List of the Climate Lawsuits Falsely Accusing Dr Willie Soon of Taking Exxon Bribes

This list will be an ongoing compilation, with updates noted in red, similar to my list of global warming lawsuits. Additions to this list will be ref’d in this top paragraph..

In a bit of wishful thinking, the hugely suspect Center for Climate Integrity (CCI) gloated in its December 19, 2024 ‘News & Analysis’ piece that more than “one in four Americans now live in a community suing Big Oil, underscoring the rapidly growing wave of calls to hold the oil and gas industry accountable for its decades-long climate deception…”

The reality of the situation is that CCI itself is noted by both the Climate Litigation Watch website and the Energy in Depth website as apparently one of the main drivers pushing any gullible state / city / municipality leader in America to consider filing an “ExxonKnew” lawsuit. I’ve shown here at GelbspanFiles that CCI trumpeted their mid summer 2023 hiring of Roland C “Kert” Davies as their Director of Special Investigations, and within my tag category of major mentions of him, that he has direct associations with the four main elements of the central accusations in nearly all of these lawsuits. I’ve further suggested that since every one of the 35 current “ExxonKnew” lawsuits is enslaved to at least one if not all four elements, that we do not actually have any such “growing wave” of lawsuits, we instead have the same basic template — call it the “John Passacantando, Kert Davies, et al. [dba Greenpeace USA née Ozone Action / Our Next Economy / CIC ] v. Exxon & any other applicable energy companies” template, for lack of a better description — being repeated ad nauseam.

The main law firm pushing these lawsuits is already under investigation by the U.S. House and Senate. With new Senate GOP majority rule and the power to subpoena witnesses and demand they produce particular documents, these investigations are going to need bulletproof backup material to proceed. Since the entire accusation surrounding Dr Soon as it pertains to accusations in these lawsuits has every appearance of originating from just two individualsPassacantando and Davies, who both also appear to be participants in efforts to portray Exxon as a corrupt organization – it would be handy to have a list of how far and wide their accusations have been spread into the main law firm’s filings, and into the filings by others who’ve apparently plagiarized the accusations. 

First, a short timeline of the ‘illicit funding’ accusations against Dr Soon – all from the same massively dubious source:

• 1998: “Suspected fossil fuel funding – Compensation for services to Western Fuels Assoc. funded project” — that, from a “CLEAR” report by the Environmental Working Group in 1998. Notice in that screencapture, one of its ‘sources’ is the old Ozone Action group. During 1998, Kert Davies was transitioning from working at EWG to Ozone Action.
• June 28, 2011 report announcement at Greenpeace, authored by Kert Davies: “Dr. Willie Soon: a Career Fueled by Koch, Big Oil and Coal.” The UK Guardian newspaper reported that ‘news’ the very same day day, quoting “research director at Greenpeace US” Kert Davies: “Scientists like Dr Soon, who take fossil fuel money and pretend to be independent scientists, are pawns.” The Internet Archive has preserved Davies’ Greenpeace full report since July 2011 albeit with loads of extraneous html formatting code for each scan crawl. The Archive.is site provides a page from July 2013, minus all that extra code gibberish.
• November 5, 2013, reported by the Boston Globe,Researcher helps sow climate-change doubt,” which dutifully regurgitated the two year-old false accusation about “$1.2 million.”
• February 22, 2015, reported by such major news outlets as the Boston Globe, New York Times, Washington Post articles cited Kert Davies’ supposedly damaging documents without ever noting he’d previously worked at Greenpeace. The UK Guardian was the only one to do so.

The two items critical to consider from that timeline is how 1) the Smithsonian Institution, Dr Soon’s employer, did not respond until February 2015 that they were “conducting inquiries to address the allegations that Dr. Wei-Hock (Willie) Soon failed to disclose to journals the funding sources for his climate change research,” and 2), that exactly just one week earlier, ex-Ozone Action / ex-Greenpeacers John Passacantando and Kert Davies were about to launch the above-noted February 22 news event in which Dr Soon would be portrayed as an oil industry shill.

