Crime Writers On...17 Nov 2025

Scorched Earth

Attorney Steven Donziger spent his whole career on one case: suing an oil company for polluting villages in the Amazon rainforest. When he obtained a $9 billion judgment against Chevron, it was considered a win for the environment, for corporate accountability, and for Donziger himself. But Chevron never paid the judgement and shifted its legal strategy. They targeted Donziger and his propensity for pushing the limits of the law. In the end, the attorney found himself ruined, disbarred, and under house arrest.

The podcast “Scorched Earth: Inside the Epic Battle Between Steven Donziger and Chevron,” available now as an Audible Original, looks at the multibillion-dollar lawsuit, an ethically-compromised attorney, and the lengths that Big Oil went to avoid responsibility. Host David Sirota raises questions about the weaponization of the law, about accountability in the climate change era, and about the line between advocacy and misconduct.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SCORCHED EARTH" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: six feet under from stardom.

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This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.

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