No shocker here, after a years-long investigation in Ohio, Steffen Baldwin was arrested last week and is currently being held in jail awaiting extradition to Ohio. Screenshots of the charges are posted below.
Baldwin is no stranger to this blog. We have watched his activity since he arrived in Ohio, an ambitious small-timer virtue signaling and self-promoting. We have seen him set up rescues and semi-official humane law enforcement schemes. We have seen these efforts dissolve without explanation. We have seen Baldwin start businesses that failed. We saw Baldwin's star rise, he began traveling Ohio highways to distant communities considering or defending their own public safety breed-regulation laws. Baldwin made foolish and fact-free speeches to city councils about the moral failure of the very BSL that was protecting local residents. Baldwin never wasted a single moment considering the suffering of pit bull victims, both human and animal.
What we never saw was how Baldwin financed all this, who was paying the bills? We saw Baldwin and his currently-awaiting-trial close friend and associate Luke Westerman set up a Pit Bull PAC titled Ohioans Against Breed Discrimination with the goal of raising 5 million dollars to finance a ballot initiative to promote an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Ohio to prohibit any Ohio community from passing or enforcing any breed-specific legislation. There is not much of a money trail on this one. An effort to raise the 5 million came up short, very short. The hoped-for millions did not roll in, the fundraising page raised less than seven hundred dollars over many months and was quietly shut down.
Baldwin and Westerman announced yet another jointly organized rescue, Pets Alive to be located in the Columbus area. This one never got off the ground at all.
Baldwin worked hard to create a personal link with Best Friends Animal Society and The Animal Farm Foundation, joyfully announcing his selection as an intern at the AFF. In actuality, this appears more like a four-day seminar but who is criticizing? I mention these links for a purpose. Baldwin worked hard to create relationships with the powerful and those powerful partners share in Baldwin's downfall.
Just days ago Baldwin was enjoying the fellowship at the Best Friends Animal Society Sanctuary. We suspect he might not be welcomed back. Remember, Baldwin has partnered with Best Friends, the Animal Farm Foundation, the Huffington Post, and a tremendous number of shelters. He has "educated" police officers and school children as well. Critical thinkers among them may do more fact-checking in the future.
Tremendous respect to Remi's owners and their contacts for seeing that justice is done!
Thank you!
Click here for more information on the charges.
