OPINION & ORDER Before the Court are (1) Defendants First Look Media Works, Inc. n/k/a First Look Institute, Inc.’s (“First Look”) and Matthew Cole’s (together, the “First Look Defendants”) motion to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) and New York’s “anti-strategic litigation against public participation” (“anti-SLAPP”) statute, New York Civil Rights Law §76-a,1 and (2) Defendant Alex Emmons’s motion to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(2) and (b)(6) and New York’s anti-SLAPP statute.2 Plaintiff Erik Prince opposes the motions.3 For the reasons stated below, Defendants’ motions to dismiss are GRANTED. I. Background4 a. Factual Background i. The Parties Plaintiff Erik Prince is an American businessman and former U.S. Navy SEAL officer who gained notoriety for founding the private military company Blackwater, which secured U.S. government contracts including, “providing support for government agencies in the aftermath of the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen, assisting in the hunt for Osama Bin Laden following the September 11, 2001 attacks, providing support and training in Iraq and Afghanistan, and protecting domestic government facilities following Hurricane Katrina.” (Compl.
21-22.) After Plaintiff sold his interest in Blackwater in 2010, Plaintiff founded the private equity firm Frontier Resources Group, “which invests in various companies in the natural resources, logistics, and transport spaces.” (Id. 22.) He also served until April 2021 as an Executive Director and Vice Chairman of Frontier Services Group, which provides “integrated security, logistics, insurance, and infrastructure services for clients operating in frontier markets.” (Id.) Plaintiff is also well-known for his involvement in politics, particularly in the Trump administration. He is the brother of former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, (see id. 56), a public advocate and donor of President Trump, (see id. 32; dkt. no. 17 (“Brown Decl.”), Ex. 1 at 4), and a former unofficial advisor to President Trump on military and foreign policy issues. (See Brown Decl., Ex. 1 at 4.) Defendant First Look is a media company — founded by Pierre Omidyar (founder of eBay) — that owns and operates the online nonprofit news publication The Intercept since 2013. (Compl.
