Plaintiffs in lawsuit against oil majors and the US government want Exxon chief-turned-secretary of state to give evidence the day before Donald Trump’s inauguration
Rex Tillerson will be in court answering questions about his climate change legacy on 19 January, if 21 young activists have their way.
The Exxon Mobil boss, who is retiring to take up a nomination for US secretary of state, has been called to give evidence the day before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Attorneys representing the teen plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit want to probe Tillerson on what he knew when about the dangers of burning fossil fuels to the climate.
“Rex Tillerson is one of the most knowledgeable executives in the fossil fuel world on the role of his industry alongside our federal government in causing climate change and endangering my youth plaintiffs and all future generations,” said Julia Olson, lawyer and executive director of Our Children’s Trust. “We intend to use his deposition to uncover his and others’ culpability, on behalf of these defendants.”
Interview: Kelsey Juliana, the activist suing the feds over climate damage
David Buente, a lawyer representing oil interests in the case, declined to comment when asked by Bloomberg. His team at law firm Sidley is expected to try and block the deposition.
Parallel investigations by Inside Climate News and Columbia Journalism School/Los Angeles…
