By Andrew Harris and Tim Loh
8-22-2017 – Energy Transfer Partners LP accused Greenpeace International, Earth First! and other groups of inciting terrorist acts and vandalism to generate publicity and raise money for their causes while hampering the Dakota Access pipeline operator’s ability to raise money for projects.
Energy Transfer is the second company to attack Greenpeace and its allies in court for engaging in what they claim is a racketeering scheme far beyond ordinary environmental advocacy. Resolute Forest Products Inc. made similar allegations over Greenpeace’s campaign against logging in a May 2016 lawsuit. Both companies are represented by Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP, a New York-based law firm whose managing partner Marc Kasowitz is President Donald Trump’s longtime personal attorney.
Greenpeace called the lawsuit an attempt to silence free speech and legitimate advocacy work. It said it’s a classic “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation,” or SLAPP, which is intended to censor or intimidate critics by burdening them with expensive, time-consuming litigation.