Steven Donziger, the disbarred American lawyer known for his protracted legal battle against Chevron regarding environmental damages in Ecuador, is facing renewed scrutiny over allegations of misusing funds raised for the case. A tweet from the account JuicioCrudo claims Donziger diverted money obtained through judicial fraud in Ecuador for personal benefit, including significant expenditures on gym memberships, bar tabs, and fine wines.
"Steven Donziger usó fondos recaudados en fraude judicial de #Ecuador para su beneficio, incluyendo membresías de gimnasios ($ 14.040), gastos en un bar ($ 5.225) y vinos finos ($ 2.578)," the tweet stated, detailing specific amounts spent on these items.
Donziger spearheaded a class-action lawsuit on behalf of over 30,000 Ecuadorian farmers and Indigenous people, securing a $9.5 billion judgment against Chevron in Ecuador in 2011 for pollution in the Lago Agrio oil field. However, this victory was later overturned in U.S. courts, which found the Ecuadorian judgment to have been procured through fraud, bribery, and racketeering activities. U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan's 2014 ruling highlighted Donziger's alleged unethical conduct, leading to his disbarment in New York in 2018.
The allegations of fund misuse for personal expenses, as detailed in the JuicioCrudo tweet, add another layer to the complex legal saga. While Donziger's legal team had funded the initial lawsuit by selling shares to investors, the current claims suggest a diversion of these or other related funds. Donziger has consistently maintained his innocence against all charges, asserting that he is the target of a retaliatory campaign by Chevron.
Despite the ongoing legal challenges and the specific accusations of personal spending, the broader context of the Chevron-Ecuador case remains a point of contention. Human rights advocates and some international bodies have criticized the legal actions taken against Donziger, viewing them as a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) designed to silence environmental activism. Donziger was convicted of criminal contempt of court in 2021 for refusing to comply with court orders related to the case.
