The group's president Anthony DeVore is being charged with one count of being a spectator of a cockfight in McIntosh County. Under Oklahoma statute, it is a misdemeanor to be knowingly present at a cockfight in the state.
The commission has advocated for lowering the penalties for cockfighting in the state, saying it wanted to defend the right to raise the roosters, while animal advocates have cried foul.
DeVore has entered a not guilty plea. His next court date is set for early November. His attorney, Billy Coyle, said DeVore turned himself in once he found out about the charge.
"I just think that there is a fine line between crime that's reported and crime that they're investigating to find out, especially when it involves people's property and the people and something that a lot of people don't believe should be illegal today," Coyle said. "Mr. Devore has only been accused of this crime, and it's something that we look forward to fighting over the next several months."
Earlier this year, two animal advocacy groups, Animal Wellness Action and Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, released videos captured through their own "investigations," saying they show commission leaders DeVore and Secretary Blake Pearce at cockfights. As of Thursday afternoon, Pearce has no charges filed against him, according to the Oklahoma Court Docket Search website.
This comes as the Oklahoma Gamefowl Commission Political Action Committee will also have to pay $10,000, dissolve and not reform a new PAC for two years after settling with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.
Lee Anne Bruce Boone, executive director of the ethics commission, said in a statement the violations were "blatant breaches of the law," undermining public trust in the fairness of the state's elections.
Coyle said the group accepted responsibility but denies criminal wrongdoing, and settled to avoid more risk.
"There [were] some numbers that were off by a little bit. We accounted for everything. We did accept responsibility. We agreed not to file another pack for two years," Coyle said.
Leaders of Animal Wellness Action are calling upon lawmakers who received campaign contributions from the group to donate the money to state animal shelters or wildlife rehabilitation centers.
"DeVore and Pearce have shown contempt for Oklahoma's anti-cruelty laws and campaign finance standards for years, misrepresenting their purposes and their conduct all along," said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action, in a press release. "I hope Oklahoma lawmakers now understand that the lobbying campaign DeVore orchestrated was predicated on gutting the state's most important anti-cruelty law to enable him and his cohorts to promote and participate in staged battles between animals without fear of arrest."
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
