PETA (based on two reports that appeared on FailedMessiah.com) is calling on US Senators Charles Grassley (R, IA), Arlen Specter (R, PA) and US Representatives Tom Lathum (R, IA) and Katherine Harris (R, FL) to return thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the extended Rubashkin family, apparently orchestrated by Sholom M. Rubashkin's brother-in-law, Rabbi Milton Balkany.
Rabbi Balkany, dubbed the "Brooklyn Bundler" and "Robbi" by New York tabloids, has a long history of financial irregularities and apparent influence peddling.
According to PETA's Bruce Friedrich,
“A federal legislator should not be taking money from a company that is being sued by one federal agency and that is under investigation by another—that just screams conflict of interest.”
AgriProcessors is currently being sued by the Environmental Protection Agency and is under investigation by the United States Department of Agriculture for what many have called the worst violations of the Humane Slaughter Act in recent memory.