Uh oh, California Attorney General on the hot-seat over #ExxonKnew fiasco

Via Press release:

E&E Legal Forced to Sue California Attorney General for Failure to Release Public Records Already Shared with Green Activists Involving Their Inappropriate Lobbying Practices

Sacramento, CA – The Energy & Environment Legal Institute (E&E Legal) has filed suit under California’s Public Records Act (PRA) against the state’s Attorney General Xavier Becerraa for withholding all but one email showing or mentioning its work with partisan and environmentalist activists to use law enforcement in going after opponents of the “climate” political agenda”.  Under Kamala Harris,  California’s OAG had participated in the since-collapsed “Climate-RICO” cabal organized by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, but kept its involvement off-screen.  The new AG, Becerra, has since suggested that he has indeed been working with activists, correspondence to, from or discussing which E&E Legal sought in its PRA request.

Specifically, in July, E&E Legal requested records “concerning the Office of Attorney General’s work with private outside parties to pursue, as targets of investigation, perceived opponents of a political and policy agenda shared by the Attorney General and these outside parties.”  The complaint specifies the public records sought, in the form of correspondence that was sent to, or received from, the Attorney General, or members of his Executive Office, and certain named parties or entities of interest because of their involvement in the AG Climate RICO scandal beginning roughly six-months prior to the request:

“[C]opies of any email correspondence dated between February 1, 2017 and the date you process this request, a) which correspondence was sent from or to (including also as cc: or bcc:) Attorney General Becerra at any address, or members of the Executive Unit of the Attorney General’s Office (including also as cc: or bcc:) and b) which correspondence is also to or from (including also as cc: or bcc:), or which uses or mentions, any of the following individuals, entities, or email domains:

  1. Richard Graves
  2. Matthew Palevsky
  3. Tom Matzzie
  4. Ethical Electric
  5. Brian Arbogast
  6. Lee Wasserman
  7. RL Miller
  8. Stephen Heintz
  9. Erin Suhr (an employee of Fahr LLC)
  10. Pawa (including but not limited to mentioning in, e.g., mp@pawalaw.com)
  11. Frumhoff (including but not limited to mentioning in, e.g., PFrumhoff@ucsusa.org)
  12.  Any email address that includes @fahrllc.com

The OAG initially delayed its response, and then produced only a single document with little relevance to what E&E Legal sought.  OAG withheld all other potentially responsive records claiming the records were ‘privileged.’  On the basis of E&E Legal’s experience with other “Climate-RICO” AGs, as well as information and belief, E&E asserts this is likely baseless given the request encompasses documents shared with outside parties, and work with private, third-party political activists. No such privileges should apply to these records, unless AG Becerra will claim, as has NY’s Schneiderman however implausibly, that he has ‘deputized’ partisan activists, donors and environmental pressure groups.

“As a California citizen and independent journalist,  I have seen this act many times with the state government and their chosen third-party groups,” said investigative journalist Katy Grimes, an E&E Legal Senior Media fellow and co-petitioner on the suit.  “We ask the Court to confirm that the blindfold on Lady Justice reflects how our laws are to be applied equally to all citizens and groups, and not a tool for lobbying by those that elected officials deem sufficiently politically-correct.”

In addition to California, E&E Legal is embroiled in similar lawsuits in New York and Vermont, home of the two co-ringleaders of the AG Climate-RICO scheme.  The effort entailed a gathering of nearly twenty state-attorneys general, who were joined at their public announcement by climate “investor” Al Gore, vowing to use every legal tool at their disposal to shut down dissent on the ‘climate change’ issue and to seek a tobacco-style global settlement from ExxonMobil and other fossil-fuel companies.  E&E Legal’s public record requests and subsequent litigation in Vermont and New York, and other states, exposed this scandal, leading to most of the attorneys general to flee from the climate crusade.

“Once again we find ourselves having to litigate a routine public records request with a state’s attorney general,” said E&E Legal President Craig Richardson.  “Apparently when these attorney generals are required to follow the same laws they are elected to enforce, they hide behind legal smokescreens and stonewalls.”


About E&E Legal

The Energy & Environment Legal Institute (E&E Legal) is a 501(c)(3) organization engaged in strategic litigation, policy research, and public education on important energy and environmental issues. Primarily through its petition litigation and transparency practice areas, E&E Legal seeks to correct onerous federal and state policies that hinder the economy, increase the cost of energy, eliminate jobs, and do little or nothing to improve the environment.-30-

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Tom Halla
November 1, 2017 1:43 pm

Would RICO or the KKK Act be more appropriate as a way to deal with Schneiderman, Becerra, and friends?

