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As EID recently reported, 83 percent of anti-fracking ballot measures in Ohio have been defeated, ruled invalid, or are pending. Despite this fact, the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) continues to abuse Ohio taxpayers with frivolous lawsuits in an attempt to try to manipulate Ohio laws and place unenforceable measures on local ballots.

This week the Ohio Supreme Court again voted unanimously against another CELDF lawsuit, which tried to force an invalid “Community Bill of Rights” in Medina County onto the November ballot.  While these defeats and continued court rulings are almost starting to become comical, unfortunately for the people who live and work in Ohio, they are anything but, as taxpayers have to foot the bill. What’s worse is that CELDF’s Pennsylvania-based founder, Thomas Linzey, stated publicly that bankrupting a town may be “exactly what is needed”.  He said:

“And if a town goes bankrupt trying to defend one of our ordinances, well, perhaps that’s exactly what is needed to trigger a national movement.”

This latest court case underscores a very important question regarding these efforts: Who is actually reaping the benefits from these failed ballot measures and frivolous lawsuits? CELDF, Thomas Linzey, and the lawyers who work with them, such as Ohio’s anti-fracking go-to lawyer, Terry Lodge, who ironically is a “bankruptcy attorney” would be the ones cashing in. Attorney View Full Article