NEW YORK — The Attorneys General of Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. announced today that they are joining a first-of-its-kind coalition of state attorneys general to defend and push for more aggressive action on climate change.
Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring joined a press conference this morning. At the event, the attorneys general of Massachusetts and the U.S. Virgin Islands indicated they are joining New York and California in investigating whether Exxon deliberately defrauded investors and the public by concealing climate science for decades. Frosh indicated he is considering joining by stating that ExxonMobil and other companies need to “tell the truth about climate change.” Herring said he will look at whether there are legal cases his office needs to be involved in.
Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, had the following statement in response:
“We applaud Attorneys General Frosh, Herring and Racine for joining this unprecedented coalition and committing to put their legal muscle into aggressive climate action. Fossil fuel corporations, top among them ExxonMobil, have lied about climate change for years, and communities across our region are already seeing the consequences. After flooding our democracy with millions of dollars aimed at suppressing the truth, ExxonMobil’s pollution is now flooding our shorelines from Norfolk to Annapolis. These actions were clearly immoral and, as was found with Big Tobacco, likely illegal too.
“We are especially encouraged by Attorney General Frosh’s comments indicating that he is considering joining his colleagues in investigating Exxon. Brian Frosh has consistently championed climate action, and joining a probe of Exxon would be a natural next step. We urge Attorney General Mark Herring and Attorney General Racine to add their legal muscle to a joint investigation as well. Our region is fortunate to have three top law enforcement officials who recognize the urgency of climate change, and we urge them to use every tool at their disposal to act.”
Contact: Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org
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