As the Republicans on the U.S. House Science, Space and Technology Committee attempt to explore whether some Democratic Attorneys General conspired with environmental activists to start a probe of ExxonMobil, they have been thwarted in efforts to obtain documents from them.
Attorneys General from New Mexico, Vermont, Washington, Connecticut, Oregon, Maryland, the District of Columbia and California responded to the Republicans, including Oklahoma Rep. Frank Lucas who sits on the Committee and refused to turn over documents about their investigation of the energy company and its climate change research.
The Republicans had sent requests last month to 17 Attorneys General and three environmental groups.
But Vermont’s deputy attorney general Susanne Young said the requests violate fundamental Constitutional principles. Politico’s Morning Energy Report indicated the Attorney General for the District of Columbia told Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, there wee no documents because the investigation had not started.
Three environmental groups—Rockefeller Brothers Fund, 305.org and the Union of Concerned Scientists also denied the request of the committee.
The 13 Republicans on the House Committee had issued letters to the attorneys general and eight environmental groups and nonprofits, demanding records on whether they worked together in coordinating probes of ExxonMobil.