Donald Trump’s second inaugural fund received over $19 million from fossil fuel companies, including $2 million from Chevron and $1 million donations from ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and Occidental Petroleum. These donations came after Trump promised oil executives at a Mar-a-Lago meeting …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationChevronExxonMobilConocoPhillips+1 moreregulatory-capturegovernment-contractsfossil-fuelscampaign-finance
On December 10, 2019, Justice Barry Ostrager of the New York State Supreme Court ruled that New York Attorney General Letitia James “failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that ExxonMobil made any material misrepresentations” regarding climate change risks to investors. The …
Barry OstragerLetitia JamesExxonMobilNew York Supreme CourtEric Schneidermanclimate-denialexxonknewcorporate-accountability-failurelegal-systemfossil-fuels
On August 2, 2018, the Trump administration’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dropped its two-year investigation into how ExxonMobil factors climate change regulations into its calculations of asset values. The SEC informed the energy giant in a letter dated Thursday that it would …
Securities and Exchange CommissionExxonMobilDonald TrumpRex Tillersonclimate-denialexxonknewregulatory-captureaccountability-failuretrump-administration
Rex Tillerson, former ExxonMobil CEO who received Putin’s Order of Friendship for Russian energy deals and maintained 45 million in oil investments, became Secretary of State despite unprecedented opposition. Tillerson had negotiated a 00 billion Arctic drilling deal with Russia’s …
Rex TillersonExxonMobilVladimir PutinDonald TrumpState Departmentoil-industryrussia-connectionsregulatory-captureforeign-influenceinstitutional-destruction
Rex Tillerson, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, faced aggressive Senate questioning about massive conflicts of interest stemming from his 41-year career at ExxonMobil, particularly the company’s extensive Russia dealings and opposition to sanctions. Tillerson had served as …
Rex TillersonDonald TrumpIgor SechinVladimir PutinExxonMobil+1 moreconflicts-of-interestrussia-connectionssanctions-violationsstate-capturefossil-fuel-industry
On March 29, 2016, a coalition of 17 state attorneys general announced coordinated investigations into ExxonMobil for potential climate denial fraud at a daylong climate change conference in Manhattan. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and Virgin Islands Attorney General Claude Walker …
Eric SchneidermanMaura HealeyClaude WalkerExxonMobilNew York Attorney General+2 moreclimate-denialexxonknewstate-investigationscorporate-fraudfossil-fuels+1 more
On September 16, 2015, InsideClimate News began publishing an eight-month investigation revealing that Exxon’s own scientists warned executives as early as 1977 that burning fossil fuels was heating the planet, yet the company then worked at the forefront of climate denial for decades. The …
InsideClimate NewsExxonMobilLos Angeles TimesColumbia UniversityJames Blackclimate-denialinvestigative-journalismexxonknewcorporate-fraudfossil-fuels
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a nonprofit organization bringing together state legislators and corporate representatives, continued operating its model legislation system where corporate lobbyists receive “equal voice and vote” with elected officials in drafting …
American Legislative Exchange CouncilState LegislaturesKoch IndustriesExxonMobilregulatory-capturelobbyingcorporate-corruptionlegislative-capturealec
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) distributed model bills in 2010 designed to kill regional climate pacts like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in New England and the mid-Atlantic, marking a strategic shift from federal to state-level climate denial efforts. ALEC activist …
American Legislative Exchange CouncilKoch IndustriesExxonMobilClint WoodsRegional Greenhouse Gas Initiative+1 moreclimate-denialaleclegislative-capturefossil-fuelsmodel-legislation+1 more
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) launched a national television advertising campaign on May 18, 2006, featuring two 60-second spots promoting carbon dioxide as beneficial and dismissing climate change concerns. The ads aired in 14 U.S. cities from May 18-28, 2006, strategically timed to …
Major oil executives testify before Congress denying participation in Cheney’s 2001 Energy Task Force, despite White House documents proving their involvement. In joint hearings by Senate Energy and Commerce committees, CEOs of ExxonMobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips categorically denied their …
ExxonMobilChevronConocoPhillipsShell OilBP America+10 moreoil-industrycongressional-testimonyfalse-statementscorporate-capturecheney-task-force+2 more
