>Mr. Schneiderman began his investigation in November. His staff is looking at whether statements the company made to investors about climate risks — some as recently as last year — conflicted with the company’s own scientific research.

>Part of that inquiry includes the company’s funding, for at least a decade, of outside groups that worked to dispute climate science, even as its in-house scientists were describing the possible consequences of climate change, along with the areas of uncertainty.

>The company has supplied thousands of documents in response to the inquiry. While the inquiry could be expanded to include other energy companies and trade organizations, none have been named so far.

>Many legal experts have questioned whether the actions and statements by Exxon Mobil can be construed as criminal and outside the protections of the First Amendment.

>Mr. Schneiderman said, “The First Amendment, ladies and gentlemen, does not give you the right to commit fraud.”

>The attorneys general have a range of laws to work with, including the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO. Mr. Schneiderman has statutes specific to New York, including the Martin Act, which gives the government broad investigative powers; laws allowing the state to take action against “persistent fraud or illegality”; and the state’s deceptive business and trade practices act.
...

>Mr. Schneiderman reached a settlement last year with the coal giant Peabody Energy over that company’s financial statements and disclosures with regard to climate change.

>In terms of the current investigation, Mr. Schneiderman said, “It’s too early to say what we’re going to find.” He added, “We intend to work as aggressively as possible, but also as carefully as possible.”

>California started its own investigation into Exxon Mobil this year, but no other state had announced it was joining the effort until Tuesday. States can share information under agreements of confidentiality, and speculation has grown that Mr. Schneiderman has been working to bring other attorneys general into the New York investigation.

>Last year, Inside Climate News and The Los Angeles Times published articles from Exxon Mobil archives describing the company’s research into the risks of climate change. An activist uproar ensued, complete with a popular Twitter hashtag: #ExxonKnew.
...

>Suzanne McCarron, Exxon Mobil’s vice president for public and government affairs, said accusations against the company “are politically motivated and based on discredited reporting by activist organizations.”

>She added, “We are actively assessing all legal options.”

>The accusations, she said, are based on the “preposterous” claim that the company “reached definitive conclusions about anthropogenic climate change before the world’s experts” and withheld it. The company, she noted, shared its findings in peer-reviewed publications.

>The company “recognizes the risks posed by climate change,” she said, and added, “the investigations targeting our company threaten to have a chilling effect on private sector research.”

>At the news conference, Mr. Gore drew an analogy to the actions taken during the Clinton administration against the tobacco industry, which denied risks of its products for decades, and noted that state attorneys general had been crucial to that effort. “I do think the analogy may hold up rather precisely,” he said.

>>35089
>Schneiderman

As a New York suburbanite, this guy is one of the most annoying people on the planet.

These are all just political power moves.

>>35089
>>Attorneys general from Vermont, Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia, Connecticut and the Virgin Islands, as well as former Vice President Al Gore, attended the event.
>Al Gore
Welp, there goes the credibility...