DALLAS, Aug. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Energy
Transfer Equity, L.P. (NYSE: ETE) and Energy Transfer Partners,
L.P. (NYSE: ETP) today filed a federal lawsuit in the United States
District Court for the District of North
Dakota against Greenpeace International, Greenpeace Inc.,
Greenpeace Fund, Inc., BankTrack, Earth First!, and other
organizations and individuals. The Complaint, which is Index
number 1:17-cv-00173, alleges that this group of co-conspirators
(the "Enterprise") manufactured and disseminated materially false
and misleading information about Energy Transfer and the Dakota
Access Pipeline ("DAPL") for the purpose of fraudulently inducing
donations, interfering with pipeline construction activities and
damaging Energy Transfer's critical business and financial
relationships. The Complaint also alleges that the Enterprise
incited, funded, and facilitated crimes and acts of terrorism to
further these objectives. It further alleges claims that
these actions violated federal and state racketeering statutes,
defamation, and constituted defamation and tortious interference
under North Dakota law.
The alleged Enterprise is comprised of rogue environmental
groups and militant individuals who employ a pattern of criminal
activity and a campaign of misinformation for purposes of
increasing donations and advancing their political or business
agendas. The Complaint describes the Enterprise's
misinformation campaign that aggressively targeted Energy
Transfer's critical business relationships, including the financing
sources for DAPL and Energy Transfer's other infrastructure
projects, by publicly demanding these financial institutions sever
ties with Energy Transfer or face crippling boycotts and other
illegal attacks.
The Complaint asserts that the attacks were calculated and
thoroughly irresponsible, causing enormous harm to people and
property along the pipeline's route. Dakota Access was a legally
permitted project that underwent nearly three years of rigorous
environmental review and for this reason, Energy Transfer believes
it has an obligation to its shareholders, partners, stakeholders
and all those negatively impacted by the violence and destruction
intentionally incited by the defendants to file this lawsuit.
The DAPL misinformation campaign was predicated on a series of
false, alarmist, and sensational claims that plaintiffs:
- encroached on tribal treaty lands;
- desecrated sacred sites of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's
("SRST") in constructing DAPL;
- constructed DAPL without consulting with and over the rights
and objections of SRST; and
- used excessive and illegal force against peaceful
protestors.
The Enterprise also claimed that the pipeline will inevitably
result in catastrophic oil spills, poisoned water, and massive
climate change, while ironically, members of the Enterprise
deliberately and maliciously attempted to cut holes in the pipeline
with torches which, if successful, would have resulted in
significant environmental damage and possible loss of life.
The Enterprise supported these false claims with manufactured
evidence, including phony GPS coordinates purporting to show the
existence of cultural and religious artifacts along DAPL's
corridor, and sham affidavits submitted in court.
In addition to its misinformation campaign, the Enterprise
directly and indirectly funded eco-terrorists on the ground in
North Dakota. These groups formed their own outlaw camp among
peaceful protestors gathered near Lake Oahe, and exploited the
peaceful activities of these groups to further the Enterprise's
corrupt agenda by inducing and directing violent and destructive
attacks against law enforcement as well as Plaintiffs' property and
personnel. The Enterprise then flagrantly manipulated these
"made-for-TV" events to raise more funds for the Enterprise.
These terrorist groups also funded their activities and the
Enterprise by using donations to fund a lucrative drug trafficking
scheme inside the camps.
Other illegal activities directed at Energy Transfer and its
executives that are alleged in the Complaint include persistent
attempted cyber-attacks and telephonic and electronic threats to
the physical safety of executives.
The Enterprise has conceded that their campaign has inflicted
"hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to the Company,"
including increased costs of financing resulting from the
Enterprise's interference with the Company's financial
relationships and mitigation costs in response to the Enterprise's
illegal and malicious campaign. These damages, as well as the
harm to the Company's reputation, resulting from the Enterprise's
misinformation campaign, continue to this day. Energy
Transfer is seeking compensatory damages in an amount to be proven
at trial as well as treble and punitive damages.
Michael J. Bowe from Kasowitz,
Benson & Torres LLP, the Company's counsel, is continuing the
investigation into the Enterprise's campaign and practices.
Anyone with information can provide it on a confidential basis by
telephone at 212-506-1777. A website will be established to
catalog information and publish progress reports on the case and,
when necessary, to set the record straight as the facts
warrant.
Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. (NYSE: ETE) is a master
limited partnership that owns the general partner and 100% of the
incentive distribution rights (IDRs) of Energy Transfer Partners,
L.P. (NYSE: ETP) and Sunoco LP (NYSE: SUN). ETE also owns Lake
Charles LNG Company. On a consolidated basis, ETE's family of
companies owns and operates a diverse portfolio of natural gas,
natural gas liquids, crude oil and refined products assets, as well
as retail and wholesale motor fuel operations and LNG terminalling.
For more information, visit the Energy Transfer Equity, L.P.
website at energytransfer.com.
Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE:
ETP) is a master limited partnership that owns and
operates one of the largest and most diversified portfolios of
energy assets in the United
States. Strategically positioned in all of the major U.S.
production basins, ETP owns and operates a geographically diverse
portfolio of complementary natural gas midstream, intrastate and
interstate transportation and storage assets; crude oil, natural
gas liquids (NGL) and refined product transportation and
terminalling assets; NGL fractionation; and various acquisition and
marketing assets. ETP's general partner is owned by Energy
Transfer Equity, L.P. (NYSE: ETE). For more information, visit
the Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. website
at energytransfer.com.
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SOURCE Energy Transfer Equity, L.P.