Raymond J. Lesniak
New Jersey Sen. Raymond J. Lesniak, D- Elizabeth, N.J., holds up petitions with over 15,000 signatures against New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's announced settlement with Exxon Mobil Corp., Tuesday, April 7, 2015, in Linden. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
(AP Photo/Mel Evans)
TRENTON -- A state lawmaker and a coalition of environmental groups are calling on New Jersey's attorney general to open a formal investigation into whether Exxon Mobil lied to the public about the risks of climate change.
Sen. Ray Lesniak said Thursday that he is requesting acting Attorney General Robert Lougy join his counterparts in New York and California, where authorities are investigating the Texas oil giant over claims its public comments on climate science were contradicted by its own internal experts, who began raising the alarm decades ago.
Lesniak (D-Union) told NJ Advance Media on Thursday that New Jersey "has a great stake in the effects of climate change" and should join the two other coastal states in their investigation.
He also called on the state's pension fund to divest from assets tied to fossil fuels.
Kevin Roberts, a spokesman for Gov. Chris Christie, called the senator's request "political nonsense," noting that Lesniak is a likely candidate for governor. A spokesman for Lougy declined to comment.
Last year, Inside Climate News and The Los Angeles Times each published reports based on company documents that found Exxon Mobil used its own scientific research on climate risk to inform internal strategic decisions while also funding groups that sought to discredit climate change research.
That prompted attorneys general in New York and California to investigate whether the company had committed securities fraud by lying to investors, or had violated state environmental laws. Those investigations are ongoing.
Here in New Jersey, the Attorney General's Office recently settled a suit with Exxon over contamination at the company's refineries and gas stations across the state for $225 million.
The agreement was hailed by Christie as the largest settlement of its kind in New Jersey history, but Lesniak and several environmental groups have been seeking to have the settlement thrown out, claiming the state settled for far less than it was owed.
A judge approved the settlement but Lesniak and the environmental groups have appealed the decision.
Bill McKibben, an author and founder of 350.org, a global climate change group, noted that the Exxon of today is descended from the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey. "It would make great historical sense" for state authorities to join the inquiry because the company has been operating in New Jersey for more than a century, he said.
Alan Jeffers, an Exxon spokesman, said in an e-mail Thursday that the reports suggesting the company misled the public were "deliberately misleading."
Jeffers said the company "believes the risk of climate change is clear and warrants action" and has "included information about the business risk of climate change" in corporate reports for "many years."
Citing recent reports that the Rockefeller Family Fund was divesting its holdings in Exxon Mobil, Lesniak also said the state's pension fund should follow suit.
Joseph Perone, a Treasury spokesman, said the state Division of Investment's holdings "are made solely on the merits of a stock, bond or fund's performance" and whether they fit within the State Investment Council's long-term strategy.
The state has taken positions with its investments before, however.
In 2008, Gov. Jon Corzine signed a law prohibiting state pension money from being invested in companies doing business in Iran. More recently, the investment council sold its stake in a payday lender that consumer advocates said preys on low-income and minority customers.
S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.