Editorial Board

Eric Schneiderman Vs. Exxon Mobil

Engaging in scientific research and public advocacy shouldn't be crimes in a free country.

November 10, 2015 at 12:00 PM UTC

By The Editorial Board

The Editorial Board publishes the views of the editors across a range of national and global affairs.

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Exactly what New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman hopes to discover in the stack of climate-change documents he's ordered Exxon Mobil to produce is unclear, because his investigation isn't public. But he apparently suspects that the company lied to investors about the risks climate change posed to its future profits -- which, if true, might be fraud.

His grounds seem pretty thin. Much as one may sympathize with Schneiderman's desire to encourage stronger action on climate change, this is not the way to go about it.