Documents revealed that Vice President Dick Cheney’s Energy Task Force had met extensively with executives from major oil companies, though chief executives denied involvement when testifying before the Senate Energy and Commerce committees. The revelation exposed how the Energy and Commerce …
House Energy and Commerce CommitteeDick CheneyExxonMobilAmerican Petroleum Instituteregulatory-captureclimate-changeoil-industrylobbyingcongressional-corruption
Vice President Cheney’s Energy Task Force recommendations were implemented as EPA environmental policy through executive orders, bypassing Congressional oversight and public comment periods required by the Administrative Procedure Act. Task force members from ExxonMobil, Chevron, and other oil …
Dick CheneyEPAExxonMobilChevronEnergy Task Force+2 moremedia-licensing-leveragecorporate-compliance-incentivesregulatory-propaganda-facilitationadministrative-procedure-actenergy-companies+4 more
White House Council on Environmental Quality Chief of Staff Phil Cooney was exposed systematically censoring climate science reports to exaggerate uncertainties and diminish human influence on climate change. Whistleblower Rick Piltz revealed Cooney made 294 edits to the 364-page Strategic Plan for …
Phil CooneyRick PiltzJames HansenExxonMobilAmerican Petroleum Instituteclimate-censorshipscience-manipulationexxonmobilcooneyapi
ExxonMobil significantly expanded its climate denial funding operation in 2003, channeling millions of dollars to a network of think tanks and front groups designed to manufacture doubt about climate science. The oil giant gave £3.5 million ($4.8 million) to climate skeptic organizations in the …
ExxonMobilAmerican Enterprise InstituteCato InstituteMarshall InstituteInternational Policy Network+1 moreclimate-denialdark-moneythink-tank-fundingfossil-fuelsdisinformation+1 more
The Bush administration releases the National Energy Policy report developed by Cheney’s Energy Task Force, containing 105 recommendations that overwhelmingly favor fossil fuel industries while giving minimal attention to renewable energy. The report recommends opening the Arctic National …
George W. BushDick CheneyNational Energy Policy Development GroupExxonMobilShell Oil+6 moreenergy-policycorporate-captureoil-industrycheney-task-forceregulatory-capture+3 more
Vice President Dick Cheney established the National Energy Policy Development Group conducting secret meetings with oil industry executives while excluding environmental groups. Between late January and April 2001, Cheney’s task force held at least 40 meetings with energy interests versus just …
Dick CheneyExxonMobilShell OilBP AmericaConoco+2 moreenergy-policycorporate-capturecheneyoil-industrysecrecy+1 more
The American Petroleum Institute (API) organized and funded a Global Climate Science Communications Plan, revealed in the leaked “Victory” memo outlining a multiyear, multimillion-dollar scheme to create uncertainty about established climate science. Created months after the Kyoto …
American Petroleum InstituteRandy RandolExxonMobilChevronSouthern Companyclimate-denialdisinformationfossil-fuelspublic-manipulationmedia-influence
The American Petroleum Institute (API) organized and funded a sophisticated Global Climate Science Communications Plan designed to systematically create doubt about established climate science. Leaked in April 1998, this strategy memo outlined a multimillion-dollar campaign to undermine public …
American Petroleum InstituteRandy RandolExxonMobilChevronSouthern Company+2 moreclimate-denialdisinformationfossil-fuelspublic-manipulationmedia-influence+1 more
By 1991, the George C. Marshall Institute (GMI) had evolved into a central node in the fossil fuel industry’s climate denial infrastructure, receiving funding from ExxonMobil and other energy companies to attack climate science. Founded in 1984 by physicists Frederick Seitz (former President …
George C. Marshall InstituteFrederick SeitzFred SingerRobert JastrowWilliam Nierenberg+2 moreclimate-denialthink-tank-fundingfossil-fuelsscientific-disinformationfred-singer
The Global Climate Coalition (GCC) was formed as a project of the National Association of Manufacturers to represent fossil fuel producers and oppose regulation to mitigate global warming. Founding members included major oil companies like Phillips Petroleum, Shell, Texaco, Amoco, trade associations …
Global Climate CoalitionTom LambrixJ. MinterPhillips PetroleumSouthern Company+9 moreclimate-denialregulatory-capturefossil-fuelslobbyinginternational-influence+2 more
Senior Exxon scientist James Black delivered a sobering message to company executives about carbon dioxide warming the planet, marking the beginning of documented internal knowledge at Exxon about climate change risks. Internal research from 1977-1982 created remarkably accurate climate models …
James BlackRoger CohenExxonMobilExxon CorporationHarvard Climate Research Teamclimate-denialregulatory-capturefossil-fuelscorporate-knowledgeenvironmental-capture+1 more