Guarding Against Foreign Adversaries Weaponizing the U.S. Legal System
Published May 1, 2025
By Bob Dees
A famous quote in the Art of War states that as “water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows, the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing.”
In much the same way, America’s enemies are constantly adapting, and they are always looking for novel ways to exert influence and gather intelligence within our systems. The United States must therefore be ready to respond.
The courtroom has emerged as a new front in this asymmetric battle where legal loopholes, frivolous lawsuits and judicial processes are exploited to undermine U.S. national interests, burden its institutions and achieve objectives that conventional warfare or diplomacy might not allow.
Cloaking foreign influence
A recent case involving California and ExxonMobil illustrates this point and underscores why this activity must be properly addressed.
At first glance, People of the State of California v. ExxonMobil appears to be yet another fight picked by a policymaker – in this case California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta – on a climate crusade against a major oil and gas company. Much like the many lawsuits that have been leveled against major American energy producers for their alleged role in causing “climate change,” the plaintiffs in this case have accused major energy companies of engaging in a decades-long campaign of deception that exacerbated a global plastics pollution crisis and have demanded significant damages.
https://defenseopinion.com/guarding-against-foreign-adversaries-weaponizing-the-u-s-legal-system/871/
