GAIN Statement on Members’ Letter to DOJ on Eco-Terrorism
A bi-partisan group of 84 Members of Congress, signed a letter to the Department of Justice on Monday asking whether existing federal laws allow prosecution for criminal activity that threatens energy infrastructure, and additionally whether attacks on energy infrastructure that threaten human life fall within the DOJ’s classification of domestic terrorism. The GAIN Coalition issued the following statement in response, which can be attributed to me, Craig Stevens, spokesman for the coalition.
“Without strict enforcement of our nation’s anti-terrorism and other criminal laws, eco-terrorists will continue to be emboldened to destroy private property and threaten personal safety. We are already seeing too many incidents of eco-terrorism and vandalism hitting lawfully approved energy infrastructure projects across the country. It is critical that policymakers and law enforcement officers recognize these criminal acts as a threat to our national security. Violence and vandalism is a violation of the law, even if it’s done under the cloak of environmentalism. We applaud those Members who signed the letter to bring this issue to the attention of the Department of Justice. We hope that Attorney General Sessions takes action to address their concerns.”