For anyone interested - please feel free to copy/paste the draft script I've emailed to AG Garland's office (text below)
-----------------------
To the office of AG Garland,
I just learned about the case of Steven Donziger and the retaliatory efforts taken against him for his work holding Chevron accountable for their actions in Equador. Mr. Donziger has been unfairly held under house arrest and has been disbarred for winning a case against a major oil company which is destroying our planet and taking advantage of people around the globe.
The U.N.’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WAGA) called the lawyer’s two-year home detention “arbitrary", concluded it violated multiple provisions of international law including the right to a fair trial, and requested the United States government release him immediately and pay compensation for a deprivation of liberty that has now spanned 786 days in a minor misdemeanor case where no lawyer in the U.S. ever has spent even one day in prison.
You can find more on the Human Rights Council's decision and facts about the case below:
ALERT ... TODAY (14 Oct 2021) Houston's NPR affiliate KUHF-FM radio is kicking off its fall fundraiser by heavily promoting CHEVRON as the day's lead corporate sponsor. Want to tell Houston Public Media (owned and operated by the University of Houston) what you think of this moral abomination and corrupt complicity with corporate fascism? https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/contact-us
FURTHER: You might want to "twist the knife" by letting them know you are donating in Donziger's name to Houston's OTHER public radio station, KPFT-FM, a Pacifica station that carries Amy Goodman's Democracy Now. KPFT is currently running its own 'Chevron-free' fund drive (my term, not theirs). https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=YZG5MU43UZU3C
How many more Americans might be in this position? Surely he cannot be the only one. He needs to get on Rachel or Cuomo, more wide attention on free media.
Kafkian is unfortunately the right adjective to describe this story.
I was an attorney in my home country before moving to the US and changing careers, so I feel deeply touched by Mr Donziger’s experience. I have so much respect for his work and his devotion to human rights.
Last year at this time I was reading “It can’t happen here” by Sinclair Lewis. So sad, it is so sad, Mike, that it actually can happen here, and get even worse.
But we are all Doremus Jessup in some sort of way, and our job is to keep the attention high on this case.
I will spread the word so that the case is better known abroad and gets the attention it deserves. Until justice is done.
Thanks for covering this, Michael. I've been following this case for a long time, and I know that Steven Donziger's treatment has been absolutely horrific. I just sent a message to the DOJ. And I donated to Steven's defense fund. Again.
Does anyone know if we abroad can contact the AG and President Biden?
As the UK is due to hold the world climate event in Glasgow later this year, my job for next week is to try and contact progressives I follow here to raise Steven’s case. Many are independant journalists so worth a try. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it could be exposed on the world stage?
There is no question that Chevron destroyed huge parts of the Amazon rain forest, which the US courts agree. But rather than settle, Chevron is spinning lies that Steven Donziger fabricated his investigation when is no evidence of fraud. And yet, US Judge Kaplan sided with Chevron.
Steven Donziger had every right to refuse turning over his laptop and cell phone. There was no conspiracy. He conducted a thorough investigation for which Chevron was found guilty, the same as in Argentina, Canada and elsewhere.
WOW, I mean, just WOW! Mind sufficiently blown. I’m doing all I can to bring attention to this outrageous travesty of justice and unprecedented persecution of a seemingly righteous legal eco warrior.
It is such a sadness to see people being victims of the right things they do. I photographed the body of my environmentalist friend who was murdered here in Rio de Janeiro. I was recently stuck in "jury" for "volunteer work" because of my political stance. There are great missions on this earth plane and so are those who continue to do their work, whatever the cost. Lots of light and strength for all our fighters!
Thank You Everyone who's contacting President Biden, DOJ AG Garland et al, and donating to Steven Donziger and his family. You make my heart feel good as I'm sure the rest of you feel.
I pray Mr. Donziger finds solace in our support. His email today indicated it.
This does come down to a corrupt judiciary here in the US and the Hague Tribunal.
