Under the direction of President Russell Williams, the U.S. Trotting Association has worked with the National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association (NHBPA) and North America Association of Racetrack Veterinarians (NAARV) to create a joint letter from the three organizations sent to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requesting an investigation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s (HISA) handling of confidential veterinary information following a data-security incident involving the HISA Portal.
In an Aug. 26 letter to FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, the organizations questioned how an individual, Dr. Marshall Gramm, using authorized credentials was allegedly able to repeatedly access large amounts of confidential veterinary information outside the scope of his legitimate access — and why that activity reportedly continued for approximately six weeks without being detected.
“This is an example of why we can’t let harness racing get swept into HISA’s jurisdiction,” emphasized USTA President Russell Williams. “The Gramm incident demonstrates that HISA couldn’t prevent unauthorized use of confidential information. The HISA rollout has been a regulatory dumpster fire. What other defects are waiting in the HISA system?”
The organizations made clear that their request is not intended to excuse or defend the allegations against Gramm. Rather, they believe the industry deserves answers about the security and oversight of the system entrusted with millions of sensitive veterinary records.
HISA’s 2023 Annual Metrics Report reported nearly two million veterinary treatment records in the HISA Portal, while HISA’s technology expenditures increased to approximately $10.7 million USD in 2025.
The organizations are asking the FTC to examine HISA’s access controls, monitoring and detection systems, the scope of information accessed, the findings of its forensic investigation, and who is ultimately accountable for the security of the database. They also asked the FTC to consider requiring an independent cybersecurity audit and financial audit as a condition of future budget approval.
“Being regulated by HISA has cost the Thoroughbred industry (mostly horsemen) over $250 million USD through the end of 2025, and 2026 looks to become a record year for assessments. This regulatory burden would cripple harness racing,” added Williams.
“USTA worked with other racing breed organizations to draft the Racehorse Health and Safety Act, which would repeal and replace HISA and use the state racing commission financial structure without HISA’s added cost burden.”
(USTA)