South Carolina agriculture commissioner indicted in cockfighting ring

South Carolina agriculture commissioner indicted in cockfighting ring

Thursday, July 29, 2004


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(07-29) 09:14 PDT COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) --

South Carolina's agriculture commissioner was arrested Thursday on charges of taking payoffs to protect a cockfighting ring.

Charles Sharpe, 65, was indicted on charges including extortion and money laundering. He was accused of accepting at least $10,000 from an organization involved in breeding and raising birds for cockfighting in exchange for helping the group avoid trouble from the law.

snip...
Sharpe, a Republican, served in the state House from 1985 until 2002 and was chairman of the Agriculture Committee. In 2002, he was elected agriculture commissioner.


more... http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/07/29/national1214EDT0568.DTL

It's been going on forever there in the backroads and byways. Would have hoped TV with mudwrestling and reality shows might have stopped the appetite for it, but there's always a few who just "get off" on animal cruelty.

The influx of Mexican immigrants has been a boon to local cockfighters. A friend of mine raises the birds, sometimes getting several hundred dollars for a cock. Thousands of dollars can change hands in one fight. They claim that it is natural behavior, not taking into account that the fighting instinct is hyper-developed by selective breeding and that in nature a bird can run away.
Living in SC is a continual source of embarassment.
edit:why can't blindpig spell?

if it weren't for the likely humiliation should one of the little buggers kick my ass.

Good ole boys have moved on to dog fighting for their illegal thrills.

I have no doubt that some pubbie legislator is taking bribes to keep the law off the dogfighters' backs, although a few get busted here every year.

These guys really don't care what their bribes come from.

They're the ones betting on the duck.

(hey, I just realized I made a pun 'cause there are now TWO 'Chicken George's', and one of them is Emperor of Amerika)

I thought someone was accidentally citing The Onion again.

Makes you wonder...

--JT

n/t

Actually I can think of a cock fight I would love to see: dimsom and the rest of the administration fighting each other over who is to blame for the loss in November.

this has Big Bill written all over it.