Five Senate Republicans have sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch demanding that efforts to criminalize climate change skepticism cease.
Sixteen Democratic attorneys general across the country have signed on to prosecute fossile fuel companies that they charge knew about the effects of climate change but hid their findings from the public.
The letter cited several causes of concern: In March, Ms. Lynch testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that the FBI was looking into information regarding climate change dissent and "whether or not it meets the criteria for what we could take action on."
Last year, a coalition of environmentalists and lawmakers asked the Justice Department to launch a racketeering investigation into ExxonMobil over the company's statements and research on climate change.
In March, 17 attorneys general - 16 Democrats and an independent - announced that they would pursue "fraud" allegations against climate change dissenters. At least two attorneys general - New York's Eric Schneiderman and the Virgin Islands' Claude E. Walker - have issued subpoenas as part of climate change investigations.
"These actions provide disturbing confirmation that government officials at all levels are threatening to wield the sword of law enforcement to silence debate on climate change," said the Wednesday letter from the Senate Republicans.
"As you know, initiating criminal prosecution for a private entity's opinions on climate change is a blatant violation of the First Amendment and an abuse of power that rises to the level of prosecutorial misconduct," said the letter.
The letter was signed by Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas, Jeff Sessions of Alabama, David Perdue of Georgia, and David Vitter of Louisiana.
Last week, 13 House Republicans sent letters seeking information from the coalition of state attorneys general, known as AGs United for Clean Power, citing free-speech concerns.
Ms. Lynch's comment at the March 9 oversight hearing came after Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Democrat, accused the Justice Department of doing "nothing so far about the climate denial scheme."
"This matter has been discussed. We have received information about it and have referred it to the FBI to consider whether or not it meets the criteria for which we could take action on," Ms. Lynchsaid.
The possibility that the DoJ will use the RICO racketeering statute to prosecute climate skeptics is real and would be a disaster for the fossile fuel industry. As for the state AGs, they are looking for deep pockets to set up a fund for "climate change mitigation" - a slush fund for states to use in any manner they wish as long as they can connect it to climate change.
A government that seeks to war against free speech is not a government that will protect the right of free speech, turning the Constitution upside down. This is a horrible, dangerous, precedent to set and for the executive department set up to protect our rights to promote this cause shows how far the totalitarians on the left will go to win.
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