For seven years Energy Transfer has pursued a $300 million conspiracy lawsuit against Greenpeace, alleging that one of the world’s largest environmental nonprofits was pulling the strings behind the most significant Indigenous uprising in half a century. The original lawsuit, filed as a RICO case in federal court, argued that it was Greenpeace — not members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe or footage of private security and police violence — that drew tens of thousands of people to the prairies of North Dakota in 2016 to attempt to stop the Dakota Access oil pipeline. For those who were actually involved in the movement, it was a preposterous narrative. Greenpeace was at best a bit player in the sprawling story of the Standing Rock movement.
The pipeline company’s attempt to use laws written to deal with the mob to go after environmental protestors failed, but that didn’t stop them. They refiled the suit as a conspiracy claim in North Dakota state court and, in March 2025…they won. Not only did they win, but they were awarded more than twice the damages they claimed, over $666 million, a settlement that could bankrupt Greenpeace and set a precedent with grave implications for the Indigenous and environmental defenders who continue to rise up against the fossil fuel industry as the climate crisis deepens.
The message: If you fight back, we will shut you down. The funny thing about a lawsuit like this, though, is that sometimes it shakes loose information that isn’t part of the plaintiff’s plan. As Greenpeace and Energy Transfer argued over which details could be presented before a jury trial, and what kind of evidence each party would have to hand over to the other, new details began to dribble out about what happened behind closed doors as Energy Transfer built its pipeline.
In this season of Drilled, we follow reporter Alleen Brown through a legal trial that will change the course of activism in the U.S. and beyond.
Documents from this investigation
Standing Rock Documents
Documents detailing the surveillance of Standing Rock activists, obtained by public information requests from reporter Alleen Brown, and analyzed with additional support from the Center for Media and Democracy.
Related stories
The Kill Step, Part One: “They’re Waiting for Someone to Wink”
Standing Rock was an Indigenous-led movement. How did Greenpeace wind up taking the fall for it?
The Kill Step, Part Two: “What the hell is this bullshit?
Energy Transfer tasked its security and law firms with building a RICO case against protestors almost as soon as Standing Rock began.
The Kill Step, Part Three: “You’re Going to Fight This.”
At one point, Energy Transfer offered Greenpeace a settlement…if they would walk back their statements in support of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s claims.
The Kill Step, Part Four: “How many of you feel the same way?”
Step one to winning a show trial: pick the right venue, and you’ll get the right jury.
The Kill Step, Part Five: “It’s part of the treaty.”
As Energy Transfer tries to prove its case against Greenpeace, the tribe is erased from the story.
The Kill Step, Part Six: “We believed that to be true.”
Amidst Energy Transfer’s claims, a return to what it was all about in the first place: the water.
The Kill Step, Part Seven: “They’re Scumbags.”
This is the final installation of a seven-part series produced in partnership with Grist as a companion to the SLAPP’d season of the Drilled podcast. You can see all seven pieces together in a beautiful layout over on Grist’s site, where you’ll also find other great climate stories. You can also find the rest of…
Greenpeace Fights for Survival Against a Fossil Fuel Giant’s $345-Million “SLAPP” Suit
Energy Transfer’s lawsuit set up the First Amendment battle of the year and threatens to silence support for grassroots protest against the fossil fuel industry.
EU vs. US Courts Face Off on Free Speech
A landmark anti-SLAPP case underway in the EU could result in a European court verdict declaring Energy Transfer’s suit against Greenpeace legal harassment even as the company seeks to collect a $666 settlement from the environmental nonprofit in the U.S.
