ACLU files brief defending John Oliver against coal executive

The American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday filed a brief in defense of HBO host John Oliver, who is being sued by the executive of a coal company. 

According to Lawnewz, which posted the amicus brief, the ACLU filed the brief after coal mining CEO Robert Murray filed a defamation suit against Oliver for how he portrayed Murray in a June episode of his show “Last Week Tonight.”

{mosads}“Although this brief pokes fun at the absurdity of this case, the legal issues raised by it are anything but comical,” the brief read.

Oliver in the show said Murray “looks like a geriatric Dr. Evil,” according to the brief.

“What Plaintiffs apparently fail to realize is that, even if all of this is true, they do not allege Defendants did anything illegal,” the amicus brief reads. 

Oliver in the clip predicted Murray would sue him for the segment. Murray is the CEO of Murray Energy Corporation.