08.19.20

Hoeven Statement on District Court Ruling Allowing ND Lawsuit to Recover Costs From DAPL Protests to Move Forward

BISMARCK, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven released the following statement after the U.S. District Court for North Dakota denied the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) motion to dismiss North Dakota’s lawsuit that seeks to recover the costs related to the illegal protests surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline. The court is allowing four of the state’s five claims to move forward. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Hoeven previously secured $10 million in Fiscal Year 2017 through the DOJ Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance program to help reimburse the state.

“We welcome Judge Traynor’s decision to enable this lawsuit to move forward, providing the opportunity to hold the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers accountable for its negligence during the DAPL protests. The state deserves to have its cleanup and law enforcement costs reimbursed, and we continue to support Attorney General Stenehjem and to work with Senator Cramer and Congressman Armstrong in these efforts.”

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