The U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York said that, as a part of a vast hacking-for-hire scheme, hacked files from climate activists’ accounts were leaked to the press. Those stories — relating to investigations led by the Massachusetts and New York attorneys general — were later “incorporated into court filings Exxon made in state and federal court while litigating against the state AGs’ investigations.”

An Israeli private detective named Aviram Azari had contracted various hacking groups to target individuals and entities around the globe, including climate change activists in the United States. The state is asking for him to be sentenced to prison for as long as 11 years. Exxon has denied having knowledge of Azari or being involved in any hacking activities.

The Massachusetts and New York attorneys general offices began investigating Exxon in 2016, alleging that the company downplayed the hazards of climate change decades ago. Since 2017, nearly 40 cities, counties, and states have filed lawsuits against the industry, charging it with purposefully deceiving the public about climate change. After years of efforts by the industry to quash the cases, state courts around the country are beginning to hear the lawsuits, which could cost the oil industry hundreds of billions of dollars if they succeed. Read more about this story on our LinkedIn page