With 12 Days Left, Donziger Says Pardon From Biden Would Send Clear Message to Big Oil: “It would send a signal that President Biden, who claims to be a climate president and a rule of law president, can walk the walk, not just do the talk.”
https://www.commondreams.org/news/steven-donziger-pardon
by crustose_lichen
6 comments
Long overdue! Since Biden is on a dubious frenzy to manufacture a climate legacy, pardoning Donziger would really help paint Biden as someone who wanted to do more but just couldn’t.
i don’t think he’ll do it, but he should. he should have months ago
That man is LOOOONG overdue for a pardon. Here is [the full story](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Donziger) of how Donzinger took a case against Chevon for their environmental damage in Equator, and HE ended up in jail.
I hate stories like this.
Biden cares about the environment. He cares about the climate. He’s done a TON for it, from the huge bill with billions and billions for green energy, to protecting land, and on and on.
These articles that just ignore the massive legacy, and hold him to some absolute perfect standard are just stupid. If he pardons this guy… so what? Does that undo all he did? No, he still did VERY well with a divided government. Does it change the fact that Trump actively wants to destroy the climate? No.
Biden was very good for the climate and environment. Let’s not roast him because he wasn’t absolutely perfect every day of his life. Let’s celebrate the good stuff and encourage more of it, not attack the good people for not being flawless.
Joe do it, it’s the right thing.
Wow, talk about a small world. The case Chevon brought:
>In 2011, Chevron filed a RICO (anti-corruption) suit against Donziger in New York City. The case was heard by US District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who determined that the ruling of the Ecuadorian court could not be enforced in the US because it was procured by fraud, bribery, and racketeering activities.
>Lawyers for Chevron argued the ruling was illegitimate due to foul play on the part of the plaintiffs in the case who allegedly introduced fabricated evidence and bribed witnesses and officials involved in the case. Kaplan found there to be overwhelming evidence that the Ecuadorian verdict was the result of a criminal conspiracy spear-headed by the plaintiff’s lead attorney, Steven Donziger. In a ruling in July 2019, Kaplan fined Donziger $3.4 million for contempt and for Chevron’s legal fees, the largest contempt sanction in US history.
>Donziger was unable to satisfy the contempt fine and restitution award so Kaplan ordered he surrender certain personal items of his such as cell phones and computers. These devices were to be handed over to Chevron employees trying to locate any assets Donziger may have concealed. Donziger refused to comply on the grounds doing so would be a breach of attorney-client privilege. In response, Kaplan found Donziger in criminal contempt and referred the case for prosecution. When the SDNY US Attorney’s Office declined to pursue the case in August 2019, Kaplan appointed a private law firm, Seward & Kissel to prosecute Donziger.
The very same Judge Kaplan from the Trump / E. Jean Carroll case and FTX trial.
Just crazy how one Judge is in the news so much.
I’m not convinced after looking at that summary though he should be pardoned…. I don’t like oil companies but I’m not sure criminal conspiracies are the solution. Then again Biden’s pardons have been a mess, why not one more.
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