USDA: R-CALF calls for investigation

Last Wednesday, in response to comments made by U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) CEO Phil Seng the day before, R-CALF’s CEO Bill Bullard sent a letter of complaint to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and United States Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer. In the complaint, Bullard asserts that Seng’s comments about the U.S. leaving or threatening to leave the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) being unwise is an illegal attempt to influence government policy. He argues that, as a recipient of Beef Checkoff Program funds, USMEF is “prohibited from using the tax money in any manner to influencing governmental policy or action.” R-CALF has requested the USDA initiate an investigation into USMEF “to determine if Seng’s salary, office, communications services, or travel are cross-subsidized in any manner by Beef Checkoff Program tax dollars in direct violation of the federal Beef Checkoff Program.” WLJ has covered the event which spawned this letter; the story can be read on the cover of this week’s paper.