The chairman of a U.S. House Committee whose members include Representatives Frank Lucas and Jim Bridenstine is threatening attorneys general in New York and Massachusetts with a subpoena to get information about their probes of Exxon Energy.
Texas Rep. Lamar Smith has accused the attorneys general in the two states with stonewalling his committee’s requests for information about their investigations into Exxon’s knowledge of climate change. He sent letters to Eric Schneiderman and Maura Healy questioning their participation in the coalition of state attorneys general known as the Green 20.
Just two weeks ago. Reps. Lucas and Bridenstine signed a letter sent to all 20 attorneys general asking them to provide documents and communications before July 13.
Smith’s latest letter accuses the Green 20 attorneys general of deliberating attempting to “mask the true purpose of your investigation and mischaracterizing the Committee’s oversight.”
“The publicly available subpoenas issued by members of the “Green 20″ are overbroad and would, in fact, capture communications between and among scientists at universities conducting federally funded scientific research as well as between and among numerous non-profit organizations,” said Rep. Smith.
He said what New York AG Schneiderman and Massachusetts AG Healy are doing is threatening use of the compulsory process to obtain documents related to coordinated efforts to deprive companies, nonprofits and scientists and others of their “First Amendment rights.”