Tag Archives: murray-energy

Just as John Oliver predicted, a coal tycoon is suing him.

The nation’s largest privately owned coal company, Murray Energy, just filed a lawsuit against the Last Week Tonight host over the show’s recent segment. Oliver had criticized the company’s CEO, Robert Murray, for acting carelessly toward miners’ safety.

Murray Energy’s complaint stated that the segment was a “meticulously planned attempt to assassinate the character and reputation” of Murray by broadcasting “false, injurious, and defamatory comments.”

Oliver shouldn’t be too concerned, according to Ken White, a First Amendment litigator at Los Angeles firm, who told the Daily Beast that the complaint was “frivolous and vexatious.”

The lawsuit is hardly a shocking development. Before the show aired, Oliver received a cease-and-desist letter from the company. He noted that Murray has a history of filing defamation suits against news outlets (most recently, the New York Times).

Oliver said in the episode, “I know that you are probably going to sue me, but you know what, I stand by everything I said.”

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Just as John Oliver predicted, a coal tycoon is suing him.

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Oil will keep flowing through the Dakota Access Pipeline — for now.

The nation’s largest privately owned coal company, Murray Energy, just filed a lawsuit against the Last Week Tonight host over the show’s recent segment. Oliver had criticized the company’s CEO, Robert Murray, for acting carelessly toward miners’ safety.

Murray Energy’s complaint stated that the segment was a “meticulously planned attempt to assassinate the character and reputation” of Murray by broadcasting “false, injurious, and defamatory comments.”

Oliver shouldn’t be too concerned, according to Ken White, a First Amendment litigator at Los Angeles firm, who told the Daily Beast that the complaint was “frivolous and vexatious.”

The lawsuit is hardly a shocking development. Before the show aired, Oliver received a cease-and-desist letter from the company. He noted that Murray has a history of filing defamation suits against news outlets (most recently, the New York Times).

Oliver said in the episode, “I know that you are probably going to sue me, but you know what, I stand by everything I said.”

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Oil will keep flowing through the Dakota Access Pipeline — for now.

Posted in alo, Anchor, FF, G & F, GE, LAI, LG, ONA, Ringer, solar, solar panels, solar power, Uncategorized, wind energy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Oil will keep flowing through the Dakota Access Pipeline — for now.

Coal baron is trying to elect Trump with old tricks

Coal baron is trying to elect Trump with old tricks

By on Jul 5, 2016 2:18 pmShare

The owner of the nation’s largest private coal company backs the GOP presidential nominee, pressures his employees to fundraise for him, and promises layoffs if he doesn’t get his way. If all this sounds familiar, it’s because CEO Robert Murray is reusing an old playbook to elect Donald Trump.

Last week, Murray announced potential plans to lay off as much as 80 percent of his workforce, or 4,400 employees, blaming the “ongoing destruction” of the coal industry on “President Barack Obama, and his supporters, and the increased utilization of natural gas to generate electricity.” Right now, it’s unclear just how serious the company is, since Murray Energy noted in a second statement that “no layoffs are contemplated or expected at this time.”

Meanwhile, Murray has actively campaigned for Donald Trump, calling him the industry’s only hope, and hosting a fundraiser in his name. 

There are echoes of the 2012 election in his recent actions: Murray similarly predicted layoffs if Obama won reelection, followed through on the threat immediately after he won, and went so far to pressure his employees to contribute to Mitt Romney.

Coal’s poor fortunes have more to do with the market than politics, and there’s little Donald Trump — or any president — could do to bring it back. The rise of cheap natural gas and declining demand for coal from China have been the largest factors in coal’s bankruptcies.

A Trump presidency will hardly be a miracle for the coal industry, either. Murray’s admitted that much a few months ago, saying, “I don’t think it will be a thriving industry ever again.”

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Coal baron is trying to elect Trump with old tricks

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