Exxon Mobil Asks Judge to Throw Out Massachusetts AG's Request

FORT WORTH, TX — ExxonMobil this week called for a federal court to throw out pending subpoenas from the Massachusetts and New York attorneys general regarding their investigation into the Irving, Texas, company.

It's a next step for the oil and gas corporation, who earlier this year filed for an injunction against Massachusetts AG Maura Healey and New York's Eric Schneiderman.

The two are pursuing a joint civil investigation into the company, which they believe may have committed consumer and securities fraud, specifically regarding the company's knowledge of climate change.

Exxon's lawyers claim Healey is "attempt(ing) to satisfy a political agenda," according to court documents.

In April, Exxon called the AGs' probe a "fishing expedition," after Healey filed a request for millions of climate change-related documents spanning four decades, according to The Boston Herald.

Exxon amended its request Tuesday, asking the federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, to invalidate subpoenas issued by Schneiderman and Healey.

“Attorney General Schneiderman has publicly accused ExxonMobil of engaging in a ‘massive securities fraud’ without any basis whatsoever, and Attorney General Healey declared, before her investigation even began, that she knew how it would end: with a finding that ExxonMobil violated the law,” the amended complaint reads in part, according to the company (whose remarks can be found in full here).

Court documents show Healey and her office have previously denied similar assertions.

Its latest petition to the court follows an Oct. 13 order from the judge in this case, who requested more information to determine whether or not Healey and Schneiderman are within their jurisdiction to pursue the investigation.

Read more from Patch:

• Congressional Committee Subpoenas Mass. AG Over Exxon Probe
• Gunmakers Take Aim at AG Maura Healey in Dual Suits
• Mass. AG Suing Volkswagen (Again)

Archive photo courtesy mass.gov