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Virgin Islands and Exxon Agree to Uneasy Truce Over Climate Probe | InsideClimate Ne... Page 3 of 10
environmental law professor at the Vermont
Law School. "It was a distraction. They were in
over their head. They were going to get
pounded and it's good they are off the field."
Walker said he is continuing his investigation of
Exxon for potentially violating the territory's
anti-racketeering law, and claimed Exxon's
agreement to drop its lawsuit allows his office
to continue with its investigation "without the
distraction of this procedural litigation."
Exxon declined requests for comment. The
Competitive Enterprise Institute, a conservative
group also subpoenaed by Walker's office only
to have the subpoena subsequently withdrawn,
said last week's joint withdrawals were a victory
for Exxon. "The clear conclusion to draw
following [Walker's] withdrawal of the
ExxonMobil subpoena is that these subpoenas
were a baseless fishing expedition from the
beginning," CEI president Kent Lassman said in
a statement.
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The joint withdrawals came after the attorneys
general of Texas and Alabama intervened on
Exxon's behalf in its lawsuit against Walker,
which may have influenced Walker's decision to
withdraw his subpoena. "It clearly made it
more difficult for the Virgin Islands AG to
proceed without investing a lot more resources
in a higher stakes fight," said Tracy Hester, an
environmental law professor at the University
of Houston. "To a certain extent there was a
point where you had to put your chips all on
the table or hold your hand and wait for the
next deal."
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Walker is part of a coalition of 17 attorneys
general organized by New York State Attorney
App. 681
https;//insideclimatenews.org/news/06072016Mrgin-islands-exxon-agree-climate-probe-sub... 8/1/2016