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Callicrate drops lawsuit against USDA

The Kansas cattlemen who sued U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack last fall has temporarily withdrawn his lawsuit, according to Feedstuffs.com.

With assistance from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Mike Callicrate sued the USDA last year charging the Cattlemen’s Beef Board sent funds to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), improperly using the check-off money to influence government policy.

The USDA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently cleared the NCBA of improper use of those funds.

Callicrate, who is president of the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM), reportedly has requested OIG records related to their audit and plans to keep the lawsuit on hold while his group assesses the findings and awaits a response to their Freedom of Information request for records.

According to the Capitol Press, Callicrate has vowed he’ll file another lawsuit.