The accusation is provably false, as shown by:

H. Sterling Burnett, March 6, 2015
Viscount Monckton of Brenchley / David Legates / Matt Briggs, March 6, 2015
Ron Arnold, April 20, 2016
Terry Gannon, May 8, 2020 (with additional info on Kert Davies here)
Willie Soon, September 6, 2022 / October 9, 2022

Conspicuous by the magnitude of its absence is the results of the 2015 – 2020 “inquiries to address the allegations” by the Smithsonian Institution. It is possible that it may require the subpoena power of a U.S. Senate or House committee to force the Smithsonian to produce the results or to at least minimally explain why they took their 2015 press release page offline without explanation sometime between March 4, 2020 and September 1, 2020.

That is an important detail, because it is that very press release which is what the Sher Edling law firm cites as their source of proof that Dr Soon was “bankrolled by fossil fuel interests.” That elemental accusation, in order of appearance in all of the “ExxonKnew” lawsuits, is as follows (those not under Sher Edling ‘handling’ are shown with double asterisks and additional notes where applicable). Click especially on each screencapture image — notice the pattern that immediately forms and continues throughout:

  1. County of San Mateo v. Exxon,  PDF file page 62 (print page 58) paragraph 130 / footnote #s130 & 131 (screencapture here); July 17, 2017 — Note: initially filed as the first of the Sher Edling boilerplate copy series of filings across the United States, California Attorney General Rob Bonta undertook a “coordination” maneuver with Sher Edling’s first 6 filings and his own September 2023 CA v Exxon lawsuit, via a legal motion on February 5 2024.
  2. County of Marin v. Chevron Corp, PDF file page 63 (print page 59) paragraph 130 / footnote #s129 & 130 (screencapture here, — combined with subsequent Imperial Beach filing); July 17, 2017
  3. Imperial Beach v. Chevron, PDF file page 61 (print page 57) paragraph 130 / footnote #s126 & 127; July 17, 2017
  4. People of the State of California v. BP P.L.C. – San Francisco County**, PDF file page 31 (print page 26) paragraph 73 / footnote #57 (screencapture here); September 19, 2017 ** Initially filed by the Hagens-Berman-Pawa law firm, the Sher Edling law firm’s website says it is now under their control.
  5. People of the State of California v. BP P.L.C. – Alemeda County**, PDF file page 26 (print page 24) paragraph 72 / no footnote citation (screencapture here); September 19, 2017 ** Initially filed by the Hagens-Berman-Pawa law firm, the Sher Edling law firm’s website says it is now under their control.
  6. County of Santa Cruz v. Chevron, PDF file page 74 (print page 70) paragraph 174 / footnote #s 185 & 186 (screencapture herecombined with subsequent City of Santa Cruz and City of Richmond); December 20, 2017
  7. City of Santa Cruz v. Chevron, PDF file page 74 (print page 70) paragraph 173 / footnote #s183 & 184; December 20, 2017
  8. City of New York v. BP PLC,** PDF file page 48 (print page 46) paragraph 87/ no footnote citation (screencapture here); January 9, 2018 **Initially filed by the Hagens-Berman-Pawa law firm, affirmed as dismissed May 24, 2021.
  9. City of Richmond v. Chevron, PDF file page 71 (print page 67) paragraph 165 / footnote #s170 & 171; January 22, 2018
  10. City of Boulder, Boulder County and San Miguel County v. Suncor Energy, ExxonMobil ** PDF file pages 92-93 (print pages 89-90 paragraphs 401-402 / no footnote citation (screencapture here); April 17, 2018 **Initially filed by EarthRights International, they subsequently added the Sher Edling law firm as co-counsel, according to this June 4, 2019 report.
  11. King County v. BP**, PDF file page 50 (print page 49) paragraph 119 / footnote #s172, 173, 174 (screencapture here); July 8, 2018 **Initially filed by the Hagens-Berman-Pawa law firm, plaintiffs later self-dismissed their lawsuit on 9/28/21.
  12. Rhode Island v. Chevron, PDF file page 86 (print page 83) paragraph 168 / footnote #s183 & 184 (screencapture here); July 2, 2018
  13. Baltimore v. BP, PDF file page 88 (print page 83) paragraph 162 / footnote #s186 & 187 (screencapture here); July 20, 2018 — Note: a city judge dismissed the lawsuit on July 10, 2024.
  14. Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations Inc. v. Chevron, PDF file pages 63-64 (print pages 60-61) paragraph 133 / footnote #s116 & 117 (screencapture here); November 14, 2018 — Note: plaintiffs self-dismissed their lawsuit on Dec 14, 2023.
  15. Honolulu v. Sunoco, PDF file page 76 (print page 72) paragraph 108 / footnote #s89 & 90 (screencapture here); March 9, 2019
  16. State of Minnesota v American Petroleum Institute,** PDF file page 53 (print page 53) paragraph 126 / footnote #112 (screencapture here); June 24, 2020 **Supposedly ‘independently filed, it now qualifies as a Sher Edling-assisted filing, resulting from this Dec 18, 2020 Motion. MN AG Keith Ellison’s filing cited the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Mulvey & Schulman dossier collection report, specifically its section about Dr Soon. Who does UCS cite as their source? Greenpeace and the Climate Investigations Center, in the same manner as the above-noted February 2015 multi-newspaper news event (not the 2013 event, not the 2011 event) against Dr Soon, in which those news outlet’s source was Kert Davies.
