*"What Goes Around Comes Around":* GOP AGs warn Dems that if climate skeptics can be prosecuted for ‘fraud,’ so can alarmists
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/16/gop-ags-dems-climate-alarmists-can-be-prosecuted/ If Democratic attorneys general can pursue climate change skeptics for fraud, then also at risk of prosecution are climate alarmists whose predictions of global doom have failed to materialize. The “cuts both ways” argument was among those raised by 13 Republican attorneys general in a letter <https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2862197-AG-Coalition-Resp-Letter-2016-06-15.html> urging their Democratic counterparts to stop using their law enforcement power against fossil fuel companies and others that challenge the climate change catastrophe narrative. Consider carefully the legal precedent and threat to free speech, said the state prosecutors in their letter this week, headed by Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange. “If it is possible to minimize the risks of climate change, then the same goes for exaggeration,” said the letter. “If minimization is fraud, exaggeration is fraud.” The letter comes as Exxon Mobil fights off subpoenas by two prosecutors — Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and Virgin Islands Attorney General Claude E. Walker — for decades’ worth of climate-related documents and communications with academics, universities and free-market think tanks. House panel turns up heat after states clam up on climate dissent probes http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/19/house-republicans-send-climate-change-attorneys-ge/ The 17 attorneys general pursuing climate change dissenters for accusations of “fraud” want House Republicans to mind their own business. That’s not going to happen. Seventeen Republicans on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee reasserted their right in a Friday letter <https://science.house.gov/news/letters/gop-member-follow-letters-state-attorneys-general-coordinated-efforts-deprive> to conduct oversight on state investigations that represent a threat to the First Amendment and “the free flow of scientific research.” The letter to the 17 attorneys general — 16 Democrats and one independent — came after several refused to cooperate with a May 18 request by committee Republicans for information related to the coordinated campaign to pursue climate change dissenters, starting with ExxonMobil Corp. “The House Science Committee’s authority to investigate the concerns raised in my prior letter are grounded in the Constitution and reflected in the rules of the House of Representatives. The Committee strongly disagrees with your contentions,” said the letter, led by committee Chairman Lamar Smith, Texas Republican. “The Committee intends to continue its vigorous oversight of the coordinated attempt to deprive companies, nonprofit organizations, and scientists of their First Amendment rights and ability to fund and conduct scientific research free from intimidation and threats of prosecution,” the letter said. The committee renewed its request for the 17 attorneys general — sometimes called the “Green 20” — to turn over documents related to their campaign, including communications with 10 environmental groups and foundations, by June 24. New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, who hosted a March 29 press conference to unveil AGs United for Clean Power, declined last month to cooperate with the committee’s investigation, citing <http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2850680-NYOAG-Response-to-House-SST-Commitee.html>the “lack of congressional jurisdiction over state law enforcement activities and the committee’s intrusion into sovereign state actions protected by the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.” Climate advocacy groups including Greenpeace <http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/house-science-committee-wants-protect-exxon-environmentalists/> , the Union of Concerned Scientists <http://www.ucsusa.org/press/2016/rep-lamar-smith-abuses-his-power-again#.V2dBCpErLNM> and the RockefellerBrothers Fund <http://www.rbf.org/news/fund-declines-comply-request-members-house>have also refused to comply with the panel’s request for information related to their work with the attorneys general. “The premise of Chairman Smith’s letter is a farce,” UCS President Ken Kimmell said in a May 19 statement. “The attorneys general are not investigating ExxonMobil’s scientific research, but rather whether the company misled shareholders and the public about the dangers of climate change in order to continue profiting from a lucrative product.” So far, the committee has issued requests only for information, not subpoenas. In their latest letter, committee Republicans argued that Mr. Schneiderman’s previous statements show that his office will decide what constitutes the “best science” on climate change. “In essence, you are saying if your office disagrees with whether fossil fuel companies’ scientists were conducting and using ‘the best science,’ the corporation could be held liable for fraud,” said the House committee letter. “Not only does the possibility exist that such action could have a chilling effect on scientists performing federally funded research, but it also could infringe on the civil rights of scientists who become targets of these inquiries,” the letter said. “Your actions violate the scientists’ First Amendment rights. Congress has a duty to investigate your effort to criminalize scientific dissent.” The House Republicans also argue that much of the research conducted on climate change under scrutiny by the attorneys general has been funded with federal dollars. Exxon is fighting subpoenas issued by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and Virgin Islands Attorney General Claude E. Walker as part of their