The Dakota Access oil pipeline developer lost a $1 billion raketeering lawsuit against environment activists, a district federal judge ruling there was no coordinated criminal enterprise in the protests of Geenpeace, BankTrack and Earth First against the installation of a $3.8 billion pipeline. The judge wrote, “Donating to people whose cause you support does not create a RICO enterprise,” and “posting articles written by people with similar beliefs does not create a RICO enterprise.” (The Associated Press, February 14, 2019, by Blake Nicholson)
The defendants that also included individuals argued that the case was a violation of First Amendment rights. Lawyers say the the lawsuit was a classic SLAPP or “strategic lawsuit against public participation” hammering defendants with onerous legal costs and threats that discourage them from speaking out on issues of public interest. (EarthRights International, February 15, 2019, press release)