Parties in $27B Environmental Case Fight Video With Video
A 16-year-old class action against Chevron Corp. over some $27 billion of claimed environmental contamination in Ecuador hasn’t been decided yet.
But it’s already generating headlines because of the company’s unusual litigation tactics. Now, as a documentary about the claimed damage to Ecuador’s Amazon region is about to debut in New York today, a U.S.-based attorney for the plaintiffs is firing back.
Chevron’s decision last week to publicly release video footage of the then-judge in the case allegedly discussing the planned outcome with two businessmen was intended to distract attention from the documentary, Crude, attorney Steve Donziger tells Reuters.
But Chevron spokesman Kent Robertson says the company didn’t release the video until last week because it needed to authenticate the footage first. He describes the documentary as “long on emotion and short on facts,” the news agency recounts.
Additional coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “After Chevron Posts YouTube Video, Ecuador Judge Steps Down in $27B Case”
Bloomberg: “Chevron May Foot Legal Bills for Man Who Taped Judge”
