Exxon Mobil is pulling out all stops in its campaign to thwart investigations by 17 states into its alleged fraudulent coverup of evidence of climate change. The company claims its First Amendment rights are threatened by the investigations and filed a motion in federal court in Texas to block a subpoena asking for decades of documents concerning Exxon Mobil and climate change. (The New York Times, June 16, 2016, by Jon Schwartz)
The Union of Concerned Scientists says providing false information to stockholders about the harm of a product is not protected by the First Amendment and that states have the right to investigate whether Exxon Mobil committed fraud. The Los Angeles Times and InsideClimate News published revelations in 2012 of Exxon Mobil’s “decades-long campaign to downplay scientific studies of climate change. (Common Dreams, June 17, 2016, by Nadia Prupis)
The Union of Concerned Scientists Director Andrienne Alvord, The Sacramento Bee, June 17, 2016, said they are trying to pass a law in the California legislature extending the statute of limitations to prevent Exxon Mobil from successfully hiding news of climate change from the public and its stockholders.