  17. City of Hoboken v. ExxonMobil, et al.,** PDF file page 90 (print page 90) paragraph 215 / footnote #197 (screencapture here); September 2, 2020) **Supposedly ‘independently filed; identical to MN v API, this filing cites the UCS Mulvey & Schulman dossier on Dr Soon … which ultimately sources to Kert Davies.
  18. Charleston v Brabham Oil, PDF file page 101-102 (print pages 97-98) paragraph 118 / footnote #s97 & 98 (screencapture here); September 9, 2020
  19. Delaware v. BP, PDF file page 131 (print page 127) paragraph 131 / footnote #s 117 & 118 (screencapture here); September 10, 2020 — Note: Delaware is forced to use the Internet Archive link for Smithsonian Institution 2015 press release footnote #118, a significant change in Sher Edling’s boilerplate repetition pattern)
  20. County of Maui v. Sunoco, PDF file page 88 (print page 84) paragraph 122 / footnote #s97 & 98 (screencapture here); October 12, 2020
  21. City of Annapolis v. BP, PDF file page 96 (print page 91) paragraph 134 / footnote #s116 & 117 (screencapture here); February 22, 2021
  22. Anne Arundel County, Maryland v. BP, PDF file page 98 (print page 93) paragraph 134 / footnote #s125 & 126 (screencapture here); April 26, 2021
  23. State Of Vermont V. ExxonMobil Corp. ,** PDF file page 31 (print page 31) paragraph 87 / no footnote citation (screencapture here); September 14, 2021 **Supposedly ‘independently filed; Vermont AG Thomas Donovan Jr’s filing is unique in how it does not specifically name Dr Soon. However, the Vermont accusation paragraph is nearly identical to those in the Sher Edling boilerplate copy filings – compare it with Sher Edling’s San Mateo v Chevron.
  24. Platkin v Exxon Mobil Corp, PDF file page 96 (print page 93) paragraph 131 / footnote #s161 & 162 (screencapture here); October 18, 2022
  25. Municipalities of Puerto Rico v Exxon Mobil Corp,** PDF file pages 109-110 (print pages 109-110) paragraph 373 / footnote #s361 & 362 (screencapture here); November 22, 2022 **Supposedly ‘independently filed; its accusation paragraph is nearly identical to Sher Edling boilerplate copy accusation paragraphs, as is the beginning of the footnote concerning the Smithsonian 2015 press release. However, this filing does not use Sher Edling’s Internet Archive version, but instead inexplicably uses a Legistorm link, a site that is a database of Members of Congress and congressional staff, not an archive of museum website pages.
  26. County of Multnomah v. Exxon Mobil,** PDF file page 129 (print page 129) paragraph 351 / footnote #s242 & 243 (screencapture here); June 22, 2023 **Supposedly ‘independently filed, this filing appears to be little more than a plagiarized copy of the above Municipalities of Puerto Rico, including the inexplicable use of the Legistorm ‘archive’ link to the Smithsonian 2015 press release.
  27. California v Exxon Mobil Corp, PDF file page 67 (print page 37) paragraph 101 / footnote #s111 & 112 (screencapture here); September 15, 2023 **Supposedly ‘independently filed, this filing appears to have plagiarized its accusation from Sher Edling filings, but does not use Sher Edling’s Internet Archive version of the Smithsonian 2015 press release, it instead inexplicably substituted a link to a 2015 Smithsonian Magazine article, which itself cited the above-noted February 2015 multi-newspaper news event – specifically, the New York Times.
  28. Municipality of San Juan v. Exxon Mobil Corp.,** PDF file pages 107-108 (print pages 107-108) paragraph 351 / footnote #s360 & 361 (screencapture here); December 13, 2023 **Supposedly ‘independently filed, this filing appears to be little more than an outright copy of the above Municipalities of Puerto Rico filing.
  29. Makah Indian Tribe v. Exxon Mobil Corporation, PDF file pages 57-58 (print pages 54-55) paragraph 4.104 / footnote #s108 & 109 (screencapture here); December 20, 2023
  30. Shoalwater Indian Tribe v. Exxon Mobil Corporation, PDF file pages 57-58 (print pages 54-55) paragraph 4.104 / footnote #s108 & 109 (screencapture here); December 20, 2023
  31. Chicago v BP, PDF file page 91-92 (print pages 88-89) paragraphs 125 & 126 / footnote #s173, & 174 (screencapture here, in direct comparison to CA v Exxon); February 20, 2024 — Note: this filing’s accusation paragraph is a direct copy of the paragraph in CA AG Rob Bonta’s lawsuit, including Bonta’s inexplicable citation source switch.
  32. Bucks County v. BP PLC,** PDF file page 94-95 (print pages 89-90) paragraphs 131 & 132 / footnote #s 166, 167, & 168; (screencapture here, in direct comparison to Chicago v BP), March 22, 2024 **Supposedly ‘independently filed, this filing appears to be a plagiarized copy of the immediately-above Chicago v BP Sher Edling filing.
  33. (filed in Spanish language)  Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico v. Exxon, “Annex A” PDF file (English translation) pages 44-45 (print pages 69-70) paragraph 92 / footnote #s 119 & 120 (screencapture here); August 11, 2024
  34. State of Maine v. BP,  PDF file pages 89 & 90 (print pages 86 & 87) paragraph 128 – 129 footnote #s213 & 217 (screencaptures here & here, illustrating the injection of accusation against D S Fred Singer into the previously continuous accusation against Dr Soon); November 26, 2024. The Fred Singer accusation paragraph is a direct copy of the paragraph in the Matt Pawa-led 2017 CA v BP filing.

