A man who spoke out about the dangers of fracking is now being SUED by the fracking industry in order to keep him quiet. Ring of Fire’s Mike Papantonio and Farron Cousins discuss this.
To learn more about environmental lawsuits, click here: Protecting the Environment and the Public
Transcript:
Mike Papantonio: A man who spoke out about the dangers of fracking is now being sued by the fracking industry, in order to keep him quiet. They want to just shut him up, don’t they? I mean, let’s shut this guy up. Before you get into the story, I want to mention something.
Have you followed the story, where the NRDC, one of the biggest environmental groups in America, they do wonderful things coast to coast, not just in America, but around the globe, okay. The NRDC is now being made to file as a foreign agent. Now hear me out. This story’s really incredible. You remember what they did to RT America six months ago?
Farron Cousins: Right.
Mike Papantonio: You have to file as a foreign agent. You know the reason that they gave? “Because you’re reporting about fracking and the reporting that you’re doing about fracking is not telling the whole story, and it’s hurting our American industry. You’re a foreign agent for Russia; therefore, you have to file as a foreign agent.”
Farron Cousins: Right, that was specifically listed, so people understand. That covering fracking was specifically listed in the government report on what RT is doing-
Mike Papantonio: That’s right.
Farron Cousins: And covering Occupy Wall Street.
Mike Papantonio: That’s right.
Farron Cousins: Those were the two big things they didn’t like.
Mike Papantonio: They covered Occupy Wall Street and they talked about fracking. There wasn’t anything to do with anything to do with propaganda, or Hillary, or anything like that. It was about … Okay, so now this story in RDC is also being hit by the same people. The same people who did the RT thing now are going after the NRDC.
You know what they’re telling RDC? “You have to register as a foreign agent for Communist China because something you’re saying benefits Communist China to the detriment of America.” That’s how they’re using this foreign agent issue.
Pick up with this story. This is the most incredible … So now we have them targeting individuals.
Farron Cousins: Right.
Mike Papantonio: Going to their homes, making telephone calls, emailing, writing letters.
Farron Cousins: And this guy who’s being sued is Ray Campbell. He was featured in Gasland and Gasland II from Dimmick, Pennsylvania, one of the worst areas hit with fracking. So bad, that Cabot Oil & Gas, because that’s the company that’s been fracking over there, they ended up having a big settlement with all the residents there. And as part of that settlement, you have to sign on that you’re not going to sue them.
And what Cabot then did, was they tried to argue in court as part of their lawsuit against Campbell for speaking out in the Gasland film after he’d signed the settlement was that, “Well, hold up. You signed an agreement not to sue us, so that allows us to pollute you even more and you can never hold us accountable. You were not supposed to talk about it. This was a silence agreement. So we’re suing you, man that we have been poisoning for years, for $5 million.”
And so far, this case has not been resolved. It is still pending in the courts.
Mike Papantonio: Well, here’s the good news. The good news is, the guy needs to protect himself. He’s declared bankruptcy. But before he does it, he needs to say to them, “Okay. Let’s mix it up a little bit. Let me take depositions of your people.”
Farron Cousins: Right.
Mike Papantonio: This gives him the opportunity to really ask the questions he needs to ask, that ordinarily you wouldn’t be able to ask. And now you’re asking questions, you’re looking at their files, you’re looking at their memos and their emails. And all of the sudden, you’re uncovering a bunch of material they don’t want out there. I got to close, but I got … This segment, I love this segment.
The frackers are going after NRDC, the frackers went after RT. These idiots, the only way I can describe them, is idiots. They are DNC, drink the Kool-Aid, RT’s bad, it’s propaganda. The propaganda, the propaganda that we’re talking about, according to the people who actually wrote the report on why RT ought to have to register as an agent, the propaganda is that RT, me, Farron, talked about fracking.
And the frackers weren’t happy about that. Therefore, they got their politicians to put pressure, for RT to have to register as a foreign agent. The same thing is now happening with the biggest environmental advocacy group in the world, NRDC. They’re being attacked because they’re attacking frackers.
Exactly the same language, it’s about climate change. Only what they’re saying about them, “It’s not about Russia, it’s about Communist China now.” They have to register as an agent for Communist China.
Farron Cousins: Yeah.
Mike Papantonio: So you idiots, I can’t help but say it, who write me and say, “Why you doing this propaganda show on America’s Lawyer?”
Really? That’s the propaganda I’m being accused of engaging in, attacking the frackers. Doesn’t have anything to do with Hillary, it doesn’t have anything to do with the internet being hacked.
It has to do with politicians who are lined up behind the frackers, came after RT, and made RT register as a foreign agent, because in their words … Correct me if I’m wrong. The exact words, “Because we talked about frackers and we talked … We supported the Occupy America-
Farron Cousins: Occupy Wall Street, yeah.
Mike Papantonio: Occupy Wall Street program.
Farron Cousins: Well, here-
Mike Papantonio: If you don’t believe it, look it up. So don’t … Do not send me, “Why are you on RT?” It’s idiot talk. I’m on RT because we get to tell stories that are important stories.
Farron Cousins: Well, I have to add to that. Because you mentioned the DNC. It was not just the Democrats here. The Republicans took it one step further. They added into the 2018 Defense Authorization Bill, that any provider carrying RT or Sputnik, those are the words.
“Either of those networks, can now legally drop them, regardless of your contract, regardless of what agreement you’ve made, and never face any legal-
Mike Papantonio: I want to be clear about it. Was there any justification except the discussion about fracking and Occupy Wall Street?
Farron Cousins: Absolutely not. But this is a multi-pronged attack on them-
Mike Papantonio: Yeah, but these doofuses that write, “Oh, Pap. I can’t believe you’re doing RT.” They simply don’t take the time to understand. They become … They look so stupid because they don’t take the time to actually look and see what that was all about.
Farron Cousins: Well, in the cases that we’ve talked about on America’s Lawyer, none of it has to do with politics. It’s all information that consumers need to be aware of.
Mike Papantonio: It’s consumer accounting reporting. I’m Mike Papantonio, here with Farron Cousins. We’ll be right back.
