Fired Ex-ASPCA CFO Says He Was Punished for Exposing $340M Scandal

The former chief financial officer of the ASPCA says he was blindsided and fired while attending his daughter’s wedding — all because he tried to expose what he calls “massive financial abuse” and animal welfare failures inside one of the country’s most powerful animal rights organizations.

Gordon Lavalette, who served as the ASPCA’s CFO from 2021 until this May, has filed a bombshell lawsuit in New Jersey state court, accusing the nonprofit of blowing over $340 million in donor funds on no-bid contracts, turning a blind eye to animal safety violations, and retaliating against anyone who tried to speak up — including him.

“It’s not about helping animals anymore. It’s about helping insiders get rich,” Lavalette alleges in the filing, claiming the organization chose to “violate the law and overspend millions with friendly vendors” instead of bidding contracts competitively and saving money that could have gone directly toward rescue efforts.

Lavalette says he had received glowing reviews and personal praise from the CEO, who even told him he wanted him around for the next ten years. But everything changed in 2024, when he began reviewing fundraising contracts and uncovered what he calls “reckless squandering of donor-contributed funds.”

He claims the organization had spent nearly its entire 2023 revenue on shady no-bid deals going back to 2016. In one instance, an IT exec allegedly tried to direct a $2 million infrastructure project to a personal friend — even after Lavalette exposed the vendor as unqualified. That friend later threatened to sue, leading the ASPCA to quietly pay $50,000 to make the issue go away.

The suit also alleges CEO Matthew Bershadker — who earns roughly $1.2 million a year — lashed out when a finance team whistleblower suggested contract savings could feed more shelter animals. Bershadker allegedly fired back with a shocking line, comparing the suggestion to a racial slur.

In another disturbing claim, Lavalette says he pushed to relocate animals from a mold-infested Upper East Side shelter, but Bershadker shut him down, calling the effort “a waste of time.”

Lavalette also says he was removed from an internal safety committee after raising concerns about serious transport issues — including a brake failure that nearly led to a devastating crash. He claims he was pressured to help retaliate against a fellow whistleblower and was ordered to read a scripted reprimand filled with false claims — and to fire the employee. He refused.

Then came the final straw. While on vacation for his daughter’s wedding, Lavalette received a call from Bershadker demanding they speak. The CEO allegedly fired him on the spot, just so a “flawed” audit could be pushed through without his signature.

“I haven’t just lost my job — they tried to destroy my name, my reputation, my entire career,” Lavalette said, accusing the ASPCA of a coordinated effort to silence him.

The ASPCA has denied all allegations, calling Lavalette’s claims “baseless” and promising to mount a vigorous defense. The organization said it brought in independent legal counsel to review the complaints and found its “policies and practices to be lawful and consistent with its mission.”

But Lavalette says the reality inside the ASPCA tells a different story — one where donor money vanishes into crony contracts, safety issues are ignored, and those who speak up are punished.

His suit doesn’t just accuse the ASPCA of mismanagement. It calls the organization’s behavior “common law fraud on donors,” raising serious questions about where the money meant to protect animals is actually going.