Additionally, in order of appearance of ‘papers’ / proposals written which could serve as guides on filing such “ExxonKnew” lawsuits, the elemental accusation, in order of appearance in such material, is as follows:

  1. Public Citizen group, Charging Big Oil with Climate Homicide PDF file pages 22-23 (print pages 20-21) footnote #130 – supra note 116 (screencapture here); June 26, 2024. Their source against Dr Soon is the UCS Mulvey & Schulman dossier on Dr Soon, which – again – ultimately sources to Kert Davies.
  2. Public Citizen group, Charging Big Oil with Reckless Endangerment PDF file pages 25 (print page 22) footnote #109 – supra note 89 (screencapture here); October 17, 2024. Source against Dr Soon – UCS Mulvey & Schulman dossier.
  3. Public Citizen administrators, Causing or Risking Climate Catastrophe, Section “I. Background: FFCs’ Criminal Conduct” paragraph 4, end note #35 (screencapture here); January 2, 2025

As I detailed in my dissection of California v Exxon, CA AG Rob Bonta’s office seemingly plagiarized the accusation against Dr Soon from Sher Edling’s New Jersey Platkin v Exxon filing, except Bonta’s office inexplicably switched out Sher Edling’s long-used Smithsonian Institution 2015 press release web link in favor instead of a Smithsonian Magazine article citation. The switch would seem to indicate Bonta’s office was aware of the problem of using the 2015 press release as evidence.

Exxon, as of its January 6, 2015 defamation lawsuit concerning the California v Exxon “plastics lawsuit,” is suing CA AG Rob Bonta and several NGOs, and names a specific law firm allegedly enabling the defamation. The elemental question — since there seems to be a connection of the Center for Climate Integrity (meaning, as noted at the top of this post, Kert Davies) between Bonta’s “plastics pollution” lawsuit and his “global warming damages” lawsuit — is whether Exxon could file the same defamation lawsuit against AG Bonta and CCI and Sher Edling, since it certainly looks like there is some kind of undisclosed tie to the Sher Edling law firm?

Concerning the “global warming lawsuits,” is it not plausible that somebody else could reasons to file a defamation lawsuit against AG Bonta, one other NGO, and one other ‘enabler’ law firm?

Just askin’.