Goldstein v. Climate Action Network

A Texas resident filed a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) action against Climate Action Network and 39 other organizations, as well as 99 John and Jane Does, alleging that the defendants had acted in concert to further a criminal scheme based on false claims that anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide cause climate change. The plaintiff labeled this scheme the “Climate Alarmism Enterprise.” The complaint also alleged that the Climate Alarmism Enterprise had “powerful allies with immunity from prosecution,” chiefly the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The complaint’s allegations also included that a number of other parties, including websites, scientific organizations, and the New York Times, aided and abetted the enterprise. The plaintiff sought compensatory, punitive, and exemplary damages and asked the court to order the defendants to disgorge improperly secured monies.