“9/01/2009, 12:20pm EST”
NY Times eats Chevron’s whitewash
If you were to read the following headline and lede…
CHEVRON OFFERS EVIDENCE OF BRIBERY SCHEME IN ECUADOR LAWSUIT
The oil giant Chevron said Monday that it had obtained video recordings of meetings in Ecuador this year that appear to reveal a bribery scheme connected to a $27 billion lawsuit the company faces over environmental damage at oil fields it operated in remote areas of the Amazon forest in Ecuador.
The videos, together with audio recordings obtained by businessmen using watches and pens implanted with bugging devices, appear to implicate Ecuadoran officials and political operatives, including possibly Juan Núñez, the judge overseeing the lawsuit, and Pierina Correa, the sister of Ecuador’s president, Rafael Correa.
…followed by this…
The recordings indicate that an Ecuadoran political operative was working to obtain $3 million in bribes related to environmental cleanup contracts to be awarded in the event of a ruling against Chevron.
It was not clear from the recordings and transcripts provided by Chevron, however, whether any bribes discussed in the recordings were actually paid or whether Judge Núñez was even aware of plans to try to bribe him. The tapes also did not demonstrate whether the president’s sister was aware of the scheme or had participated in it.
…you could be excused for thinking you’re on crazy pills.
First we’re told there is “evidence” that multiple parties, including the presiding judge, are being bribed by the plaintiffs suing Chevron. Then we’re told that Chevron has recordings of exactly one ”political operative” — singular — discussing a bribe. As in, one name-dropping asshole who would probably just as happily do dirty work for Chevron. In fact, he sounds like exactly the kind of asshole that corporations like Chevron hire all the time to derail accountability and reform. Of course, there is absolutely zero “evidence” of the other two people’s involvement — most importantly, the judge’s.
If this is the best whitewash that Chevron can come up with, I feel pretty good about the odds for the plaintiffs — you know, the ones whose lives and environment were ruined by Chevron. The unknown number of non-humans whose lives and livelihoods were destroyed by Chevron won’t ever see justice, but at least the bastards might pay something.
Never leave home without it.
