Jimmy John's CEO Is Under Fire For Allegedly Hunting Big-Game Animals

In the wake of outrage against big-game hunters sparked by the death of the beloved lion Cecil, the Internet is coming down hard on anyone who has hunted endangered species for sport. Photos of Jimmy John's CEO Jimmy John Liautaud hunting rhinos, leopards, and elephants are making the rounds online.

These photos have been online since 2011 and according to Snopes, they may be authentic: the images of the sandwich maven posing next to his big-game kills "are probably real," although Liautaud has not yet commented on the photos himself. The subject of the pictures, however, does bear a resemblance to Liautaud.

According to Snopes, The Hunting Report has a record of Liautaud (erroneously spelled Liaufand) going on a big game hunt in Zimbabwe in 2002 for elephant, buffalo, and zebra. However, according to Snopes, even though all signs point to Liautaud being a big-game hunter, there is no evidence that any of his hunts have been illegal, as was the case in the killing of Cecil the lion.

Jimmy John's is also under fire for enforcing a two-year non-compete clause for its employees, meaning that for two years after leaving a job at Jimmy John's, employees cannot work for places like Subway or Quizno's.