In response to Greenpeace defendants’ pleadings to dismiss a pending RICO case filed last May, Resolute Forest Products has engaged in a public relations offensive falsely claiming that Greenpeace is lying about the company’s unsustainable logging practices in the Boreal forest.
Resolute’s allegations first appeared in an opinion piece published in the National Review by the company’s CEO Richard Garneau on March 2. In that publication, Mr. Garneau claims that Greenpeace is “admitting in court that its rhetoric against Resolute is not true”. On the contrary, Greenpeace stands by all of its statements because they are all either truthful facts or opinions, interpretations and conclusions based on disclosed scientific facts.
“Resolute’s CEO takes legal statements out of context. He argues that through our filings we have suddenly ‘admitted’ our work is not based on science. In fact, the motions, including an anti-SLAPP motion and the motions for dismissal of this unfounded case, have consistently said the same things: that all our factual statements are true and all our opinions are justified based on disclosed facts. Any statements of opinion Greenpeace has made about Resolute’s practices are based in sound science and verifiable facts, and these informed opinions are protected under well-settled US free speech law,” said Greenpeace U.S. Executive Director Annie Leonard.
The Anti-SLAPP motion filed by Greenpeace defendants last September is clear on the point that “all of the challenged [by Resolute] statements [made by Greenpeace] are true”. Furthermore, Greenpeace’s statements about the Boreal forest have all been made on the basis of the best available scientific research.
Greenpeace’s legal position is further clarified in a statement by the General Counsel for the U.S. refuting Mr. Garneau’s claims. Greenpeace requested the National Review for a similar space to that obtained by Resolute’s CEO, which was denied without explanation. On March 6, the Center for Media and Democracy allowed Greenpeace U.S. Communications Director the opportunity to respond to the claims made by Mr. Garneau in the National Review.
“We will continue to defend ourselves against these meritless claims because too much is at stake — not only the future of Canada’s forests, but the future of free speech itself,” added Leonard.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- On May 31, 2016 Resolute Forest Products filed a $300 million dollar (CAD) lawsuit under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) in the United States District Court for Southern Georgia, against Greenpeace International and U.S. Greenpeace entities, as well as STAND (formerly ForestEthics), and five individual staff members of these independent organizations.
- This is Resolute’s second lawsuit against Greenpeace. In 2013, the company filed a $7 million dollar (CAD) defamation case against Greenpeace Canada and two staff members in Ontario, which is still pending.
- For more information and documents about the existing legal cases between Resolute Forest Products and defendants click here or copy this to your browser: http://greenpeace.ca/resolutelawsuits
Media contact:
Rodrigo Estrada, [email protected], 202-478-6632