The UN ruling and hundreds of attorneys and organizations clearly exposed that corruption.
The US courts have ruled that Chevron in fact, damaged the Amazon.
The corruption is the false accusation that Mr. Donziger falsified his findings.
There is no evidence of this, only hearsay. Former colleagues are biased for Chevron.
His findings are consistent with other rulings against Chevron in Argentina and Canada.
Chevron bought out Texaco in 2001, but it was business as usual, destroying the environment.
The oil and gas industry gets away with it because they control Congress and the courts, globally.
Historically, it has always taken the people to bring about reform.
Mr. Donziger is a hero, like Michael, speaking truth to power.
And so are all of you. It's the only reason I'm still here.
Otherwise, I'd be in Canada now.
What's disturbing, Mr. Donziger is a whistleblower under the law but is denied due process.
The punishment he's been made to suffer is illegal. He is clearly being persecuted.
There are numerous precedents of those made to suffer for protecting native people here.
The US has a long history of retaliating which Kaplan and Preska are prime examples.
Dictator Bush the 1st appointed Preska and Clinton appointed Kaplan.
Michael exposed the Bush Dynasty and their Blood for Oil wars.
Here are a few simple things you can do to make sure your correspondence gets to the White House as quickly as possible.
If possible, email us! This is the fastest way to reach the White House.
If you write a letter, please consider typing it on an 8 1/2 by 11 inch sheet of paper.
If you hand-write your letter, please write as neatly as possible with an ink pen.
Include your return address on your letter as well as on your envelope. If you have an email address, please share it with us too.
And finally, please be sure to write on the outside of your mailing envelope the complete address for the White House to make sure your letter gets to us as quickly and directly as possible:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500
And DOJ AG Garland: (appointed by President Biden)
Correspondence to the Department, including the Attorney General, may be sent to:
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
The Department may be contacted by phone at the following:
BUT PLEASE DON'T DIAL 9 FIRST! (unless you're using a phone that requires it to get a dial tone, like a hotel phone. Jeff Reese has been getting a ton of calls for DOJ).
Department Comment Line: 202-353-1555 (24/7)
Department of Justice Main Switchboard: 202-514-2000 (9am-4pm ET)
TTY/ASCII/TDD: 800-877-8339 (or Federal IP Relay Service)
If worse comes to worse, we will need to impose on President Biden to pardon Mr. Donziger and relieve him of any fines, penalties etc, that will be levied against him.
President Biden cares about our environment, but has caved in to Sen. Joe Manchin and will remove the climate clause on BBB bill. Manchin's claims of expense to taxpayers and "entitlements" are a false cover for the campaign contributions he's received from the coal, oil and gas industry, as well as having served on energy boards. His mantra: Profits Over People
It would seem that the ICC, International Criminal Court should be involved because of the crimes against the indigenous people of Ecuador and their environment by Chevron. But the ICC is plagued by ineffective leadership and legal scholars, who should be imprisoning anyone for crimes against people but aren't.
I can't find any statistics on harm people have suffered. But there are enough cases here in the US that scream bloody murder from cancer deaths, respiratory illnesses, birth deformities etc.
Here in Colorado, fracking continues where I'm certain we'll end up like Oklahoma with contaminated soil and ground water and Richter scale earthquakes, besides toxic fumes.
Seriously, I'm able to calm down and sleep better at night meditating on all the good all of you do. It's why I try to do what I can. I've had enough bad dreams of the Archetypal Earth Goddess.
Guess what she'll do to those who pollute the Earth? And those of us who say nothing?
God and Goddess Bless All of YOU! Especially Michael and those like Steven Donziger.
How can this case drag on, and on, keeping Donziger’s case tied up in a legal nightmare, and he, in a state of suppression? I will write to CNN, hopefully many of us will; let’s get this story on the air at CNN, hopefully that will begin the process of reversing a horrible wrong.
