltrating groups is not a crime, that PETA was not harmed by any alleged action by Feld or his employees and that Feld did not know of the operation or do anything illegal. Monitoring rights groups was necessary to protect the circus and its customers, Feld's attorney argued, and he noted that donations to PETA have risen, not fallen, since the start of the conspiracy.

Feld was sued by Norfolk-based PETA in Fairfax Circuit Court because the headquarters for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is in Tysons Corner. The trial is expected to last two weeks.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/27/AR2006022701436.html