Capture lane

Environmental Capture

The Environmental Capture capture lane traces 156 verified events documenting this mechanism of institutional capture.

156 events From Dec 17, 1963 To Jun 10, 2026 Open in filter view →
Top 10 actors in this lane 10 actors · 1619–2026
Top actors in Environmental Capture1620162516301635164016451650165516601665167016751680168516901695170017051710171517201725173017351740174517501755176017651770177517801785179017951800180518101815182018251830183518401845185018551860186518701875188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025WatergateReaganIran-Contra9/11Citizens UnitedTrump 1.0Trump 2.0U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyLee ZeldinUnited Mine Workers of AmericaWalter ReutherNational Labor Relations BoardChris WrightAmerican workersEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)AFL-CIOAmerican Legislative Exchange Council63 events
Capture lanecorruptiondemocraticexecutivefinancialintelligencejudiciallaborlegislativemediamilitaryotherregulatory Status confirmed alleged disputed
DateEventLanesStatus
2019-10-22Acting Ukraine Ambassador Bill Taylor Testifies - Clear Quid Pro Quo for Biden Investigation 3 src
Gordon Sondland · Rudy Giuliani · Donald Trump
confirmed
2019-10-08Trump Blocks Ambassador Sondland Testimony, Declares Total Obstruction of Congress 3 src
Donald Trump · Gordon Sondland · Mike Pompeo · Adam Schiff
confirmed
2019-06-19EPA Finalizes Affordable Clean Energy Rule Replacing Clean Power Plan With Weaker Standards 4 src
Andrew Wheeler · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Donald Trump · Scott Pruitt
confirmed
2019-06-13Michigan Drops All Criminal Charges in Flint Water Crisis, Promises New Investigation 3 src
Dana Nessel · Darnell Earley
confirmed
2019-04-11Interior Secretary David Bernhardt Confirmed Despite Extensive Conflicts from Oil and Gas Lobbying Career 3 src
David Bernhardt · Donald Trump
confirmed
2018-07-09Coal Lobbyist Andrew Wheeler Becomes Acting EPA Administrator After Pruitt Resignation 4 src
Andrew Wheeler · Donald Trump · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
confirmed
2018-06-15Amazon aggressively pitches Rekognition facial recognition to ICE during family separation crisis 4 src
Amazon · AWS · Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) · DHS (Department of Homeland Security) · +1
confirmed
2017-12-04Trump reduces Bears Ears National Monument by 85% to open lands for extraction 3 src
Donald Trump · Ryan Zinke
confirmed
2017-11-20Nebraska PSC Approves Keystone XL Pipeline Route Despite Eminent Domain Controversy and Landowner Opposition 7 src confirmed
2017-03-28Trump Signs Executive Order Dismantling Obama-Era Climate Regulations 3 src
Donald Trump · Scott Pruitt · Lee Zeldin
confirmed
2017-01-29Trump Approves Botched Yemen Raid Killing Navy SEAL Owens and 23+ Civilians Including 8-Year-Old American Girl 2 src
Donald Trump
confirmed
2017-01-24Trump Reverses Dakota Access Pipeline Denial, Orders Expedited Approval 4 src
Donald Trump · Energy Transfer Partners · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
confirmed
2017-01-11Rex Tillerson Confirmation Hearing Reveals ExxonMobil-Russia Conflicts and Sanctions Violations 3 src
Rex Tillerson · Donald Trump · Vladimir Putin · ExxonMobil · +1
confirmed
2016-11-20Law Enforcement Attacks Standing Rock Protesters With Water Cannons in Subfreezing Temperatures 4 src
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe · Energy Transfer Partners · Al Franken · Cory Booker
confirmed
2016-09-03Standing Rock: Private Security and Police Attack Dakota Access Pipeline Water Protectors 3 src
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe · Energy Transfer Partners · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
confirmed
2016-01-05Snyder Finally Declares State of Emergency After Federal Investigation and Public Outcry 3 src
Rick Snyder · Barack Obama · Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
confirmed
2016-01-01Grayshift Founded in Atlanta to Develop GrayKey iPhone Unlocking Technology 3 src
Grayshift
confirmed
2015-10-16Flint Switches Back to Detroit Water After 18 Months—But Damage to Children Is Permanent 3 src
Rick Snyder · Flint City Government
confirmed
2015-10-02Michigan Finally Confirms Lead Problem and Advises Filters—18 Months After Poisoning Began 3 src
Rick Snyder
confirmed
2015-09-18EPA Exposes Volkswagen Dieselgate: 11 Million Cars with Emissions Defeat Devices 4 src
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) · Department of Justice
confirmed
2015-08-01ShotSpotter Gunshot Detection System Expands to Major U.S. Cities 3 src
ShotSpotter · NYPD
confirmed
2015-07-28FBI Indianapolis Field Office Receives Nassar Allegations from USA Gymnastics, Fails to Open Investigation for 14 Months 4 src
Federal Bureau of Investigation · W. Jay Abbott · Michael Langeman · USA Gymnastics · +2
confirmed
2015-02-18LeeAnne Walters' Water Tests Show Lead at 104 ppb—Nearly 7 Times EPA Limit 3 src
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
confirmed
2014-10-13GM Plant Stops Using Flint Water After It Corrodes Car Parts—But Residents Must Keep Drinking It 3 src
General Motors · Darnell Earley · Flint City Government
confirmed
2014-04-25Flint Switches to Corrosive River Water to Save Money, Poisoning Entire City 4 src
Darnell Earley
confirmed
