Environmental Coalition Moves to Amend Defamation Action Against State Officials

HARRISBURG, Pa. - The Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition has asked a federal court to allow it to amend its original complaint to assert state law claims for defamation and to re-state its claim for nominal damages. Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition v. Powers, et al., No. 1:10-cv-01997-WWC (M.D. Pa.).

The Jan. 6 motion follows a Dec. 12 order by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania dismissing the environmental group's claim that its due process rights were violated by government officials' alleged false portrayal of the group as "anti-drilling."

The court also dismissed the coalition's request for $125,000 …