On Thursday, a jury with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama returned a verdict on all counts in favor of Drummond Company and against attorney Terrence P. Collingsworth and his organization, International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates).
The jury concluded Collingsworth and IRAdvocates made false and defamatory accusations that Drummond supported paramilitary groups in Colombia. The jury further found Collingsworth and IRAdvocates violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) through extortion, witness bribery, witness tampering, wire fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice and conspiracy.
The jury determined there was clear and convincing evidence that Collingsworth either knew or recklessly disregarded that his accusations against Drummond were false when he made them.
In the lawsuits Drummond filed — one for defamation and the other for extortion, witness bribery, witness tampering, wire fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy under RICO — the jury awarded Drummond $52 million on the defamation claim and $68 million on the RICO claims. The RICO award is automatically tripled under the RICO statute, making the total value of the award $256 million.
According to the verdict and the evidence, Collingsworth made false and defamatory statements in letters to third parties that were calculated to harm Drummond’s reputation and threaten its business. Under the RICO Act, Collingsworth was found guilty of witness bribery and tampering based on witness payments exceeding $400,000 to Jaime Blanco Maya, Jairo de Jesus Charris (a.k.a. “El Viejo Miguel”), among others. Collingsworth’s conspirators, Colombian attorney Iván Alfredo Otero Mendoza and Dutch businessman Albert van Bilderbeek, were also found liable for RICO.
“This verdict is further proof that Drummond has had no connection whatsoever with illegal organizations. The company has endured malicious accusations and narratives for decades, which a jury has now unanimously determined were categorically false,” Trey Wells, lead trial lawyer of the law firm Starnes Davis Florie LLP, said.
According to court documents, the defendants pursued a coordinated strategy to exert reputational and legal pressure on the company through lawsuits and media campaigns in the United States, Colombia and Europe, supported by false testimonies obtained through hidden payments to witnesses.
Drummond, in a statement, reiterated its commitment to ethical and responsible operations, saying, “The company will continue to operate, as it always has, with respect for the rule of law and the highest standards of integrity.
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