The Texas Attorney General is leading an 11-state coalition of states’ attorneys general who are fighting to defend the First Amendment against attacks by climate change advocates, including left-of-center counterparts, who have announced they will use their power against those who do not tow the line on climate change.
The Massachusetts Attorney General issued a Civil Investigative Demand and are seeking to conduct an inquisition that includes demanding over 40 years of internal company documents against the ExxonMobil Corporation for its “marketing and sale of fossil fuel-derived products and securities.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with 10 other state attorneys general are asking the Court to grant ExxonMobil’s motion for a preliminary injunction against the subpoena.
The Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG) announced that AG Ken Paxton filed an amicus brief in defense of the First Amendment on Thursday. Paxton argues that the Massachusetts Attorney General exceeded her constitutional authority and attempted to shut down a viewpoint on a scientific debate over climate change, according to information obtained from the Texas OAG.
The announcement came following an “AGs United for Clean Power” press conference. The group represents a coalition of liberal state attorneys general who announced they would use their official authority to go after one side of the policy debate on climate change.
“This overt use of governmental power to shut down particular viewpoints is a blatant violation of the Constitution,” the Texas OAG stated. In particular, the OAG cited an action by the Massachusetts Attorney General where the state issued a Civil Investigative Demand against ExxonMobil Corporation for its “marketing and sale of fossil fuel-derived products and securities.” The state demanded more than 40 years of internal company documents.
In June, Breitbart Texas reported on the attack on the Irving, Texas, headquartered company. The Texas energy giant accused Massachusetts AG Maura Tracy Healey of violating its civil rights in federal court, Churchwell wrote.
ExxonMobil accused General Healey of violating several civil rights protections and unlawful interstate commerce intervention while colluding with other attorneys general and private third parties. Without a permanent injunction and other granted forms of financial relief from the federal courts, the company expects to only be further harmed, according to documents obtained by Breitbart Texas (attached in original article).
Attorney General Healey and 19 other attorneys general, referred to as the “Green 20,” stated they intended to slap the energy company and similar companies with subpoenas and other political hits.
“The Constitution was written to protect citizens from government witch-hunts that are nothing more than an attempt to suppress speech on an issue of public importance, just because a government official happens to disagree with that particular viewpoint,” Attorney General Paxton stated after filing the brief on behalf of the coalition.
Texas has been joined in the fight to defend the First Amendment by the states of Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah, and Nevada.
Lana Shadwick is a contributing writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. She has served as a prosecutor and associate judge in Texas. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2.
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