Saving the planet does not end on Election Day

Today’s midterm elections are extremely important. I urge everyone to get out to vote and make your voice heard – the survival of our democracy depends on it. But voting is just one way you can make a difference today. I’m going to give you another. In just nine days, Attorney General Merrick Garland must respond to a stunning order from the US Supreme Court demanding the DOJ explain how it allowed Chevron to directly prosecute and detain me for almost one thousand days after I helped Indigenous Amazon communities win a historic $9.5 billion pollution judgment against the company. You probably know by now that I was targeted by a Chevron lawyer with the nation’s first corporate prosecution. The fact Garland did not intervene – despite thousands of prominent people demanding the DOJ take over the case – speaks very poorly of his commitment to the rule of law. This is especially infuriating given that Garland's inaction led to being shoved into a federal prison for six weeks during the COVID outbreak when I really thought my life was in danger.  We must get louder. We must ensure that both Garland and President Biden actually hear us so they will address this easily solvable problem. Demanding that AG Garland join forces with my legal team to nullify my Chevron prosecution will have a lasting and permanent impact on a critical issue: ensuring that private corporate prosecutions targeting climate lawyers and activists never happen again. This is a vital component of any smart strategy to protect the planet. If we are unable to confront the fossil fuel industry face to face like I did without being jailed, humanity and all of life’s ecosystems will stand little chance of long-term survival. Our goal is to raise $50,000 by November 16 to fund our campaign to pressure AG Garland and to continue our work to enforce the pollution judgment. One person already committed $10,000 on the condition we match that amount by Thursday – an excellent start. That means anything you give today (or up to midnight on November 10) is likely to be worth double. Regardless of what happens tonight, the fight for climate justice and human rights does not end on Election Day. In fact, given the existential stakes and the insatiable greed of Chevron and the fossil fuel industry, we have no choice but to keep battling on every front available. For the sake of our planet and our democracy, let’s make this happen. Help us honor the important values so dear to all by making sure AG Garland hears us loud and clear and that he never again looks away. Please contribute today. Thank you, Steven P.S. Last week, we launched a petition to demand that Attorney General Merrick Garland join my request that the Supreme Court reverse my contempt conviction in a case filed by a pro-Chevron judge and prosecuted privately by a Chevron law firm. Please help us by adding your name to the petition today. Steven Donziger is a U.S. human rights attorney who helped communities in Ecuador’s Amazon win a historic multibillion-dollar pollution judgment against Chevron for the dumping of billions of gallons of cancer-causing oil waste onto Indigenous ancestral lands. Since the judgment issued in 2013, Chevron has used dozens of law firms and 2000 lawyers to carry out a demonization campaign targeting Steven to send a message of intimidation to all environmental advocates. Steven served 993 days of detention at home and in prison after being prosecuted directly by a Chevron law firm in the nation's first corporate prosecution; he still faces the threat of additional jail time after he appealed an order to turn over confidential information held by his Indigenous clients. Donate NOW to help support Steven as he and the Ecuadorian communities continue their fight for corporate accountability, environmental justice, Indigenous rights, and Free Speech. All funds are administered by the Friedman Rubin law firm in Seattle. DONATE NOW Twitter Instagram Facebook Paid for by Donziger Defense Fund Our mailing address is: Frente de la Defensa de la Amazonía 245 W 104th St Apt 7D New York, NY 10025-4280

 

