AGs subpoenaed over prosecuting climate change skeptics

The chairman of the House Science Committee issued subpoenas Wednesday to two Democratic attorneys general over their pursuit of climate change dissenters after the prosecutors had refused to respond to the panel’s previous requests for information. Chairman Lamar Smith, Texas Republican, announced that subpoenas have been sent to New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, as well as eight environmental groups, related to their “coordinated efforts to deprive companies, nonprofit organizations, scientists and scholars of their First Amendment rights.” “The attorneys general have appointed themselves to decide what is valid and what is invalid regarding climate change,” Mr. Smith said at a press conference with other committee Republicans. “The attorneys general are pursuing a political agenda at the expense of scientists’ right to free speech.” He was referring to a Democrat-led coalition of 17 attorneys general working with environmental groups to pursue fossil fuel companies, starting with ExxonMobil, as well as academics and free market think tanks, for possible fraud for challenging the catastrophic climate change narrative. Those on the receiving end of the subpoenas disputed the committee’s jurisdiction over the state prosecutorial investigations. Both New York and Massachusetts have issued subpoenas as part of their probes. “This committee has no authority to interfere with these state law enforcement investigations, and whether they issue a subpoena or not, this attorney general will not be intimidated or deterred from ensuring that every New Yorker receives the full protection of state laws,” said Schneiderman spokesman Eric Soufer...more