This is supposed to be very sinister
(Bloomberg) As climate-change lawsuits against the oil industry mount, Exxon Mobil Corp. is taking a bare-knuckle approach rarely seen in legal disputes: It’s going after the lawyers who are suing it.
The company has targeted at least 30 people and organizations, including the attorneys general of New York and Massachusetts, hitting them with suits, threats of suits or demands for sworn depositions. The company claims the lawyers, public officials and environmental activists are “conspiring†against it in a coordinated legal and public relations campaign.
Exxon has even given that campaign a vaguely sinister-sounding name: “The La Jolla playbook.†According to the company, about two dozen people hatched a strategy against it at a meeting six years ago in an oceanfront cottage in La Jolla, Calif.
Sinister!
“It’s an aggressive move,†said Howard Erichson, an expert in complex litigation and a professor at Fordham University School of Law in New York. “Does Exxon really need these depositions or is Exxon seeking the depositions to harass mayors and city attorneys into dropping their lawsuits?â€
An interesting point of view. Could Exxon be suing back as harassment against all those who are harassing Exxon with lawsuits and demands for documents? Really, what Warmists are upset about is that Exxon would dare fight back.
Experts say Exxon’s combative strategy — an extraordinary gambit to turn the tables — is a clear sign of what’s at stake for the fossil-fuel industry. So far, New York City and eight California cities and counties, including San Francisco and Oakland, have sued Exxon and other oil and gas companies. They allege that oil companies denied findings of climate-change scientists despite knowing that the use of fossil fuels posed “grave risk†to the planet.
See? It’s combative to fight back against those who are combative against Exxon (yet, those some Warmists refuse to give up their own use of fossil fuels. Has anyone seen those cities, jurisdictions, and states stop using fossil fuels?)
Plaintiff lawyers and legal experts contend the oil giant’s tactics are meant to intimidate while shifting the spotlight away from claims of environmental damage. And they say there’s nothing improper with lawyers discussing legal strategies together.
“It’s crazy that people are subpoenaed for attending a meeting,” said Sharon Eubanks, a lawyer who was at the La Jolla gathering. “It’s sort of like a big scare tactic: reframe the debate, use it as a diversionary tactic and scare the heck out of everybody.”
The projection is amazing. Cities and AGs like New York’s Eric Schneiderman have used their powers to demand all sorts of crazy documents, including lists of people and organizations that have had contact with Exxon. It was abusive. A witch hunt.
But, Exxon is a big company, with deep pockets and excellent lawyers on staff. And if they get the other fossil fuels companies involved, it could be tough for cities and states, and cost them a lot of money.
Exxon is striking while the iron is hot. They helped elect tRump and get an activist Con Man dominated SCOTUS to do their bidding.
The fossil fuelists have been dreading the day that they’d see a tobacco industry type uprising against them. It was their biggest fear. Their only hope is to fight back while tRump is still alive.
We already know that the collusion between the AG’s and the lawyers is illegal. You hate the idea that a company is fighting back against those illegal actions.
We also know that you hate the First Amendment and you want to stifle Exxon’s point of view.
All you have is hate.
BTW – you are still driving a car using fossil fuels, aren’t you?
So while you hate Exxon, you hate the idea of being inconvenienced and actually doing what you demand others do.
While all you have is hate, apparently you don’t hate hypocrisy much.
Wormtongue,
All you have is hate, and fluffery. Yet, I’m still here commenting. Your plan has failed. Bwahaha, loser.
What plan?
You are the one who keeps saying “I thought I was done with you,” as if you hope to drive people away.)
There ya go. Resort to your standby words of not being able to actually debate anything, but rather just calling people names.
You project hatred of your own actions onto others.\
It’s all you have, Jeffery. Nothing but hate.
We always think we’re done with you, that you couldn’t type something any more stupid… and then… you type again! You constantly whine about others’ vitriol. BUT IT’S ALL YOU HAVE!
You are so full of hate. It’s all you have, Wormtongue. Nothing but hate.
All you do is spew hate. We suspect it’s because you have lost the ability to reason, and have become a tRumpBot, attacking any and all that criticize your newfound god-king. You’re frustrated because you recognize how true the critiques of NuConism are. All you can do is lash out.
Sad.
#EliminateTRuMP
Sue them all and let the courts sort them out. Afterwards cut off all fossil fuels to each city and the fools who elect them suffer in their own hell.
Amazing. You hate that someone is noting your hatred.
All you have is hate, Jeffery. That’s all.
Oh goody.
A threat to kill someone from the resident hate monger.
All you have is hate, Jeffery.
We understand your strategy, and it’s not working.
Can’t you just persuade TEACH to ban me?
Why would I want you banned Jeffery?
You are a great example of liberal hate.
I am not like you and want to silence those who disagree with me.
But it should be noted that when you first got here you made physical threats against posters and now you are making threats against the President.
That’s what happens when all you have is hate – it leads you to advocate for irrational positions and actions.
IHate: it’s all you have.