Google Cuts Ties With Right-Wing Group: ‘They’re Just Literally Lying’

Google will stop working with the right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council because of its stance on climate change. Responding to a caller’s question on Diane Rehm’s National Public Radio show, the tech giant’s chairman, Eric Schmidt, said his company had funded ALEC in support of “something unrelated. … I think the consensus within the company was that that was some sort of mistake, and so we’re trying to not do that in the future.”

ALEC pushes model state bills on issues ranging from supporting charter school expansion and right-to-work laws to inhibiting lawsuits over asbestos or drug-testing. The group claims more than 2,000 state legislators and almost 300 corporations or private foundations as members. Right now, Google is one of those members. After Schmidt’s comments, Google confirmed it would not be renewing its membership once it expires at the end of the year.