Judge dismisses lawsuit over fake Koch website

Kimball also granted a motion to “quash” subpoenas issued by the company aimed at determining the identity of the pranksters, who have called themselves Youth for Climate Truth.

“Because the court has granted Defendants’ motion to dismiss and determined that Koch’s Complaint does not state any claims upon which relief may be granted, the court quashes the subpoenas this court previously allowed to be served and grants Defendants’ request for a protective order preventing the disclosure of any individual’s identity that may have been disclosed through the third parties’ compliance with the subpoenas,” Kimball’s decision says.

The pranksters issued a press release late last year saying that Koch Industries — which has come under fire from environmentalists for its donations to groups that lobbied heavily to block climate legislation — would halt all donations to organizations that have raised questions about climate science or otherwise lobbied against efforts to pass a climate bill.

The press release linked to a phony website that was a near exact replica of the actual Koch Industries site.