Huge step at the US Supreme Court

I have some excellent news. A US court actually did something this week to help me and the Indigenous peoples Chevron poisoned in Ecuador. It’s been a long time since I could say that. The last time was in 2011 when a federal appeals court overturned Judge Kaplan’s preposterous attempt to issue a global injunction purporting to block all judges in any country in the world from enforcing the $9.5 billion Ecuador judgment against Chevron. As many of you know, that order from a US trial judge trying to tell all judges in all countries what they could do was so crazy that it was easy to reverse. I am now on more difficult terrain. But there is major daylight ahead and I need your help to reach it. The US Supreme Court on Monday ordered President Biden’s Department of Justice to explain why it let a private oil company (Chevron) prosecute and detain me after winning a historic pollution case against the company on behalf of Amazon Indigenous communities in Ecuador. The Supreme Court issued the order after the DOJ ignored my petition to reverse my misdemeanor contempt conviction that led to almost three years of detention. Why is this important? Because it proves that even our highly conservative Supreme Court seems offended by the idea of a private corporate prosecution of a human rights lawyer in the United States of America. It suggests the court is willing to do something about it. And it proves that our campaign to stop direct corporate detentions of climate activists is working. But here’s the rub: last week we missed our critical goal of raising $100,000 by mid-October to fund my ongoing appeal to the Supreme Court and to continue the global advocacy campaign necessary to stop corporate prosecutions and enforce the pollution judgment against Chevron. I am reaching out again to tell you we have extended the deadline to midnight on October 27. That day is significant because it is the one-year anniversary of the day I reported to prison. Chevron and Judges Kaplan and Preska tried to lock me away in a federal prison for six months – the culmination of their strategy to attack and destroy the Ecuador pollution case so Chevron would not have to pay the $9.5 billion judgment owed to Indigenous peoples. Will you contribute $10, $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, $1000, or $2500 or more right now? If you are able and willing to give, if you can make your contribution recurring it will allow our funding to be more sustainable.   This month last year was an extremely tough time for me and my family. I had to hug my wife and son goodbye with virtually no notice that I was being locked up. I was unsure when or if I would see them again – all because I dared to stand up to Chevron for its monstrous dumping of oil waste in the Amazon. The fact we won the environmental case drove Chevron crazy and prompted the company to use 60 law firms and 2,000 lawyers to try to destroy me. That strategy did not work. I am still here and as strong as ever, but I need help to keep going so we can finish the job. Please understand that Chevron manipulated the legal system against me in a way never before seen in US history. Before my case, no lawyer in the United States ever had served time in prison for the crime of misdemeanor contempt. Yet Chevron weaponized the legal system against me and made me the first by steering the case to a Chevron-linked judge who denied me a jury. I was detained for 993 days total when the longest prior sentence for my sentence was 90 days of home confinement. A United Nations panel ruled my detention was arbitrary and illegal and ordered the US government to pay me compensation.   I am still dealing with the aftermath of this wrongful conviction. I cannot travel outside of the United States because Chevron has my passport. I cannot visit the Indigenous peoples of Ecuador who are still suffering due to Chevron’s mass poisoning. And I am still unable to practice law after Chevron and Judge Kaplan had my license taken away. Again, we have extended our deadline to raise $100,000 to October 27 – the one-year anniversary of when I went to prison. Will you help us reach this critical goal so we can continue to fund our appeal to the Supreme Court and bring justice to the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon? Please contribute $10, $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, $1000, $2500 or more today. Whatever amount you can give – even if $1 – will be greatly appreciated. And if you cannot or choose not to give, please sign up with your email so you can receive regular case updates and pass this on to anybody who you think might be interested.   DONATE $25 DONATE $50 DONATE $100 DONATE $500 DONATE $1000 DONATE $2500 DONATE OTHER We are gaining momentum in this critical fight. Together, we can end Chevron’s decades-long retaliation campaign against me and the people of Ecuador and bring justice to the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon. Please contribute what you can and spread the word. Forward, Steven Donziger Steven Donziger is a U.S. human rights attorney who helped communities in Ecuador’s Amazon win a historic multibillion-dollar pollution judgment against Chevron for the dumping of billions of gallons of cancer-causing oil waste onto Indigenous ancestral lands. Since the judgment issued in 2013, Chevron has used dozens of law firms and 2000 lawyers to carry out a demonization campaign targeting Steven to send a message of intimidation to all environmental advocates. Steven served 993 days of detention at home and in prison after being prosecuted directly by a Chevron law firm in the nation's first corporate prosecution; he still faces the threat of additional jail time after he appealed an order to turn over confidential information held by his Indigenous clients. Donate NOW to help support Steven as he and the Ecuadorian communities continue their fight for corporate accountability, environmental justice, Indigenous rights, and Free Speech. All funds are administered by the Friedman Rubin law firm in Seattle. DONATE NOW

Twitter Instagram Facebook Paid for by Donziger Defense Fund Our mailing address is: Frente de la Defensa de la Amazonía 245 W 104th St Apt 7D New York, NY 10025-4280

 

Donziger interview: We are in “grave danger” as a society

 

A powerful climate advocacy group – the Center for Climate Integrity – recently posted an interview with Steven about life after 993 days in detention and what’s next in the fight to save the planet from the fossil fuel industry. We want to share it with you today.     You can read the full interview here. Journalist Emily Sanders, who conducted the interview, wrote:  “Even without an ankle bracelet tethering him to his apartment, and even with a growing swath of supporters cheering him on, he still doesn’t have a law license or passport, his bank account has been depleted by the fight against Chevron, and he remains under the watchful eye of one of the most powerful fossil fuel corporations on Earth.” As Steven said in the interview: “I feel as strong as I have ever felt because of the overwhelming support our campaign has received. That said, we now face grave danger as a society. What happened to me is just a little piece of a much bigger picture, but it is a telltale sign of how bad things could become if we don’t counter mobilize. I think the stakes could not be higher for the survival of our planet and for the survival of what’s left of our democracy, two issues that in my view are intimately connected.” In the coming days, Steven will be launching a new campaign to win back his full rights, including his right to practice law and his right to travel which still have not been restored even though he has been released from detention. In the meantime, we want you to read Steven’s take on where he and the campaign to hold Chevron accountable stands and how it fits into the larger picture of the climate movement. Our hope is you will again join Steven and the Amazon communities of Ecuador as they reactivate the fight against Chevron. The survival of five Indigenous peoples, the planet, and our democracy are at stake. One productive way to help make an impact is to continue to support Steven and his clients. Will you help us get a head start on our soon-to-be-announced campaign by contributing $10, $25, $50, $100 or more today? Forward, The #FreeDonziger Team Steven Donziger is a U.S. human rights attorney who helped communities in Ecuador’s Amazon win a historic multibillion-dollar pollution judgment against Chevron for the dumping of billions of gallons of cancer-causing oil waste onto Indigenous ancestral lands. Since the judgment issued in 2013, Chevron has used dozens of law firms and 2000 lawyers to carry out a demonization campaign targeting Steven to send a message of intimidation to all environmental advocates. Steven served 993 days of detention at home and in prison after being prosecuted directly by a Chevron law firm in the nation's first corporate prosecution; he still faces the threat of additional jail time after he appealed an order to turn over confidential information held by his Indigenous clients. Donate NOW to help support Steven as he and the Ecuadorian communities continue their fight for corporate accountability, environmental justice, Indigenous rights, and Free Speech. DONATE NOW Twitter Instagram Facebook Paid for by Donziger Defense Fund Our mailing address is: Frente de la Defensa de la Amazonía 245 W 104th St Apt 7D New York, NY 10025-4280

