Help CarrZee Win Climate Justice v Bloomberg LP

I'm raising funds starting today (Feb. 4, 2022) to pay legal costs after an application to a court by my previous employer.

 

Bloomberg LP, one of the world’s richest media groups, has asked the UK Employment Tribunal to make me pay 40,000 British pounds ($54,000) for its legal costs.

 

I was fired by Bloomberg News in May 2020 and we’ve since been in an unfair-dismissal legal dispute.

 

I argued I was let go because I was whistleblowing about Bloomberg’s inadequate news coverage of the climate crisis and the already-available solutions, a dismissal that would be automatically unfair under U.K. whistleblowing law.

 

That law is designed to protect those who speak out against wrongdoing within companies and governments.

 

Bloomberg, owned almost 90% by billionaire Mr Michael Bloomberg, argued my performance had deteriorated to the point where I was not capable anymore, after almost 20 years of service.

 

It made the argument even though it knew my performance was becoming much better.

 

Last month, I lost the case.

 

Now, Bloomberg is seeking the 40,000 pounds because it said I was unreasonable in the way I brought my lawsuit and persisted with it.

 

It’s saying this even though its own barrister previously said in open court that I had a case and “at a stretch” I had a case for automatic unfair dismissal.

 

The Employment Tribunal concluded there was unfairness in my dismissal, but in the round dismissal was a fair enough course of action in the range of available options available to Bloomberg LP. The Employment Appeal Tribunal struck out the whistleblowing.

 

I contend Bloomberg’s latest move to make me pay is a further example of periodic bullying behaviour it’s deployed against me for more than seven years.

 

Going after me for costs is a signal to journalists and wider society it will employ all tactics to discourage any criticism and scrutiny of the way Mr Bloomberg runs his media empire.

 

It comes at a time when British lawmakers are seeking to limit the ability of wealthy individuals to attack journalists using the U.K. legal system, supposedly one of the best in the world.

 

It’s a form of aggressive legal warfare known as lawfare.

Lawmaker comments on the British legal system and lawfare  (not on my case):

 

“What is attractive to legitimate businessmen is also attractive to those with nefarious intentions: there are are those with exceptionally deep pockets and exceptionally questionable ethics,” David Davis, the former Brexit minister, told UK Parliament on Jan. 20. “These people use our justice system to threaten, intimidate and put the fear of God into British journalists, citizens, officials and media organisations. What results is injustice, intimidation, suppression of free speech, the crushing of a free press, bullying and bankruptcy.”

 

Not only is Bloomberg seeking costs from me, it has applied for another hearing for this cost order. I know Bloomberg can spend about 24,000 pounds, just on its barrister, for one day in court, according to information it sent to me. It has at least four other legal representatives working on the litigation.

 

Its solicitor is CMS, one of a few law firms named by UK lawmakers in January for taking advantage of litigation against journalists. (I've asked CMS for comment.)

 

The costs it will pay out for the hearing demonstrates that the money is not what’s important to Bloomberg LP, one of the most profitable firms on earth. I contend its application for costs is probably about intimidating me, something I already accused it of in one of the previous hearings. The Judge and Bloomberg's barrister found this amusing.

 

I’m setting up this GoFundMe account to help pay for my sunk and future litigation costs, including any forthcoming cost order.

 

Any remaining funds will be spent on high-quality carbon credits, preferably those compliant with the Paris climate deal, which I will cancel so they can't be used to offset any emissions. I'll be transparent.

 

If you can help, please donate.

I’d be really grateful for any support, either financial or in terms of spreading the word.

 

More details at CarrZee.org ... search for "Bloomberg."

 

Sincerely,

 

Mathew Carr