For anyone interested - please feel free to copy/paste the draft script I've emailed to AG Garland's office (text below)
-----------------------
To the office of AG Garland,
I just learned about the case of Steven Donziger and the retaliatory efforts taken against him for his work holding Chevron accountable for their actions in Equador. Mr. Donziger has been unfairly held under house arrest and has been disbarred for winning a case against a major oil company which is destroying our planet and taking advantage of people around the globe.
The U.N.’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WAGA) called the lawyer’s two-year home detention “arbitrary", concluded it violated multiple provisions of international law including the right to a fair trial, and requested the United States government release him immediately and pay compensation for a deprivation of liberty that has now spanned 786 days in a minor misdemeanor case where no lawyer in the U.S. ever has spent even one day in prison.
You can find more on the Human Rights Council's decision and facts about the case below:
- Human Rights Council's decision: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac2615b8f5130fda4340fcb/t/61537ea231d36d4b49f955fe/1632861862416/2021-09-24-advance-un-human-rights-working-group-on-arbitrary-detention-letter.pdf
- Slate coverage on Mr. Donziger's case: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/08/chevron-judge-loretta-preska-steven-donziger.html
It is of utmost importance that the federal government take over this case and remove the influence of giant corporations from our legal system.
Thank you,
ALERT ... TODAY (14 Oct 2021) Houston's NPR affiliate KUHF-FM radio is kicking off its fall fundraiser by heavily promoting CHEVRON as the day's lead corporate sponsor. Want to tell Houston Public Media (owned and operated by the University of Houston) what you think of this moral abomination and corrupt complicity with corporate fascism? https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/contact-us
FURTHER: You might want to "twist the knife" by letting them know you are donating in Donziger's name to Houston's OTHER public radio station, KPFT-FM, a Pacifica station that carries Amy Goodman's Democracy Now. KPFT is currently running its own 'Chevron-free' fund drive (my term, not theirs). https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=YZG5MU43UZU3C
How many more Americans might be in this position? Surely he cannot be the only one. He needs to get on Rachel or Cuomo, more wide attention on free media.
Thank you for bringing attention to a great injustice to Steven Donziger…I am learning a lot from you Michael. Very grateful.
Kafkian is unfortunately the right adjective to describe this story.
I was an attorney in my home country before moving to the US and changing careers, so I feel deeply touched by Mr Donziger’s experience. I have so much respect for his work and his devotion to human rights.
Last year at this time I was reading “It can’t happen here” by Sinclair Lewis. So sad, it is so sad, Mike, that it actually can happen here, and get even worse.
But we are all Doremus Jessup in some sort of way, and our job is to keep the attention high on this case.
I will spread the word so that the case is better known abroad and gets the attention it deserves. Until justice is done.
Thanks for covering this, Michael. I've been following this case for a long time, and I know that Steven Donziger's treatment has been absolutely horrific. I just sent a message to the DOJ. And I donated to Steven's defense fund. Again.
Wrote an email DOJ Attorney General as subject, light it up and shared on twitter
I really am speechless!
Does anyone know if we abroad can contact the AG and President Biden?
As the UK is due to hold the world climate event in Glasgow later this year, my job for next week is to try and contact progressives I follow here to raise Steven’s case. Many are independant journalists so worth a try. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it could be exposed on the world stage?
Thank you Micheal as always. Sending love to you
The New York Times has not reported on this case as they should have:
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/557388-steven-donziger-says-chevron-lawyer-working-for-ny-times-is-conflict-of
https://fair.org/home/action-alert-nyt-ignores-two-year-house-arrest-of-lawyer-who-took-on-big-oil/
There is no question that Chevron destroyed huge parts of the Amazon rain forest, which the US courts agree. But rather than settle, Chevron is spinning lies that Steven Donziger fabricated his investigation when is no evidence of fraud. And yet, US Judge Kaplan sided with Chevron.
Steven Donziger had every right to refuse turning over his laptop and cell phone. There was no conspiracy. He conducted a thorough investigation for which Chevron was found guilty, the same as in Argentina, Canada and elsewhere.
