Carole Baskin of ‘Tiger King’ Donated $1000 to North Carolina’s Richard Burr

FEC reports reveal that Carole Baskin, a controversial wildlife conservationist depicted in the documentary series ‘Tiger King,’ made a $1000 donation to North Carolina Senator Richard Burr in February.

Burr has recently endured controversy of his own, being the subject of a purported insider trading scandal. The North Carolina Republican also recently sold a townhouse to a group owned by a donor and lobbyist affiliated with Burr.

Baskin has become a nationally controversial figure as a result of her appearance in the documentary series. The Florida Big Cat Rescue owner was allegedly the target of a murder-for-hire plot on the part of Joe Exotic, an Oklahoma zoo operator she had engaged in a lengthy legal battle with. Exotic was convicted of soliciting a zoo handyman to attempt to kill her and is currently serving a 22-year sentence in federal prison.

Some of her ex-husband’s friends and family members suspect that Baskin played a role in the unexplained disappearance of Don Lewis, who went missing before a supposed trip to Costa Rica.

Baskin speaks at length about her lobbying efforts in support of the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which would federally ban the breeding and private ownership of animals such as tigers and lions. It’s possible that her campaign contributions to Burr stem from her efforts to advance the legislation.

Another animal industry figure depicted at length in Tiger King, Doc Antle, is also a campaign donor to Burr. Antle owns a private zoo in South Carolina and it’s likely his donations to Burr are intended to lobby against the Big Cat Public Safety Act.

In any case, Senator Burr probably won’t be thrilled to find out a four-figure campaign contributor of his is one of the most controversial people in the country right now, as he weathers the storm of his own alleged insider trading and corruption scandals.

 

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