Healey wins showdown with Exxon Mobil on climate change
THE BOSTON GLOBE
Maura Healey is among state attorneys general who are investigating Exxon Mobil and climate change.
By Stephanie Ebbert GLOBE STAFF JANUARY 11, 2017
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has won a showdown with Exxon Mobil, from which she demanded company documents on climate change dating back 40 years, according to a Wednesday court ruling.
Suffolk Superior Court Judge Heidi E. Brieger denied Exxon Mobil an emergency motion or protective order that would have protected the company from Healey’s demand for documents. Healey is among the state attorneys general investigating what Exxon knew about climate change from its own research and whether the company deceived investors and consumers about the legitimacy of the risk for years.
The company argued that the Massachusetts courts had no jurisdiction over it and went after Healey directly, claiming her comments about the probe showed bias.
The ruling comes the same day that former Exxon Mobil chief executive officer Rex Tillerson, President-Elect Donald J. Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, began confirmation hearings in Washington, D.C.
A spokesman said the company is reviewing the decision to determine the next steps.