The world’s largest oil and gas company, ExxonMobil (XOM), is taking the offensive against activists suing it over climate change by filing a countersuit.
The state of New York, multiple cities, including San Francisco and Santa Cruz, Calif., along with other California counties, are suing Exxon. Many allege it and other companies in the industry, have known about – and tried to obscure – the damaging effects of climate change from burning the fossil fuels the industry brings to market.
But Exxon says that lawyers have conspired against it to further political agendas, even citing a coordinated strategy known as the “La Jolla playbook,” which it says was developed at a conference in the namesake city and carried out by multiple attorneys general “to restrict the scope of permissible public debate about climate change.”
Exxon’s suit alleges abuse of process, civil conspiracy and violations of its constitutional rights.
“A collection of special interests and opportunistic politicians are abusing law enforcement authority and legal process to impose their viewpoint on climate change,” Exxon’s lawsuit reads. “This conspiracy emerged out of frustration in New York, Massachusetts, and California with voters in other parts of the country and with the federal government for failing to adopt their preferred policies on climate change … ExxonMobil finds itself directly in that conspiracy’s crosshairs.” – READ MORE
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