Blair Dunn represents Valley Meat Co., a former beef processing business that has been converted to accommodate horse slaughter. In December, King went to court seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent Valley Meat from slaughtering horses. King said the facility is a threat to consumer health and the environment. Dunn said political gain is motivating King's lawsuit. King is running for governor of New Mexico.
The US Department of Agriculture issued grants of inspection to Valley Meat Co. and two other facilities trying to process horse meat for export to international markets.