Have you heard of SLAPP lawsuits? You soon will.
SLAPP stands for “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation.” It is a lawsuit brought by big corporations intended to censor, intimidate and silence critics by burdening them with the overwhelming costs of a legal defense until they’re forced to abandon their criticism or opposition.
And it may be the biggest threat to the resistance you’ve never heard of.
OPINION
Here’s an example: Resolute Forest Products, one of Canada’s largest logging and paper companies, has sued, in a U.S. court, environmental groups that have been campaigning to save Canada’s boreal forest.
Resolute based its lawsuit on a U.S. conspiracy and racketeering law, known as RICO, intended to ensnare mobsters. Resolute alleged that the environmental groups have been illegally conspiring to extort the company’s customers and to defraud their own donors.
The suit wasn’t designed to win in court. It was designed to distract and silence critics. This is punishment for speaking out. Thankfully, a federal court agrees and a judge just dismissed Resolute’s claims.
But other corporate bullies are still trying to use this playbook.
Here’s another example: Remember the indigenous-led movement at Standing Rock, when hundreds of Native American nations and their allies came together and stood up against the destructive Dakota Access Pipeline?
In August, Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind that pipeline, filed a similar RICO case against Greenpeace entities and two other defendants over Standing Rock. The suit accuses them of participating in a sprawling criminal conspiracy to disrupt business and defraud donors. The lawsuit even alleges they support eco-terrorism and engage in drug trafficking.
The lawsuit claims Greenpeace cost the company $300 million. Since RICO claims entitle plaintiffs to recover triple damages, the case potentially could cost Greenpeace $900 million. That would be the end of Greenpeace.
But, again, winning isn’t necessarily the goal of SLAPP suits. Just by filing the suits, Energy Transfer Partners and Resolute are trying to drain environmental groups of time, energy and resources they need, so they can’t continue to fight to protect the environment.
Connect the dots, and consider the chilling effect SLAPP suits are having on any group seeking to protect public health, worker’s rights and even our democracy.
Who’s behind all of this? Both the lawsuits I just mentioned were filed by Michael Bowe. He is also a member of Donald Trump’s personal legal team. Bowe has publicly stated that he’s in conversations with other corporations considering filing their own SLAPP lawsuits.
If the goal is to silence public-interest groups, the rest of us must speak out. Wealthy corporations must know they can’t SLAPP the public into silence.
This column was posted on Robert Reich’s website, at robertreich.org.
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