September 14, 2016
Chairman Lamar Smith of the US House of Representatives Science Committee will hold a hearing today in a misguided effort to assert subpoena authority over two State Attorneys General and eight non-governmental organizations involved in the ongoing investigations into the role of Exxon and other oil companies in climate deception campaigns. As he has done repeatedly in recent years, Chairman Smith is abusing his powers to intimidate and silence anyone who would bring truth to light, and he has masked his efforts as a defense of Exxon’s First Amendment Rights.
Statement of Carroll Muffett, President of the Center for International Environmental Law:
For years, Chairman Smith has exploited his subpoena powers to intimidate and silence legitimate climate scientists. Now he seeks to turn that same power on anyone who would investigate and expose potentially massive climate fraud. All in the guise of protecting freedom of speech. To call this grim, tired circus ironic is to treat it too lightly. It is pathetic, abusive and, as Big Tobacco learned two decades ago, ultimately doomed to fail.