On March 29, according to the New York Post, a federal judge ruled against the multinational oil and gas corporation Exxon in a climate change lawsuit filed by the corporation against the attorney general of New York, Eric Schneiderman and the attorney general of Massachusetts, Maura Healy. The New York Times reports that Schneiderman started and led the investigation in order to decide whether Exxon has lied to investors and the public about the risks of climate change associated with their practices since 2015. Healy joined Schneiderman’s efforts in 2017.
Exxon filed a bid to block the investigations of Schneiderman and Healy as they further probed into Exxon’s research and public statements about climate change. According to the New York Times, the corporation attempted to win the lawsuit and end the investigations by claiming that the attorney generals were pursuing information in a prejudiced manner.
The New York Times reports that the judge overseeing the lawsuit, Judge Caproni, rejected Exxon’s claims outright by stating, “Some statements made at the press conference were perhaps hyper, but nothing that was said can fairly be read to constitute declaration of a political vendetta against Exxon…Exxon’s allegations are pursuing bad faith investigations in order to violate Exxon’s constitutional rights are implausible and therefore must be dismissed for failure to state a claim.”
Exxon’s investors have attempted to argue that the attorney generals’ investigation into the company’s happenings infringes on the corporation’s right to free speech. The New York Times reports that Schneiderman has responded with, “The First Amendment doesn’t protect you for fraud.”
Caproni ruled against Exxon in its lawsuit against the attorney generals, resulting in the continuation of probe into the company’s activities and requiring that Exxon put forth paperwork and research regarding its effects on climate change.