2014-01-01Flint Water Crisis (2014-2024) - 12,000 Children Poisoned, Zero Accountability 5 src
Rick Snyder · Darnell Earley
confirmed
2012-10-22Climate Scientist Michael Mann Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Climate Denial Writers 4 src
Michael Mann · Competitive Enterprise Institute
confirmed
2012-10-01ALEC's 'Electricity Freedom Act' Systematically Attacks State Renewable Energy Standards 4 src
American Legislative Exchange Council · Heartland Institute · Edison Electric Institute · State Legislatures
confirmed
2012-01-01Hospital Acquisition of Physician Practices Enables Facility Fee Price Gouging, Driving 53% Increase in Outpatient Costs 3 src
Hospital corporations · Private equity firms
confirmed
2011-01-01Pam Bondi Serves as Florida AG 2011-2019, Never Prosecutes Epstein Despite Mounting Evidence 3 src
Pam Bondi · Jeffrey Epstein
confirmed
2010-01-01CNP Coordinates Tea Party Movement Through Member Organizations 2 src
Council for National Policy · Jenny Beth Martin · Tony Perkins · Ralph Reed
confirmed
2010-01-01DonorsTrust Organizational Profile: Dark Money ATM Enabling Anonymous Billionaire Political Spending 4 src
DonorsTrust · Koch brothers · Federalist Society · State Policy Network · +2
confirmed
2009-04-16Obama Releases CIA Torture Memos But Promises No Prosecutions for Torturers 4 src
Barack Obama · Eric Holder · Central Intelligence Agency · John Yoo · +2
confirmed
2008-08-18General Dynamics Pays $4 Million to Settle Fraud Charges for Defective Submarine and Aircraft Parts 2 src
General Dynamics · U.S. Navy
confirmed
2007-03-01Stephen Miller and Richard Spencer Organize White Nationalist Speaker at Duke University 3 src
Stephen Miller
confirmed
2006-05-15eBay v. MercExchange: Supreme Court Limits Automatic Patent Injunctions, Enabling Patent Troll Business Model to Flourish 3 src
U.S. Supreme Court · Clarence Thomas · Anthony Kennedy
confirmed
2002-05-17Bush Administration Redefines Mining Waste as Fill Material to Enable Mountaintop Removal 4 src
George W. Bush · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
confirmed
2001-05-17National Energy Policy Adopts Enron Recommendations Verbatim 3 src
Dick Cheney · George W. Bush · Enron · Kenneth Lay · +1
confirmed
2001-04-17Kenneth Lay's Influence on Cheney Energy Task Force: Corporate Policy Capture 4 src
Kenneth Lay · Dick Cheney · George W. Bush · Enron Corporation
confirmed
2001-02-09Cheney Energy Task Force Begins Secret Meetings with Enron Executives 4 src
Dick Cheney · Kenneth Lay · George W. Bush
confirmed
2001-01-12Clinton Roadless Rule Protects 58 Million Acres of National Forests from Logging 3 src
Bill Clinton · U.S. Forest Service
confirmed
1998-04-03American Petroleum Institute "Victory" Memo Outlines Climate Disinformation Strategy 5 src
American Petroleum Institute · ExxonMobil · Chevron
confirmed
1998-01-01ALEC's 'Economic Impact Statement Act' Uses Cost-Benefit Analysis to Kill Environmental Regulations 4 src
American Legislative Exchange Council · Koch Industries · ExxonMobil · State Legislatures
confirmed
1995-01-01ALEC Environment Task Force Passes 100+ Anti-Regulation Bills Funded by Fossil Fuel Companies 4 src
American Legislative Exchange Council · Koch Industries · ExxonMobil · Peabody Energy · +1
confirmed
1987-01-01Cato Institute Organizational Profile: 'Libertarian' Cover for Corporate Deregulation Agenda 4 src
Cato Institute · Charles Koch · Murray Rothbard · Koch Industries · +1
confirmed
1983-12-01Rita Lavelle Convicted of Perjury: EPA Superfund Corruption Confirmed 4 src
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Ronald Reagan · U.S. Congress
confirmed
1983-10-09James Watt Resigns After Racist Remarks: Interior Department Corruption Ends 4 src
James Watt · Ronald Reagan · Department of Interior
confirmed
1983-06-30Phelps Dodge Breaks Copper Strike Using Permanent Replacement Workers, Destroying Union 3 src
United Steelworkers · National Labor Relations Board
confirmed
1983-03-09Anne Gorsuch Resigns EPA After Contempt of Congress: Regulatory Capture Exposed 4 src
Ronald Reagan · U.S. Congress · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Neil Gorsuch
confirmed
1982-04-22Berkeley Pit Mine Closes on Earth Day, Pumps Shut Off, Creating Toxic Lake Superfund Site 3 src
Anaconda Copper Mining Company · Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
confirmed
1973-09-03Bunker Hill Smelter Fire Leads to Worst Corporate Lead Poisoning in U.S. History 4 src
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
confirmed
1970-12-31Clean Air Act of 1970 Creates EPA and National Air Quality Standards Despite Industry Opposition 3 src
Richard Nixon · Edmund Muskie · American Petroleum Institute · National Coal Association · +1
confirmed
1970-12-02Nixon Creates Environmental Protection Agency Consolidating Federal Environmental Authority 5 src
Richard Nixon
confirmed
1970-04-22First Earth Day Mobilizes 20 Million Americans, Launches Modern Environmental Movement 3 src
Richard Nixon
confirmed
1964-09-03Wilderness Act Signed After Eight Years of Industry Opposition, Creates National Wilderness Preservation System 3 src
Lyndon B. Johnson · U.S. Forest Service
confirmed
1963-12-17Clean Air Act of 1963 Establishes First Federal Air Pollution Control Despite Industry Opposition 5 src
John F. Kennedy · Lyndon B. Johnson · U.S. Congress · American Petroleum Institute · +1
confirmed