You helped us fight. Now join the story.

 

Chevron tried to silence me by locking me up for 993 days. It failed. Now it is time to take our campaign bigger, wider, and higher with the goal of reaching millions across the globe and galvanizing them to take action to help the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon and address the planetary crisis. I am thrilled to announce I have launched a Substack! I will post articles, commentary and videos on the Ecuador case and climate and justice issues in a space totally free from corporate censorship. This is a journalistic endeavor built around my writings and analysis designed to move the conversation about climate justice and human rights forward and higher.   READ ABOUT MY JOURNEY FROM HARVARD TO THE AMAZON TO PRISON AND BACK     SIGN UP FOR MY SUBSTACK This is the perfect time to come together to build our movement for environmental justice to the highest possible level so we can force Chevron to comply with court judgments that it clean up its toxic mess in Ecuador — and so we can tackle broader issues of human rights violations and environmental crimes. Chevron is just one obstacle to justice. The fossil fuel industry as a whole is a huge problem if we want our species and precious ecosystem to survive. Many of you already have donated generously to our defense fund for which we are deeply appreciative. We are still going to be seeking support for that fund as the Amazon communities engage lawyers to try to enforce their historic pollution judgment against Chevron and I continue to defend myself from attacks from the company’s 60 law firms. But my Substack project is different. The good news is you can subscribe to my Substack for free. However, if you become a paid subscriber at $6 monthly or a founding member at $250, we will have more resources to do even more reporting and writing – and you will get some pretty cool premium content on top of it, including regular Zoom calls with me and other cutting-edge thinkers on the frontlines of climate and justice issues. SIGN UP NOW: Subscribers will get access to a weekly article, newsletter, or post, as well as periodic podcasts where I will talk to leading climate thinkers and frontline Earth Defenders. As indicated, those who become paying subscribers will get access to premium content not available elsewhere. Check out our latest post and subscribe to our Substack today.   READ ABOUT MY JOURNEY FROM HARVARD TO THE AMAZON TO PRISON AND BACK Your subscription will support my writing, journalism, commentary and advocacy as a human rights lawyer and Earth Defender whose mission is to help Indigenous peoples in the Amazon and to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable. My goal is to use Substack to build possibilities for everyone — lawyers, activists, and concerned citizens — to learn and act to help save our world from crisis. No matter what Chevron and the U.S. judiciary throw at me, I will not turn my back on my clients in Ecuador nor on the larger battle for human rights and judicial accountability around the world. My background in law, human rights, journalism, climate, and frontline litigation provides a broad perspective that will inform my point of view. My goal is to provide information and perspective connected to empowerment and action for all people.  I am convinced our side has the power to prevail: anyone can make a difference alone, but together we can create a powerful and even unstoppable force. Please check out our latest post and subscribe.   SIGN UP FOR MY SUBSTACK We need community now more than ever. I would be so grateful if you could join me in this space to experience the exciting possibilities and to see how far we can go together. Thank you, Steven Donziger   Steven Donziger is a U.S. human rights attorney who helped communities in Ecuador’s Amazon win a historic multibillion-dollar pollution judgment against Chevron for the dumping of billions of gallons of cancer-causing oil waste onto Indigenous ancestral lands. Since the judgment issued in 2013, Chevron has used dozens of law firms and 2000 lawyers to carry out a demonization campaign targeting Steven to send a message of intimidation to all environmental advocates. Donate NOW to help support Steven as he and the Ecuadorian communities continue their fight for corporate accountability, environmental justice, Indigenous rights, and Free Speech. DONATE NOW

Twitter Instagram Facebook Paid for by Donziger Defense Fund Our mailing address is: Frente de la Defensa de la Amazonía 245 W 104th St Apt 7D New York, NY 10025-4280