A Look at Louisiana's Coastal Lawsuits

In the last several years, coastal parish governments have launched full-scale attacks on the oil and gas industry, abusing Louisiana's legal system by filing over 42 lawsuits against over 200 oil and gas companies, potentially totaling billions of dollars in damages. The lawsuits alleged the oil & gas industry is liable for Louisiana's coastal land loss, and seek damages to restore the coast- despite all activities being conducted under coastal exploration permits granted by the state.

The lawsuits have been pushed by a handful of powerful law firms, who have worked to recruit parish leaders to file the lawsuits- undoubtedly expecting big payouts in the future. The legal community has worked diligently to elect state and local officials, as well as judges, who are sympathetic to the lawsuits, with law firms being by far the largest contributors to state political campaigns, with nearly 46,000 contributions totally over $50.1 million, making them one of the most powerful special interests seeking to profit from public policy and judicial decisions.

As your watchdog for corruption and conflicts-of-interests in Louisiana government, that number is a huge red flag. Over the coming days, weeks, and months, we will seek to educate you on the organizations and personalities behind the lawsuits- from the lawyers, to the politicians, and the judges. Stay tuned.

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