Officials in North Dakota claim ignorance on Dakota Access security firm

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Top officials in North Dakota relied on a security firm hired by the wealthy backers of the Dakota Access Pipeline but none of them bothered to ask about the firm's legal status.

When contacted by the Associated Press, the governor, attorney general and the National Guard commander were all surprised to learn that TigerSwan had been denied a license to work in the state. The Morton County Sheriff’s Department also told The Grand Forks Herald it didn't know.

“Certainly, If I had known they were operating, I would have advised them to comply with the law,” Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem (R) told the AP.

With the exception of the National Guard, officials in the state worked closely with TigerSwan for surveillance on the #NoDAPL movement. The firm's questionable tactics have been explored extensively in a multi-part series by The Intercept.

“When you have an organization like TigerSwan come in and start to influence decisions by law enforcement and even leadership in the state, you have to step back and say, where is the safety, where is the justice?” Chairman Dave Archambault II of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe told the AP.

The North Dakota Private Investigative and Security Board has filed a complaint against TigerSwan in state court, The Herald reported.

Read More on the Story:
Top officials unaware pipeline security operated illegally (AP 6/28)

The Intercept Series on Standing Rock / #NoDAPL:
Leaked Documents Reveal Counterterrorism Tactics Used at Standing Rock to “Defeat Pipeline Insurgencies” (May 27, 2017)
Standing Rock Documents Expose Inner Workings of “Surveillance-Industrial Complex” (June 3, 2017)
As Standing Rock Camps Cleared Out, TigerSwan Expanded Surveillance to Array of Progressive Causes (June 21, 2017)
Dakota Access-Style Policing Moves to Pennsylvania’s Mariner East 2 Pipeline (June 21, 2017)

Federal Register Notices:
Notice of Termination of the Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in Connection With Dakota Access, LLC's Request for an Easement To Cross Lake Oahe, North Dakota (February 17, 2017)
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in Connection With Dakota Access, LLC's Request for an Easement To Cross Lake Oahe, North Dakota (January 18, 2017)

Dakota Access Pipeline Approval Documents:
Department of Justice Notice | Department of the Army Approval Memorandum | Notice of Termination of EIS for Dakota Access Pipeline | Easement Letter to Congressional Leadership

White House Documents:
Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (January 24, 2017)
Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline (January 24, 2017)
Executive Order Expediting Environmental Reviews and Approvals For High Priority Infrastructure Projects (January 24, 2017)
Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of American Pipelines (January 24, 2017)
Presidential Memorandum Streamlining Permitting and Reducing Regulatory Burdens for Domestic Manufacturing (January 24, 2017)
Press Release: President Trump Takes Action to Expedite Priority Energy and Infrastructure Projects (January 24, 2017)