Conservative media are defending the “right” of fossil fuel companies to knowingly deceive the public about climate change, after a group of climate scientists and members of Congress called for an investigation of such companies under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Contrary to claims by conservative media that these advocates are seeking to “shut down free speech,” RICO would only apply to those who purposefully misled the public about climate change, with some Congressmen pointing to recent reports that ExxonMobil funded climate science denial for decades after discovering that fossil fuels drive climate change.

Scientists, Members Of Congress Urge DOJ To Investigate Whether Fossil Fuel Companies Knowingly Deceived Public On Climate Change

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, 20 Climate Scientists, House Members Call For Investigation Of Fossil Fuel Companies Under RICO Act. In a May Washington Post op-ed, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) raised the possibility of the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigating whether fossil fuel companies and their allies violated the RICO statute by knowingly misleading the public about climate change. DOJ previously filed a civil RICO lawsuit against big tobacco companies, and a federal judge ruled that the companies had violated RICO by lying about the health risks […]