Greenpeace Ordered to Pay Over $660 Million for Defaming Oil Company

The Epoch Times Header

A jury says the environmental group defamed Energy Transfer during Dakota Access pipeline protests.

A North Dakota jury has ruled that Greenpeace must pay more than $660 million in damages to Dallas-based oil and gas company Energy Transfer, finding the environmental group liable for defamation and other claims related to protests against the Dakota Access pipeline.

The nine-person jury delivered its verdict on March 19 in a lawsuit brought by Energy Transfer Partners, which sought hundreds of millions of dollars in damages from Greenpeace. The case stemmed from the environmental groupโ€™s 2016โ€“2017 protests against the pipelineโ€™s Missouri River crossing, located upstream of a tribal reservation. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has long opposed the project, citing risks to its water supply and sacred burial grounds.

The lawsuit cited Greenpeaceโ€™s claims that Energy Transfer desecrated burial grounds and culturally significant sites during construction, as well as assertions that the pipeline would โ€œcatastrophically alter the climate.โ€ Cox countered that the company had made 140 route adjustments to protect sacred sites and said Energy Transfer was committed to being โ€œa good corporate citizen in North Dakota.โ€

Energy Transfer accused Greenpeace International, Greenpeace USA, and other parties of defamation, trespass, nuisance, and civil conspiracy. During the trial, which began in late February, the companyโ€™s attorney, Trey Cox, argued that Greenpeace funded and organized protesters, provided blockade supplies, conducted training sessions, and spread misinformation to block the pipelineโ€™s construction.

Greenpeace attorneys rejected the allegations, stating there was no evidence linking the organization to the disruptions caused by the protesters. They argued the lawsuit was an attempt to silence activism through financial and legal intimidation.

โ€œBeyond the impact that this lawsuit could have on the Greenpeace entities, one of the most worrisome things about the case is that it could establish dangerous new legal precedents that could hold any participant at protests responsible for the actions of others at those protests,โ€ Deepa Padmanabha, Greenpeace USA senior legal advisor, said in a Feb. 24 statement. โ€œAnd you can imagine that this would have a serious chilling effect on anybody who wants to engage in protest.โ€

Byย Tom Ozimek

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Columns

Trans-wormal

No worm ever said "I am anthropomorphizing, I am a butterfly" to a toad or flock of geese and expected acknowledgement and support.

In Greenlandโ€™s Icy Capital, Past Troubles Haunt Hopes for the Future

As geopolitical realities and ongoing economic growth raise the stakes, U.S. interest in Greenland and the dream of independence may change things in a big way.

How a Chinese Government Statistician Was Forced to Report Fake Data

Chinese local govt employee produced a non-authorized report on bees and was visited by police and threatened with being sent to a mental hospital.

โ€˜This One Time, at Groomer Campโ€™

All Camp Brave Trails programs focus on helping LGBTQ+ youth find what they need most to thrive: their people, their place, and their passion.

Why Recognizing a Palestinian State Now Undermines U.S. Interestsย 

A recent American Conservativeย article suggests President Trump recognize a Palestinian state, but this would undermine the interests of the United States.

News

Guatemalan Deportee Arrives in US After Judge Orders Trump Admin to Facilitate Return

โ€œAmericaโ€™s asylum system was never intended to be used as a de facto amnesty program or a catch-all, get-out-of-deportation-free card,โ€ McLaughlin said.

Trump-Musk Feud Escalates Over Spending Bill: 5 Things to Know

A public feud between Musk and Trump took a turn for the worse. Musk claimed president wouldnโ€™t have won without him and president suggested Muskโ€™s subsidies could be pulled.

Supreme Court Rules 9-0 Wisconsin Violated First Amendment by Denying Tax Exemption to Catholic Charity

Supreme Court ruled unanimously that WI violated the First Amendment by not granting Catholic charity an exemption from paying unemployment tax.

Appeals Court Rules San Diegoโ€™s Yoga Ban Is Unconstitutional

The city of San Diegoโ€™s ban on yoga classes in public parks and beaches was ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals court.

Supreme Court Rejects Mexicoโ€™s Lawsuit Against Gun Companies

SCOTUS said gun companies should not face lawsuit in which Mexican govt was trying to hold them liable for cartel-related violence involving firearms from US.

FDA Not Recommending Newly Approved COVID-19 Vaccine: Official

FDA approved a new COVID-19 vaccine but is not recommending people receive it, the agencyโ€™s top vaccine officials said on June 4.

Self-Sufficiency Summits in Ohio Reflect Surging Interest in Homesteading

After an age of reliance on store-bought items, many Americans are returning to a self-sufficient lifestyle and growing and raising the food they consume.

Judge Requires Trump Admin to Provide Due Process for Deportees in El Salvador Prison

Boasberg ordered Trump admin to provide habeas relief for individuals it deported and are held in Salvadoran maximum security prison.
spot_img

Related Articles