WASHINGTON - Former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy was the first government executive to be accused of violating the Meat Inspection Act, a spokesman for independent counsel Donald Smaltz said Wednesday.
The law traditionally has been used to discipline plant inspectors and bars anyone with meat inspection duties from accepting any gift from a meatpacker. Conviction carries a minimum of one year in prison and a maximum of three years.
Espy was accused of three violations -- travel and lodging for a birthday party for a Tyson Foods Inc executive, a weekend trip provided by Tyson Foods to an NFL playoff game and tickets provided by Quaker Oats Co to an NBA championship game.
There has been debate whether the law covered policymakers.
"To our view, Espy is covered by the act. Smaltz said that very early," spokesman Charles Bakaly said.
Bakaly said Espy was the first person to be accused of violating the meat inspection act while a high-level Agriculture Department executive.
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