FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 23, 2016

Contact: Dani Heffernan, 350 Action, (305) 992-1544

NH Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Colin Van Ostern Pledges to Follow Up on Exxon Investigation

Dover, NH — At last night’s Democratic Primary Gubernatorial Forum in New Hampshire, 350 Action Fellow Dylan Carney asked leading Democratic gubernatorial candidate Colin Van Ostern if he would appoint a State Attorney General who would agree to investigate Exxon. Van Ostern responded saying he already talked to the current State Attorney General about looking into an investigation and that he is “not going to wait for our next Attorney General” to discuss this “legitimate issue” further.

“Exxon’s blatant denial of what they’ve known for decades about climate change has stood in the way of the urgent action needed to prevent the most devastating climate impacts,” said Dani Heffernan, 350 Action spokesperson. “Van Ostern has agreed to discuss this ‘legitimate issue’ of investigating Exxon with New Hampshire’s Attorney General, and I urge more candidates and elected officials who care about our climate’s future to commit to holding Exxon accountable for their decades of deep deception and fraud.”

Last fall, investigative reports revealed that Exxon knew all there was to know about climate change for at least the last half a century. Instead of telling the truth, the company’s executives chose to ignore the warnings of their own scientists, and instead pour their resources into sowing deception among the public and blocking climate action at every level.

Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have expressed strong support for a Department of Justice investigation into Exxon. Currently, four state Attorneys General are investigating Exxon’s fraud and deception, and the Department of Justice has referred the case to the criminal branch of the FBI.

Video: https://youtu.be/sW51FX_Yf_s

Full Transcript:

Colin Van Ostern: So, I actually talked to our Attorney General about this, and I’d have to go back and look, I think that our Attorney General’s office has gotten information about, was it a petition that happened about a month ago?

Dylan Carney: Yeah and they completely ignored it.

Colin Van Ostern: Okay. So I talked to him about it the day after the petition came in, and my sense was that it was on his radar and that they were looking at it, I’m happy to follow up and see what next steps are. I’m not going to wait for our next Attorney General, I think if they are legitimate issues I’m happy to talk to the one we have right now.

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The 350 Action Fellowship supports young people working in states with key climate fights to urge candidates to take bold action on climate change by pledging to keep fossil fuels in the ground and support a just transition to a 100% renewable energy economy that works for all.