Exxon Hires Thugs to Intimidate State Attorneys General

Or maybe prostitutes would be more accurate.  Very, very expensive and experienced prostitutes.  The House Committee on Space, Science, and Technology has been instructed by its john — Exxon — to “investigate” (i.e. threaten, intimidate) the seventeen state attorneys general who have been looking into a possible fraud case against Exxon.  The congressional witch hunt investigation is being led by Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R—Hands Around His Ankles).

As you know, Exxon’s internal memos have shown that the company has known for decades about the man-made causes of climate change.  Exxon kept this knowledge secret while pouring gazillions of dollars into climate denial think tanks, Astroturf groups and smear campaigns against politicians who disagreed with them.

The attorneys general from seventeen states — so far — have been looking into the contradictions between Exxon’s secret knowledge of human-caused climate change and their continued funding of climate change denial.  This could lead to a massive case of fraud — possibly even a violation of federal racketeering statutes — against Exxon.

Hence Exxon’s hiring of their congressional goons to intimidate the state attorneys general.  “Hey, the boss don’t want you guys stickin’ your nose where it don’t belong.  You wanna get hurt?”

A spokesperson for New York State’s Attorney General — one of the witnesses being intimidated by Exxon’s mob — said:

“Attorney General Schneiderman has opened a significant investigation into whether Exxon committed securities fraud, business fraud, and consumer fraud in New York and all across America.  It is remarkable that a do-nothing Congress that has refused to take any action on climate change is now attempting to disrupt this important investigation into potential corporate malfeasance.”