Romney Benefactor's Dog Incident

Romney Benefactor’s Disturbing Dog Incident

Fred Malek is hosting a fundraiser for Mitt Romney today, but who is this man and what does this have to do with dogs?

According to DogsAgainstRomney.com, Malek was part of a group of men who were arrested in 1959 for killing and barbecuing a dog in a city park in Peoria, Ill.

By now you’ve heard that Romney has been hounded by the dog community when it was revealed that he strapped his Irish Setter, Seamus, to the top of his car for a 12-hour road trip in 1983. Now it seems as though Romney will continue to keep the dog community barking up a storm by benefitting from Malek’s fundraiser.

Malek is the former president of Marriott Hotels and Northwest Airlines; former assistant to U.S. presidents Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush; and former National Finance Committee co-chair for John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign.

In 2006, the Washington Post reported that charges against Malek for killing and barbecuing a dog were dropped since one of the men in the group stepped forward, claiming to be the sole participant.

Malek explained that he went to Peoria in 1959 to visit friends at Bradley University. His friends then proceeded to get “drunk out of their mind” and “he didn’t know why” one of the men decided to kill the dog. Malek claimed that he was “not a participant” and that he was in “no position to stop it.”

We’re not sure how someone is in “no position” to stop a dog from being killed, but we still wouldn’t take money from someone like that. If you ever see a dog being abused, here are tips on what to do.

Photo: Gage Skidmore

Amelia LeRutte

Amelia Lerutte is a public relations and social media expert, and a pack leader to a couple derpy Boston Terriers, a lovable Leonburger and a Keeshound. When not writing or promoting the i Love Dogs brand, Amelia is an avid NHL fan, ice hockey player and video gamer.