Politico Morning Energy on New York Times Ad

Politico's Morning Energy highlights CEI's full page advertisement in the New York Times to defend free speech. 

The Competitive Enterprise Institute took out a full page ad in today’s New York Times bashing a coalition of Democratic attorneys general who are investigating ExxonMobil and its allies over climate change. “Regardless of one’s views on climate change, every American should reject the use of government power to harass or silence those who hold differing opinions,” the ad says. “This intimidation campaign sets a dangerous precedent and threatens the rights of anyone who disagrees with the government’s position — whether it’s vaccines, GMOs, or any other politically charged issue.”

Forty-three individuals associated with a slew of well-known conservative, libertarian, free-market and climate skeptic groups signed onto the ad. Many of the signers have been targeted by a subpoena from U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Claude Walker to Exxon requesting records of communications with 100 prominent climate skeptics. Walker has separately subpoenaed CEI and the PR and lobbying firm DCI Group as part of his investigation into whether Exxon lied to the public and its shareholders about the threat of climate change. Attorneys general from New York, Massachusetts and California have launched similar probes. Walker has strongly defended his subpoenas, noting that the First Amendment doesn’t protect against fraud. CEI declined to say how much it spent on the ad, but full-page ads in the Times can run well over $150,000.

Read the full article at Politico's Morning Energy.