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/05/business/federal-judge-rules-for-chevron-in-ecuadorean-pollution-case.html
Here's online contact for NPR management to boycott, divest and sanction Chevron.
https://help.npr.org/contact/s/contact?request=Contact-NPR-management
Hopefully, they will direct member stations to drop Chevron as a contributor.
Here's link again showing why:
https://www.makechevroncleanup.com/press-releases/2021/9/29/breaking-highest-un-human-rights-body-rules-us-government-must-release-steven-donziger-from-arbitrary-detention-and-compensate-him-for-legal-violations
Thank You Everyone supporting Michael and those like Steven Donziger.
Democracy would die in darkness if not for them.
Thank You Michael, as always. I never saw anything in NYT, WP about Steven Donziger.
Just called and emailed DOJ, signed petition and will donate asap to help him and his family.
This is a clear case of retaliation to intimidate anyone from exposing major corporations.
Hopefully, he'll get damages and attorney fees to keep corporations from doing this again.
They've made your life hell enough, Michael. Thanks for standing with those like you.
We stand with you, too.
https://www.makechevroncleanup.com/press-releases/2021/9/29/breaking-highest-un-human-rights-body-rules-us-government-must-release-steven-donziger-from-arbitrary-detention-and-compensate-him-for-legal-violations
WOW, I mean, just WOW! Mind sufficiently blown. I’m doing all I can to bring attention to this outrageous travesty of justice and unprecedented persecution of a seemingly righteous legal eco warrior.
It is such a sadness to see people being victims of the right things they do. I photographed the body of my environmentalist friend who was murdered here in Rio de Janeiro. I was recently stuck in "jury" for "volunteer work" because of my political stance. There are great missions on this earth plane and so are those who continue to do their work, whatever the cost. Lots of light and strength for all our fighters!
Thank You Everyone who's contacting President Biden, DOJ AG Garland et al, and donating to Steven Donziger and his family. You make my heart feel good as I'm sure the rest of you feel.
I pray Mr. Donziger finds solace in our support. His email today indicated it.
This does come down to a corrupt judiciary here in the US and the Hague Tribunal.
The UN ruling and hundreds of attorneys and organizations clearly exposed that corruption.
The US courts have ruled that Chevron in fact, damaged the Amazon.
The corruption is the false accusation that Mr. Donziger falsified his findings.
There is no evidence of this, only hearsay. Former colleagues are biased for Chevron.
His findings are consistent with other rulings against Chevron in Argentina and Canada.
Chevron bought out Texaco in 2001, but it was business as usual, destroying the environment.
The oil and gas industry gets away with it because they control Congress and the courts, globally.
Historically, it has always taken the people to bring about reform.
Mr. Donziger is a hero, like Michael, speaking truth to power.
And so are all of you. It's the only reason I'm still here.
Otherwise, I'd be in Canada now.
What's disturbing, Mr. Donziger is a whistleblower under the law but is denied due process.
The punishment he's been made to suffer is illegal. He is clearly being persecuted.
There are numerous precedents of those made to suffer for protecting native people here.
The US has a long history of retaliating which Kaplan and Preska are prime examples.
Dictator Bush the 1st appointed Preska and Clinton appointed Kaplan.
