NPPC Attempts to Rig Pork Checkoff Vote

Contact: Dale Leslein, hog farmer: 319-588-0657
Donald Hoogestraat, hog farmer: 605-647-2750
Rodney Skalbeck, hog farmer: 320-765-2542
Land Stewardship Project: 612-722-6377
Iowa CCI: 515-282-0484
Illinois Stewardship Alliance: 217-498-9707
Missouri Rural Crisis Center: 573-449-1336

8/2/00
Hog farmers and members of the Campaign for Family Farms (CFF) are calling for an investigation into attempted election fraud by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC). The Land Stewardship Project is a founding member of the Campaign.

Last week, NPPC's telemarketers started calling hog farmers telling them that NPPC could send them ballots for the upcoming pork checkoff referendum—in clear violation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's referendum rules. Hog farmers were called in a number of states including Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota, Missouri, Minnesota and Texas.

Dale Leslein, an Iowa hog farmer and Iowa CCI member, joined other CFF farmers in calling for an end to NPPC's attempts to illegally distribute ballots.

"I received a call on behalf of the National Pork Producers Council telling me to vote to continue this tax and asking if they could request an absentee ballot on my behalf. We've heard from other farmers that representatives for NPPC promised to send them multiple ballots. It's obvious NPPC will do anything to rig this vote."

Donald Hoogestraat, a South Dakota hog farmer, also received a call from NPPC.

"They asked to speak with my wife who hadn't sold a hog for eight or nine years. When I told them she was deceased, they offered to send her an absentee ballot. When I told them no, they asked if they could send one to me."

According to USDA's rules, independent hog farmers can either vote in person or request an absentee ballot for themselves from their county Farm Service Agency (FSA). Producers can start requesting ballots starting August 1st. Mail in voting will take place between Aug. 18 and Sept. 21. In person voting will run from Sept. 19 to Sept. 21.

USDA officials stated that attempts to send ballots to producers or request ballots on their behalf would violate these rules.

South Dakota State Senator and hog farmer Frank Kloucek, who received two calls from NPPC said, "In this country, our democratically elected government, not private organizations, holds public votes. NPPC trying to send ballots to hog farmers is nothing short of election fraud."

Rodney Skalbeck, a Minnesota hog farmer and member of Land Stewardship Project, said that this is another way NPPC and packers are trying to save the pork checkoff tax.

"The Campaign for Family Farms fought hard for the ballots to be sent to hog farmers by USDA, so we would have a fair vote with high participation. NPPC got USDA not to do that. Now NPPC, financed by packer money, is illegally acting as a go-between to try and influence the vote."

This is the latest charge leveled against NPPC in its attempt to prevent the end of the mandatory pork checkoff, from which it receives $50 million a year. In June, NPPC admitted it had raised $2 million from "allied industry" to use on the referendum vote, and NPPC President Craig Jarolimek stated the NPPC would spend up to $4 million to win the vote.

"Thousands of independent producers called for this vote and NPPC has tried everything imaginable to derail it," said Phil Wright, an Illinois hog producer and member of Illinois Stewardship Alliance. "NPPC has given tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and called on those political allies to delay or stop the vote, it has misused our checkoff dollars to promote the checkoff, and now it is breaking the referendum rules."

Independent producers said that NPPC's most recent actions show the desperation of the organization.

"NPPC is trying to rig this vote because they know that legitimate hog farmers are going to vote to end the mandatory pork checkoff," said Missouri hog farmer Eddie Foster. "NPPC told me that not only would they send me a ballot, but they would send one to everyone in my family. Even before this latest trick by NPPC, I planned on voting to end the mandatory pork checkoff. We're sick and tired of our checkoff dollars going to support things like meat packers raising hogs."