Exxon must now submit to a document proctological exam conducted by NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. From Reuters:
May 23 A New York state appeals court on Tuesday ruled that Exxon Mobil Corp should be compelled to turn over records in an investigation into how much the company knew about global warming as it continued to publicly downplay the effects it was expected to have on the fossil fuel industry.
Exxon has been battling subpoenas from New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who is probing the company for fraud in its public statements about climate change. The appeals court upheld a lower court's decision, rejecting Exxon's argument that the court did not properly consider which state's laws on turning over evidence in an investigation should apply in the case. The investigation is taking place in New York, but Exxon's headquarters are in Texas.
This is a big deal.
In his filing in federal court on Friday, Schneiderman revealed his office had interviewed witnesses who could help them learn more about the kind of records Exxon might have showing internal discussions about climate change. He described the move as an attempt to keep Exxon from destroying relevant records before they were required to be turned over in the investigation.
Here is a familiar name:
The investigation has already led to one public revelation: that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who until December was chief executive of Exxon, used a separate email address and an alias, "Wayne Tracker," to discuss climate change-related issues while at the company.
Eric Schneiderman for president in 2020.