West Virginia Investigates Environmental Groups over ‘Deceptive’ Climate Change Advocacy
The subpoenas seek a decade of internal records as the groups call the probe a political effort to stifle climate advocacy.
- West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey launched a broad investigation into environmental groups, demanding a decade of internal records involving fundraising and climate advocacy, citing 'possible violations' of state consumer protection laws.
- McCuskey has prioritized protecting the state's fossil fuel industry from what he terms overreaching liberal climate and energy policies, aligning with the Trump administration's earlier revocation of Obama-era scientific findings underpinning 15 years of federal climate action.
- On Thursday, environmental groups including the West Virginia Rivers Coalition and 350.org filed lawsuits to dismiss the subpoenas, with attorney Derek Teaney calling the legal action 'harassing and overly broad' political conduct intended to stifle speech.
- David Cole, a Georgetown Law professor and First Amendment scholar, called the investigation 'frivolous' and warned that prosecuting nonprofits for political disagreements would 'chill a tremendous amount of protected political expression.'
- Florida Republican Attorney General James Utheimer subpoenaed the Environmental Law Institute and its Climate Judiciary Project in April as part of a similar investigation, while members of Congress have also scrutinized climate advocacy organizations.
13 Articles
13 Articles
The Daily Advance
West Virginia investigates environmental groups over 'deceptive' climate change advocacy
West Virginia's Republican attorney general has launched an investigation into the state's leading environmental groups' climate change advocacy. The groups called the inquiry a sham and filed lawsuits Thursday to dismiss subpoenas seeking a decade of their internal fundraising records.…
West Virginia attorney general is investigating ‘deception’ by environmental groups – WTOP News
West Virginia’s Republican attorney general has launched a broad investigation of the state’s leading environmental groups, demanding a decade of internal records involving “unfair or deceptive acts” in their fundraising and climate change advocacy. The environmental groups decried the inquiry as a sham and filed lawsuits Thursday seeking to dismiss subpoenas they described as harassing...
The Toronto Star
West Virginia investigates environmental groups over ‘deceptive’ climate change advocacy
West Virginia's Republican attorney general has launched a broad investigation of the state's leading environmental groups, demanding a decade of internal records involving “unfair or deceptive acts” in their fundraising
Winnipeg Free Press
West Virginia attorney general is investigating 'deception' by environmental groups
West Virginia's Republican attorney general has launched a broad investigation of the state's leading environmental groups, demanding a decade of internal records involving “unfair or deceptive acts” in their fundraising and climate change advocacy.
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