investigation into whether the company committed fraud by misleading the public on the dangers and extent of climate change. Mr. Walker withdrew last month a subpoena issued to the Competitive Enterprise Institute as part of his investigation. The free market think tank is slated to appear in court June 28 as part of its effort to seek sanctions against his office. “The fact that AG Walker walked away from his DC subpoena case against CEI only strengthens our case,” CEI general counsel Sam Kazman said in a Friday statement <https://cei.org/content/subpoena-saga-cei-pushes-sanctions-against-virgin-islands-ag>. “His subpoena was groundless from the outset, and he has no basis for violating our First Amendment rights as well as those of our supporters.” Republican attorneys general have also entered the fray. In a letter last week, 13 of them urged the coalition to cease its campaign against climate change dissent, arguing in part that it would set a precedent for legal action against climate alarmists. “If minimization is fraud, exaggeration is fraud,” said the June 15 letter. <http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/16/gop-ags-dems-climate-alarmists-can-be-prosecuted/> Copyright © 2016 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission <http://license.icopyright.net/3.7280?icx_id=/news/2016/jun/19/house-republicans-send-climate-change-attorneys-ge/> . blog comments powered by Disqus <http://disqus.com/> Click to R On Thu, Jun 30, 2016 at 4:39 PM, Hot4azintop via PoliticalForum < [email protected]> wrote: > > > > > What BS from so called Liberals who seem to believe only in free speech > that agrees with their politicaly correct positions. Must elect Trump so he > can make a decent Supreme Court Justice pick to help ensure true freedom of > speech to all.... on all matters! > > In a message dated 6/30/2016 8:57:05 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, > [email protected] writes: > > > > > > > > > *Democratic Platform Now Includes This Unbelievable Provision for “Climate > Change Deniers”* > > By Philip Hodges <http://constitution.com/author/philip-hodges> June 28, > 2016 > > *The Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) platform drafting committee – > chaired by Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Maryland Representative Elijah > Cummings – have added into their Party’s platform a provision to have the > Department of Justice prosecute “climate deniers” in the energy industry > for fraud and for misleading their consumers.* > > The new provision that deals with climate deniers was adopted by unanimous > consent under the heading “Climate Change and Clean Energy > <https://demconvention.com/news/democratic-platform-drafting-meeting-concludes/> > ”: > > *Moving beyond the “all of the above” energy approach in the 2012 > platform, the 2016 platform draft re-frames the urgency of climate change > as a central challenge of our time, already impacting American communities > and calling for generating 50 percent clean electricity within the next ten > years. The Committee unanimously adopted a joint proposal from Sanders and > Clinton representatives to commit to making America run entirely on clean > energy by mid-century, and supporting the ambitious goals put forward by > President Obama and the Paris climate agreement. Another joint proposal > calling on the Department of Justice to investigate alleged corporate fraud > on the part of fossil fuel companies who have reportedly misled > shareholders and the public on the scientific reality of climate change was > also adopted by unanimous consent.* > > Interestingly, those in the so-called “green” energy industry have misled > their investors and consumers on the “scientific reality of climate > change.” “Clean” energy corporations have as much a vested interest in > blowing global warming way out of proportion as the fossil fuel industry > allegedly has in downplaying it. > > Why is it that it’s okay to lie about global warming as long as what’s > being predicted is a widely exaggerated apocalyptic scenario, the only cure > for which is to bankrupt the fossil fuel industry and for everyone to > become “green” energy consumers by law? > > Never mind the fact that none of their dire prophecies have come true, and > that their models and figures are skewed to yield a desired result. It’s > all a propaganda contest to get as many people to fall for the manmade > climate change/global warming myth in order for the green industry to > “legally” bankrupt their competitors and hopefully jail them for “fraud.” > > > > > ------------------------------ > [image: https://www.avast.com/antivirus] <https://www.avast.com/antivirus> > > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. > www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/antivirus> > > > > __._,_.___ > ------------------------------ > Posted by: "Beowulf" <[email protected]> > ------------------------------ > > > Visit Your Group > <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/grendelreport/info;_ylc=X3oDMTJmaDlsbTRsBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzE0NjcyOTkwODU-> > > > [image: > https://groups.yahoo.com/neo;_ylc=X3oDMTJlcmQxcnR2BF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNnZnAEc3RpbWUDMTQ2NzI5OTA4Ng--] > <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo;_ylc=X3oDMTJlcmQxcnR2BF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNnZnAEc3RpbWUDMTQ2NzI5OTA4Ng--> > • Privacy <https://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/groups/details.html> • > Unsubscribe > <[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe> • Terms > of Use <https://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/> > > __,_._,___ > > > -- > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ > <http://www.politicalforum.com/> > * It's active and moderated. 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