John Oliver reeaaally wants to talk about the Murray lawsuit..

But he can’t..

During a recent appearance on The Late Show, Oliver was asked about it and looked physically pained at having to comply with the advice of HBO’s Counsel not to speak on the matter.

Here’s a brief clip:

Murray Energy Corporation, one of the largest coal mining companies in the country, recently sued HBO and Oliver over a piece aired on the comedian’s show.  It is the latest in a string of lawsuits Murray Energy Corp has filed against media entities.  This includes a recent suit against the NY Times for publishing an article stating Bob Murray, the company’s founder, had falsely insisted a fatal mine collapse had been caused by an earthquake, and that Murray Energy was a serial violator of mining regulations.

The Times has moved to dismiss that case, and dismissal indeed appears likely in both cases given the weakness of Murray’s position.  There are indisputable facts on record showing Murray’s lengthy mining safety violations, and Oliver saying Bob Murray looked like a “geriatric Dr. Evil” is going to be hard to dispute.