Wyoming Legislator Faces Ethics and Fraud Allegations Over Horse Slaughter Plans

State Representative Sue Wallis (R-Campbell) has publicly stated that she's forming a business, Unified Equine LLC, to slaughter horses and sell the meat within her home state of Wyoming. But isn't horse slaughter illegal in the U.S., you might ask? Technically, yes, but until the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act is passed, the ban is precarious.

And how convenient that Rep. Wallis happens to be in a position to promote legislation that would once again roll out the blood-red carpet for horse slaughter operations in her state.

This slaughter scheme smelled rotten to Wyoming resident Patricia Fazio, Ph.D., who filed a complaint (pdf) with state officials, alleging violations of ethics and securities fraud. Animal Law Coalition, Equine Welfare Alliance and Habitat for Horses Advisory Council are backing up Fazio's call for an investigation.

There's a long list of sketchy actions by Wallis around the horse slaughter issue, from soliciting charitable donations via an organization with a defunct tax status, to actually sponsoring bills that she'd personally benefit from.

And if you're wondering who would want to buy horse meat in the U.S., you're not alone. Even the overseas market, where some consider horse meat a delicacy, is drying up. With a "if you kill it, they will come" mentality, Wallis anticipates that there will be plenty of demand from zoos and pet food companies. Wallis has also sponsored the "Food Freedom Act," which would give independent butchers like herself the freedom for unregulated direct-to-consumer sales; a bill which a county health department director called a fraud.

Her latest shenanigan is organizing a "Summit of the Horse" in Las Vegas, with a guest list that horse advocate Madeleine Pickens said reads "like a who's who of the pro-slaughter and anti-wild horse community."

The Summit was supposed to include a raffle for a brand new pick-up truck. But then Wallis said she may not be able to get that truck after all and thought the ticket buyers should just let her keep the money. According to Fazio's complaint, it seems that Wallis was either running an unlicensed raffle or defrauding the ticket buyers.

When it comes to horse slaughter, Fazio writes, "Rep. Wallis does not even bother to hide the conflict of interest; her position as state legislator is nothing more than a way for her to facilitate her personal interests and family income."

These are some serious allegations against an elected official. If they're true, Rep. Wallis has misled investors, failed to comply with securities laws, and breached the trust of her constituents ... all in the name of killing horses. Join Dr. Fazio and horse protection groups in calling on Wyoming authorities to investigate Rep. Sue Wallis.

Photo credit: Todd Ryburn