Cramer Statement on Federal Reimbursement for DAPL Protest Costs

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After nearly a decade, North Dakota will receive the last of the nearly $38 million the federal government owes to cover the state's costs incurred policing the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests and protecting local residents and businesses. Following North Dakota's successful Federal Tort Claims Act trial, the state settled with the federal government for $27.8 million, bringing the full reimbursement amount to nearly $38 million, after accounting for a $10 million grant awarded from the Department of Justice in 2017. The settlement comes as both North Dakota and the government requested Judge Dan Traynor vacate the decision, permanently bringing an end to the case and eliminating the possibility of a lengthy and costly appeals process.

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) released a statement following the settlement announcement.

"North Dakota has finally been made whole for the intentional inaction of the Obama administration during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. The DOJ's abdication under Obama of its duty is what got us into this mess, but I am grateful the Trump administration rectified it. This settlement kills two birds with one stone. It reimburses the state for policing costs and ensures North Dakota will never spend another minute in court over this case. I am deeply grateful for North Dakota Attorneys General Drew Wrigley and Wayne Stenehjem and their tireless efforts to see this thing through."

The state's lawsuit against the federal government sought reimbursement for emergency costs the state was forced to front in response to the unlawful DAPL protests. These illegal protests, which spanned nearly eight months in 2016 and 2017, inflicted more than $38 million in damages on North Dakota. In the ruling, Judge Traynor wrote, "In 2016, the executive branch, through the Corps, decided it did not have to play by the rule of law and permitted a lawless faction to trample, injure, and disrupt the peace and tranquility of North Dakota."

Cramer published an op-ed outlining the significance of the case. He also released detailed summaries from weeks one, two, three, four, and five of the trial to provide additional context and information on legal arguments and individual witnesses.