Wildlife WayStation Supporter Files Claim Against the U.S. Department of Agriculture Arising From Efforts to Help Animals
December 19 2011 - 7:35AM
Marketwired
The RHL Group, Inc. (www.rhlgroup.com) today announced that Bob
Lorsch, the company's chairman, has filed a four million dollar
Federal Tort Claim against the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) following procedures required before filing a
lawsuit for Malicious Prosecution and other possible claims. The
claims arise out of nearly five years of involvement and efforts
helping the Wildlife WayStation (WWS), which included helping raise
millions of dollars to get the wildlife sanctuary located in
Southern California's Angeles National Forest into compliance and
keep it running for the benefit of the animals and the community.
Lorsch hopes the action will also call attention to the needs of
legitimate charities working to protect and rescue animals of all
kind.
Lorsch, who serves as Chairman and CEO of MMRGlobal, Inc.
(OTCBB: MMRF), was recently profiled in The Daily Beast about a
million-dollar lawsuit brought on behalf of shareholders of
MyMedicalRecords.com against "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills"
star Taylor Armstrong.
"I have been a sponsor and supporter of the Wildlife WayStation
for nearly a decade," said Lorsch. "I was added to the USDA's
lawsuit against the WayStation in an amended complaint simply
because I questioned the motivations of inspectors, which I thought
were unfair. At the expense of the lives of hundreds of animals,
the USDA insisted on hiring a psychiatrist for a chimpanzee, which
held up licensing and nearly shut down a home for more than 800
animals. So instead of spending thousands for food, WWS spent money
buying coloring books for Sammy the chimpanzee along with a
therapist to color with. The record is clear that I had no
liability in the 2003 complaint against the Wildlife WayStation,
which was appealed and reaffirmed. However, the USDA must believe
they have a blank check to pursue claims against certain
individuals at the expense of taxpayers by persistently chasing me,
despite the fact there are no established connections between the
allegations and me."
On August 4, 2008 in a 52-page decision, Chief Administrative
Law Judge Marc R. Hillson found that Lorsch did not commit any
violations of the Animal Welfare Act, commenting, "In many ways,
the government's case against Lorsch illustrates the maxim that 'no
good deed goes unpunished.' He was trying to help an organization
he had supported for some years to be able to continue its
worthwhile function of serving as a sanctuary for animals who
generally had no other places to go." (A video played during the
trial with comments by Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve
Cooley can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2n_spCDwWc.)
The USDA appealed the Judge Hillson decision, after which
Administrative Law Judge William Jenson on July 9, 2010 issued a
final and binding denial of the investigating law enforcement
officers' and the USDA's claims against Lorsch, finding that Lorsch
was not liable for any actions of the Wildlife WayStation.
However, the USDA has continued to prosecute a 2007 action for
essentially the same claims in earlier actions with different
dates. This case is now set for trial and forcing Lorsch to again
defend himself against each and every claim in the 2007 action at a
cost of hundreds of thousands in additional monies.
According to Richard L. Charnley, a partner in the law firm of
Ropers Majeski Kohn Bentley PC, who is representing Lorsch, "The
claim is in response to nearly nine years of USDA pursuit of Mr.
Lorsch in response to his philanthropic efforts to help the
Wildlife WayStation."
The Wildlife WayStation is a Los Angeles-based non-profit
wildlife sanctuary founded by Martine Colette, who for years has
had to fight inspectors of the USDA in their mission to provide
care for animals. The facility is in danger of closing because of
declining donor support in the face of the economy and the
continuous litigation from the USDA.
"It would appear that in these difficult economic times, when
our nation faces some of the greatest financial struggles in its
history, why would our government allocate millions to pay for this
type of a lawsuit?" Lorsch asked. "I hope anyone following this
story will support the animals at the Wildlife WayStation this
holiday season by giving a gift to www.wildlifewaystation.org."
About Bob Lorsch
Robert H. "Bob" Lorsch is a Los Angeles businessman,
entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is Chairman and CEO of
MMRGlobal, Inc., a position he has held since 2005 when he launched
MyMedicalRecords.com, Inc. MMR provides a suite of health IT
products and services based on its proprietary patented
technologies, including the MyMedicalRecords.com Personal Health
Record for consumers and the MMRPro end-to-end electronic document
management and imaging system for physicians, surgery centers and
small hospitals. Additionally, MMR's MyEsafeDepositBox provides
secure online storage solutions to the insurance, legal and
financial services industries. Mr. Lorsch also heads up the
business management and investment-holding corporation, The RHL
Group, Inc. with diverse interests in e-commerce, entertainment
production and natural products for pets. From 1994-1998, he was
Chief Executive Officer of SmarTalk TeleServices, Inc., leading the
company he co-founded through a successful public offering in 1996
and building it into one of the largest providers of prepaid
telecommunications products and services in the world. Prior to
that, he partnered with Pacific Bell Information Services to build
a voice mailbox system that became part of the WinFax product
offerings. In the 1980s, he built and headed Lorsch Creative
Network, a full-service advertising and sales promotion agency
specializing in marketing campaigns for national and international
blue chip clients, including the ABC, CBS and NBC broadcast
television networks, Campbell's Soup, Johnson & Johnson,
Procter & Gamble, Marvel Entertainment, Northrop Grumman,
McDonald's Corporation, and others.
Mr. Lorsch is currently a Member of the Board of Governors of
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Member of the Board of Directors and
Executive Committee of D.A.R.E. America, and Member of the Board of
the Sheriff's Youth Foundation. He also served on the Personal
Health Record Steering Committee of the Healthcare Information and
Management Systems Society (HIMSS), whose membership is comprised
of leaders in the field of healthcare information technology. For
his philanthropy, he has received numerous honors and awards,
including D.A.R.E. America's "Future of America Award," the
Muscular Dystrophy Association's "Humanitarian of the Year Award,"
the Wildlife WayStation's "Paws of Fame" Humanitarian Award, and
the Starlight Children's Foundation's "Golden Wish Award." He is a
longtime supporter of science and technology and the California
Science Center in Los Angeles, where the Robert H. Lorsch Family
Pavilion stands as the gateway to the museum in Exposition Park.
For his public spirit, Mr. Lorsch was awarded the prestigious "C"
Flag Private Sector Initiative from the White House during the
Reagan Administration for his work in raising millions of dollars
for financing state and local earthquake preparedness education.
His efforts for the cause have also earned him awards from the City
and County of Los Angeles, the State of California and the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Mr. Lorsch resides in Beverly Hills, California with his wife,
producer and entertainment personality Kira Reed Lorsch.
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CONTACT: Michael Selsman Public Communications Co. (310)
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