Landowner’s lawyers sue Oklahoma City energy giants

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Attorneys for a northwest Oklahoma landowner have filed a lawsuit against Oklahoma City energy giants Chesapeake Energy and Sandridge Energy in connection to a federal indictment against ex-Chesapeake CEO Aubrey McClendon.

The federal class-action lawsuit was filed Thursday in Oklahoma City on behalf of an Alfalfa County landowner who signed a lease agreement with Chesapeake Energy in 2011.

The indictment against McClendon alleged he and unnamed co-conspirators orchestrated a conspiracy to rig bids for landowner leases in northwest Oklahoma. Federal prosecutors sought to withdrew the indictment after McClendon died Wednesday in a single-car crash.

The lawsuit also names ex-Sandridge CEO Tom Ward, a longtime friend of McClendons and co-founder of Chesapeake.

Neither Ward nor Sandridge officials immediately returned messages seeking comment on the lawsuit.

Chesapeake has said it’s cooperating with federal investigators.