Michael exposed the Bush Dynasty and their Blood for Oil wars.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_9/11
https://www.businessinsider.com/the-bushes--a-wall-street-dynasty-2014-2#william-ht-bush-brother-of-hw-parlayed-his-financial-connections-into-defense-contracts-21
https://fedsoc.org/contributors/loretta-preska
https://ballotpedia.org/Lewis_Kaplan
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chevron-ecuador/international-tribunal-rules-in-favor-of-chevron-in-ecuador-case-idUSKCN1LN1WS
https://www.makechevroncleanup.com/press-releases/2021/9/29/breaking-highest-un-human-rights-body-rules-us-government-must-release-steven-donziger-from-arbitrary-detention-and-compensate-him-for-legal-violations
https://iadllaw.org/2020/05/over-475-lawyers-legal-organizations-and-human-rights-defenders-support-lawyer-steven-donziger/
Here is President Biden's online contact:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Here's phone#'s, mailing address:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/get-involved/write-or-call/
Comments: 202-456-1111 (24/7)
Switchboard: 202-456-1414 (9am-4pm ET)
TTY/TTD
Comments: 202-456-6213 (same as above)
Visitor’s Office: 202-456-2121 J(same as above)
Send a letter to the White House
Here are a few simple things you can do to make sure your correspondence gets to the White House as quickly as possible.
If possible, email us! This is the fastest way to reach the White House.
If you write a letter, please consider typing it on an 8 1/2 by 11 inch sheet of paper.
If you hand-write your letter, please write as neatly as possible with an ink pen.
Include your return address on your letter as well as on your envelope. If you have an email address, please share it with us too.
And finally, please be sure to write on the outside of your mailing envelope the complete address for the White House to make sure your letter gets to us as quickly and directly as possible:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500
And DOJ AG Garland: (appointed by President Biden)
https://www.justice.gov/contact-us
Here is mailing address:
Correspondence to the Department, including the Attorney General, may be sent to:
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
The Department may be contacted by phone at the following:
BUT PLEASE DON'T DIAL 9 FIRST! (unless you're using a phone that requires it to get a dial tone, like a hotel phone. Jeff Reese has been getting a ton of calls for DOJ).
Department Comment Line: 202-353-1555 (24/7)
Department of Justice Main Switchboard: 202-514-2000 (9am-4pm ET)
TTY/ASCII/TDD: 800-877-8339 (or Federal IP Relay Service)
This is the online email contact form:
https://www.justice.gov/doj/webform/your-message-department-justice
If worse comes to worse, we will need to impose on President Biden to pardon Mr. Donziger and relieve him of any fines, penalties etc, that will be levied against him.
President Biden cares about our environment, but has caved in to Sen. Joe Manchin and will remove the climate clause on BBB bill. Manchin's claims of expense to taxpayers and "entitlements" are a false cover for the campaign contributions he's received from the coal, oil and gas industry, as well as having served on energy boards. His mantra: Profits Over People
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/19/climate/manchin-climate-biden.html
It would seem that the ICC, International Criminal Court should be involved because of the crimes against the indigenous people of Ecuador and their environment by Chevron. But the ICC is plagued by ineffective leadership and legal scholars, who should be imprisoning anyone for crimes against people but aren't.
https://www.chathamhouse.org/2019/06/strengthen-international-criminal-court?gclid=CjwKCAjwzaSLBhBJEiwAJSRokrX9auiMQgUWQnpHrWi3WMIh-FNCWEhhz8G54s5kmRC45bCv8RP5zRoC2J0QAvD_BwE
I can't find any statistics on harm people have suffered. But there are enough cases here in the US that scream bloody murder from cancer deaths, respiratory illnesses, birth deformities etc.
Here in Colorado, fracking continues where I'm certain we'll end up like Oklahoma with contaminated soil and ground water and Richter scale earthquakes, besides toxic fumes.
Seriously, I'm able to calm down and sleep better at night meditating on all the good all of you do. It's why I try to do what I can. I've had enough bad dreams of the Archetypal Earth Goddess.
Guess what she'll do to those who pollute the Earth? And those of us who say nothing?
God and Goddess Bless All of YOU! Especially Michael and those like Steven Donziger.
I don't know who to be more angry with. Chevron, or the judicial system for enabling and being in the back pocket of Chevron.
How can this case drag on, and on, keeping Donziger’s case tied up in a legal nightmare, and he, in a state of suppression? I will write to CNN, hopefully many of us will; let’s get this story on the air at CNN, hopefully that will begin the process of reversing a horrible wrong.