Select Page

Attorney Generals Target Groups Over Climate Change

The Washington Free Beacon is following up on a Wall Street Journal article in April, which revealed a coordinated effort to silence dissent on the subject of climate change.

“The attorney general of the U.S. Virgin Islands is targeting dozens of conservative and libertarian organizations in a racketeering lawsuit against climate change skeptics that has been widely described as an effort to silence political opponents.

In a subpoena issued in March, the office of USVI attorney general Claude Walker demanded from Exxon Mobil copies of communications between the oil company and 90 different political and policy organizations “and any other organizations engaged in research or advocacy concerning Climate Change or policies.”

The subpoena was part of a national, coordinated legal campaign by state attorneys general and left-wing advocacy groups to use the legal system against companies and organizations that disagree with and advocate against Democratic policies to address global climate change.”

The organizations suspected of “collusion” with Exxon are considered to be both libertarian and conservative in politics. Some of the big names are: the Cato Institute, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, The Federalist Society, the Heritage Foundation, the Hoover Institute, the Mercatus Institute, and the Reason Foundation.

The subpoena for communication is “part of a coordinated effort by Democratic attorneys general spearheaded by New York’s Eric Schneiderman and undertaken in consultation and cooperation with leading environmental advocacy groups.

The participants huddled at a Jan. 8 meeting at the headquarters of the Rockefeller Family Fund, a left-wing foundation.

At the meeting, RFF, Greenpeace, other environmental groups discussed ways to “delegitimize [ExxonMobil] as a political actor,” “force officials to disassociate themselves from Exxon,” and “drive divestment from Exxon,” according to a copy of the meeting agenda obtained by the Washington Free Beacon last month.

One strategy that activists discussed was to enlist like-minded state attorneys general to use their powers to go after the oil company.

Emails subsequently obtained by the Energy and Environment Legal Institute show that staffers at groups involved in the effort then briefed aides to those AGs. They discussed using “climate change litigation” to advance their political goals.”

This political stunt is absolutely ridiculous and legally uncertain. It’s worth keeping an eye on in the coming months as climate change is certain to be a factor in the November elections.