Rex Tillerson’s Fake Emails and Exxon Mobil’s Climate Denial

In this Monday, March 6, 2017, file photo, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson makes a statement on issues related to visas and travel at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office in Washington. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says that while Tillerson was CEO of Exxon he used an alias in emails to talk about climate change. Schneiderman made the accusation in a letter to a New York court Monday, March 13, 2017. He is investigating whether the company deceived investors and the public by hiding for decades what it knew about the link between fossil fuels and climate change.
In this Monday, March 6, 2017, file photo, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson makes a statement on issues related to visas and travel at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office in Washington. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says that while Tillerson was CEO of Exxon he used an alias in emails to talk about climate change. Schneiderman made the accusation in a letter to a New York court Monday, March 13, 2017. He is investigating whether the company deceived investors and the public by hiding for decades what it knew about the link between fossil fuels and climate change. Susan Walsh/AP, file
In this Monday, March 6, 2017, file photo, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson makes a statement on issues related to visas and travel at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office in Washington. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says that while Tillerson was CEO of Exxon he used an alias in emails to talk about climate change. Schneiderman made the accusation in a letter to a New York court Monday, March 13, 2017. He is investigating whether the company deceived investors and the public by hiding for decades what it knew about the link between fossil fuels and climate change.
In this Monday, March 6, 2017, file photo, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson makes a statement on issues related to visas and travel at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office in Washington. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says that while Tillerson was CEO of Exxon he used an alias in emails to talk about climate change. Schneiderman made the accusation in a letter to a New York court Monday, March 13, 2017. He is investigating whether the company deceived investors and the public by hiding for decades what it knew about the link between fossil fuels and climate change. Susan Walsh/AP, file

Rex Tillerson’s Fake Emails and Exxon Mobil’s Climate Denial

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Last month, a New York judge ordered Exxon Mobil to turn over emails belonging to the alias “Wayne Tracker” as part of an investigation into whether the oil giant misled the public about what it knew about climate change. The investigation found that Rex Tillerson, the former CEO of Exxon Mobil and current US Secretary of State, was behind the fake account, which he used to anonymously discuss climate change for eight years. 

While Exxon Mobil had dodged investigations into climate fraud in a Texas court, the New York case, and a new one filed by Massachusetts’ Attorney General is turning up a building case against the company and the Secretary of State. In response, Exxon Mobil is hoping a federal judge will depose the attorneys general of Massachusetts and New York, effectively canceling the investigation. David Hasemyer is a reporter for InsideClimate News, which has been covering the story from the beginning. He joins Worldview to discuss the lawsuits against Exxon Mobil and investigation into Rex Tillerson’s fake email account.