OKLAHOMA – U.S. Senator James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) may have violated several federal ethics, tax and other laws, in addition to breaking Oklahoma criminal statues at a campaign fundraising event he held in 2014 in which he participated in shooting pigeons at point-blank-range, according to a nearly year-long investigation by an international animal protection watchdog. (www.Inhofecruelty.com) After a nearly year-long investigation, SHARK (SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness) is filing documents with appropriate federal and state agencies.
1. Sen. Inhofe, for his political fundraiser, used federally-owned land, federally-funded government employees as workers and solicited government employees for campaign donations.
Hatch Complaint
http://sharkonline.org/images/handouts/hatchcomplaint.pdf
Inhofe Ethics Complaint
http://sharkonline.org/images/handouts/inhofeethicscomplaint.pdf
Bureau of Reclamation Complaint
http://sharkonline.org/images/handouts/bureauofreclamation.pdf
Tom Buchanan Complaint
http://sharkonline.org/images/handouts/ethicscomplaintbuchanan.pdf
2. SHARK said Sen. Inhofe may be guilty of breaking Oklahoma laws, including "Tax Avoidance," for not paying sales tax on pigeons purchased from a Michael Daugherty, who has been involved in illegal cock fighting. Campaign filings list about $10,000 paid for pigeons in 2013 and 2014 fundraisers, but there is no mention of a sales tax. Daugherty and Sen. Inhofe may have engaged in a conspiracy to defraud the State of Oklahoma and its residents by deliberately not paying sales tax.
Inhofe Sales Tax Complaint
http://sharkonline.org/images/handouts/salestaxcomplaint.pdf
3. SHARK also said Sen. Inhofe violated Oklahoma anti-cruelty laws – SHARK's video shows pigeons, a protected species in Oklahoma, were willfully kicked, mutilated, shot, wounded, destroyed and tortured.
Animal Cruelty Complaint
http://sharkonline.org/images/handouts/animalcrueltycomplaint.pdf