BillyGoBoy.com Publisher Files "FOIA Suit" Against USDA To Obtain "Animal Cruelty" Records

OXFORD, Miss., Feb. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit was filed in United States District Court  by the publisher of BillyGoBoy.com, a website publication, against the United States Department of Agriculture ( USDA).  

http://billygoboy.com/2018/02/03/billygoboy-com-publisher-sues-united-states-department-of-agriculture-and-usda-aphis-for-violating-the-freedom-of-information-act-foia/

BillyGoBoy.com (BGB) covers the issue of Animal Cruelty to Tennessee Walking Horses used in the show ring and demonstrating the so-called big lick gait. The site has  a national and international readership.   

The complaint asks for expedited injunctive relief due to the violation by the USDA of  the site's First Amendment right under  the U.S. Constitution and the Freedom of Information Act, a federal statute.

A year ago, the USDA was sued by Animal Protection Groups when it removed all animal welfare enforcement records, including horse soring, from its website.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2017/02/09/usda-animal-welfare-records-purge-may-have-been-triggered-by-horse-industry-lawsuit/?utm_term=.616adf0fae84  

The BGB suit alleges the public has a right to know about the enforcement of the Horse Protection Act (HPA) as administered by the USDA/APHIS. The suit alleges that actions taken by the USDA/APHIS have obstructed and unlawfully thwarted that access by first delaying, and then refusing to provide the information that plaintiff requested to cover a breaking news story regarding Animal Cruelty to Tennessee Walking Horses.

• September 2, 2017,  a "Big Lick" Tennessee Walking Horse named "Gen's Black Maverick",  trained by Mr. Bill Callaway of Shelbyville, TN, and owned by Mr. Keith and Ms Lorraine Rosbury of Bell Buckle, TN, wins breed Championship.
  
  
• September 5, 2017, BGB  breaks news story that Mr. Bill Callaway starts serving a USDA federal suspension on September 4, 2017, for the alleged soring of a Tennessee Walking Horse at the 2016 TWH National Celebration.
  http://billygoboy.com/2017/09/05/walking-horse-trainers-boyz-mr-bill-callaway-wins-world-grand-championship-then-goes-on-federal-suspension-for-alleged-horse-protection-act-violation/
  
  
• September 7, 2017, BGB reporter asks USDA to provide information necessary for  "urgent breaking news story."  USDA refuses.
  
  
• September 8, 2017, BGB publisher files FOIA Request requesting  Horse Soring records regarding Animal Cruelty allegedly perpetrated by trainer Mr. Bill Callaway.
  
  
• November 13, 2017, USDA advises BGB FOIA request was denied,  and the file was closed.
  
  
• November 17, 2017, BGB publisher files FOIA Appeal.  

Here is a video of BGB Publisher reporting on the "FOIA" lawsuit from the Federal Court Building in Oxford, MS on February 5, 2018: https://youtu.be/ZHPVx9Fq0JM

Also, here is a video documenting the "Big Lick" Animal Cruelty to Tennessee Walking Horses which features several BGB videos. It has now been viewed almost 15 million times.

SOURCE Clant M. Seay, Publisher, BillyGoBoy.Com

Related Links

http://billygoboy.com