Dave in the UP
November 1, 2017 1:43 pm

Isn’t that the wrong photo for this article?

Resourceguy
Reply to  Dave in the UP
November 1, 2017 2:31 pm

You’re right. It should have been a polar bear on an isolated iceberg.

Bryan A
Reply to  Resourceguy
November 1, 2017 8:23 pm

Perhaps the 20 AG$ on an isolated ice berg

toorightmate
Reply to  Dave in the UP
November 1, 2017 8:24 pm

It is a polar bear and he lives on an iceberg and this statement has been peer reviewed.
My peer also likes a beer or two on a hot day – a real good bloke.

knr
November 1, 2017 1:46 pm

If the facts are any where there as settled as is claimed. Why the need for industrial scale levels of ‘smoke and mirrors’?

But don’t worry it cost these people dime one, it’s sucker taxpayer who will pick up the defence bill. Do you feel better now?

knr
Reply to  knr
November 1, 2017 1:47 pm

Will not cost

jorgekafkazar
Reply to  knr
November 1, 2017 2:19 pm

Clear in context.

Barbara
Reply to  knr
November 2, 2017 9:45 am

CA.Gov

’26 Global Leaders Sign Agreement To Partner On Climate Action’

Scroll down to:

“To help reduce staff costs, leaders agreed to utilize non-government organizations (NGO) such as …”

https://www.gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=11112

Barbara
Reply to  Barbara
November 2, 2017 1:13 pm

Rocky Mountain Institute

Board of Trustees includes: Mark Ferron, California Independent System Operator Board of Governors.

http://www.10xe.orwww.10xe.org/Board+of+Trustees

CA.Gov., 1-12-2016

Appointments included:

Mark Ferron, reappointed to the California Independent System Operator Board of Governors.

https://www.gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=19273

November 1, 2017 1:47 pm

Under Pamela Harris is so exactly!!

Reply to  America On Coffee
November 1, 2017 6:22 pm

Kamala. Obama’s on the side action.

Curious George
November 1, 2017 2:08 pm

This practice was inherited from a former California Attorney General Kamala Harris, today a Senator Kamala Harris. She is a skilled politician. She defeated an article of California Constitution on “Marriage is between a Man and a Woman” simply by failing to defend it.

Latitude
November 1, 2017 2:37 pm
MarkW
Reply to  Latitude
November 2, 2017 7:39 am

Donna Brazille writes in Politico of how team Hillary rigged the primaries to ensure her win.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/11/02/clinton-brazile-hacks-2016-215774

Joe Crawford
Reply to  MarkW
November 2, 2017 11:30 am

Veley intrestin.. :<)

Nigel S
November 1, 2017 3:15 pm

Obstructing public information requests, that feels familiar!

fxk
November 1, 2017 3:21 pm

God, I hate Government! I think I dislike anarchy more, though.

Mark from the Midwest
Reply to  fxk
November 2, 2017 8:09 am

But I like a bit of anarchy within government

November 1, 2017 6:26 pm

Kamala was in office. I had some dealings with her on authority. They are all afraid to step out on justice.😕

Javert Chip
Reply to  America On Coffee
November 1, 2017 7:07 pm

Huh? What’s that mean?

Edwin
November 1, 2017 6:38 pm

Problem is what judge is going to quickly require compliance? Guarantee that on the Left Coast the judges are in bed with the Attorney General. If nothing else they will obfuscate and delay.

November 1, 2017 7:47 pm

Bottom line the US government is corrupt. Kamala Harris corrupt and all successors in government know what’s going on actively or passively.

toorightmate
Reply to  America On Coffee
November 1, 2017 8:28 pm

Some people believe that this is part of a swamp.

Reply to  toorightmate
November 1, 2017 8:37 pm

Quicksand!

Coach Springer
November 2, 2017 4:04 am

Those attorneys general are a good illustration of the feared misuse of the racketeering laws. In re: the enforcers are the racketeers.

Resourceguy
November 2, 2017 6:07 am

How do I donate to E&E?

Bryan A
Reply to  Resourceguy
November 2, 2017 12:12 pm

Put them on retainer

mwhite
November 2, 2017 12:07 pm

Another legal case,

https://www.thegwpf.com/green-energy-professor-sues-sceptical-scientists-for-10-million/

“In a rare move that is likely to spark an intense debate in the climate science community, Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, has filed suit in D.C. Superior Court against the author and publisher of a peer reviewed study criticizing his work.”