The Intercept - $200,000 in legal costs

Erik Prince is the billionaire founder of the private security firm Blackwater, and in 2020, we published an article about him.

Then, Erik Prince sued The Intercept.

What followed was a yearslong legal battle that cost The Intercept more than $200,000 in legal fees and countless hours of staff time. The case was thrown out in court, but the costs were significant.

Unfortunately, The Intercept’s Prince ordeal is hardly a unique story. In fact, in recent years, billionaires have systematically weaponized libel law to shut down journalism they don’t like.

They don’t even have to win in court to achieve their goal. By simply driving up our expenses, they send a chilling message to all reporters: Investigate the rich and powerful at your peril.

The Intercept isn’t about to let any billionaire bully us into pulling punches or shutting down investigations. But The Intercept’s nonprofit newsroom urgently needs an infusion of financial support to continue producing the hard-hitting investigative reporting you count on us for.

To meet that need, we’ve set a goal of raising $400,000 by September 30, and reader donations are absolutely critical to hit it.

Will you step up with a donation to power The Intercept?