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Judge Approves $345 Million Verdict Against Greenpeace in Pipeline Suit
NY Times ^ | February 27, 2026 | Karen Zraick

Posted on 03/01/2026 10:59:58 AM PST by lowbridge

A North Dakota judge finalized a potentially fatal verdict against Greenpeace on Friday, affirming a $345 million jury award against the storied environmental group that Greenpeace has said may force it into bankruptcy in the United States.

The verdict was reached last year after a bruising trial brought by the pipeline company Energy Transfer over Greenpeace’s role in protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, an 1,172-mile pipeline that carries oil from North Dakota to Illinois.

Energy Transfer claimed Greenpeace had played a major role in the protests a decade ago, forcing construction delays and costing the company money. Greenpeace has said that the lawsuit, which was argued last year in state court in Mandan, N.D., was baseless and designed to silence it, and that the verdict undermined free-speech rights in the United States.

“Speaking out against corporations that cause environmental harm should never be deemed unlawful,” said Marco Simons, interim general counsel at Greenpeace USA and Greenpeace Fund. “This is a setback, but the movement to defend people and the planet has always faced setbacks and resistance, and Energy Transfer will fail in its goal of silencing its critics.”

Greenpeace said it would seek a new trial and, if necessary, file an appeal to the North Dakota Supreme Court.

-snip

The judge in the case, James Gion, had previously cut the jury award nearly in half, from roughly $670 million to about $345 million, split among three different Greenpeace entities.

On Tuesday, Judge Gion noted in court filings that the Greenpeace groups — two based in the United States and one in the Netherlands — had asked him to overturn or at least further reduce the verdict, which was much larger than expected. But he said he did not find reason to do so.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: energy; globalwarminghoax; greenpeace; lawsuit; oil

1 posted on 03/01/2026 10:59:58 AM PST by lowbridge
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To: lowbridge

FAFO


2 posted on 03/01/2026 11:01:25 AM PST by House Atreides (I’m now ULTRA-MAGA-PRO-MA)
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To: lowbridge

FAFO


3 posted on 03/01/2026 11:01:28 AM PST by House Atreides (I’m now ULTRA-MAGA-PRO-MA)
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To: lowbridge

I hope this starts a trend.


4 posted on 03/01/2026 11:07:53 AM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: lowbridge

Winning!


5 posted on 03/01/2026 11:10:09 AM PST by broken_clock (Go Trump! Prayers answered!)
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To: lowbridge

I’m an old man and in all my life Greenpeace
has only reduced the quality of
life in my country.
I pray that they die before I do.


6 posted on 03/01/2026 11:10:39 AM PST by rellic (No such thing as a moderate Moslem or Democrat )
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To: lowbridge
.......verdict undermined free-speech rights.......

Once again, when lefties are violent it's free speech.

When righties talk, it's violence.

7 posted on 03/01/2026 11:14:21 AM PST by jimtorr
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To: lowbridge
...a potentially fatal verdict...
8 posted on 03/01/2026 11:16:38 AM PST by ComputerGuy
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To: lowbridge

Greenpeace tries to make it about free speech.

It’s not.

It’s about physically obstructing enterprise construction.


9 posted on 03/01/2026 11:19:35 AM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: lowbridge

When Greenpeace was founded, there were legitimate concerns. Over time, it has become a solid Leftist tool designed to help destroy the United States.


10 posted on 03/01/2026 11:26:26 AM PST by marktwain (----------------------)
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To: lowbridge

Greenpeace said it would seek a new trial.

Find a cash frendly judge?.


11 posted on 03/01/2026 11:37:15 AM PST by Vaduz (NEVER TRUST A DEMOCRAT)
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To: lowbridge

Cool, ET has been great for years. This is big for all players in energy.


12 posted on 03/01/2026 12:06:44 PM PST by SaxxonWoods (Annnd....I voted for this too!)
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To: House Atreides

13 posted on 03/01/2026 12:08:58 PM PST by bigbob (We are all Charlie Kirk now)
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To: lowbridge

Send the bill to Minneapolis non profits and colleges.
They were the ones who bussed activists to ND.


14 posted on 03/01/2026 12:51:54 PM PST by Zathras
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To: lowbridge

All that green going to oil gorporations...ought make them happy!


15 posted on 03/01/2026 1:36:47 PM PST by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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To: lowbridge

Maybe Greenpeace can get George Soros to float them a loan? He loves to fund subversives wherever he can. And 345 million is chump change for him.


16 posted on 03/01/2026 2:23:00 PM PST by Bosco127 (Bosco)
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To: lowbridge

Egad, that headline...


17 posted on 03/01/2026 2:55:20 PM PST by SaxxonWoods (Annnd....I voted for this too!)
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To: jimtorr

Don’t forget that “Silence is violence” too!


18 posted on 03/01/2026 10:00:20 PM PST by FrankRizzo890
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To: lowbridge

PAY UP HIPPIES!


19 posted on 03/01/2026 11:07:09 PM PST by vmpolesov
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