Rex Tillerson Used Alias Email at Exxon to Discuss Climate Change, New York Says
14 Mars 2017 - 1:50AM
Dow Jones News
By Christopher M. Matthews and Erin Ailworth
The New York attorney general accused Exxon Mobil Corp. Monday
of withholding documents from his office as it investigates whether
the energy company misrepresented its understanding of climate
change to investors and the public.
Lawyers for Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office said in
court documents that Exxon hadn't disclosed that Rex Tillerson, the
former chairman and chief executive, used an alias email address to
discuss risk-management issues related to climate change. Mr.
Tillerson, now the U.S. secretary of state, used the pseudonym
"Wayne Tracker" from at least 2008 to 2015, according to the
attorney general.
"Despite the company's incidental production of approximately 60
documents bearing the 'Wayne Tracker' email address, neither Exxon
nor its counsel have ever disclosed that this separate email
account was a vehicle for Mr. Tillerson's relevant communications
at Exxon," Senior Enforcement Counsel John Oleske said in a letter
to New York Supreme Court Justice Barry Ostrager.
Exxon said in a statement it has provided more than 2.5 million
pages of documents in response to a subpoena from Mr.
Schneiderman's office, and will respond to the claims in court. The
company acknowledged that Wayne.Tracker@exxonmobil.com address is
part of the company's email system.
"[It] was put in place for secure and expedited communications
between select senior company officials and the former chairman for
a broad range of business-related topics," the company said. But
reports "indicating that emails to or from this address were
exclusively climate-related are false."
A spokesman for Mr. Schneiderman's office declined to comment. A
State Department spokeswoman declined to comment.
Mr. Oleske said in the letter Monday that despite promising to
"move heaven and earth" to comply with a subpoena, Exxon had
withheld documents related to senior management, including from 34
email accounts assigned to top executives, board members and their
assistants.
The New York attorney general and the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission are also investigating how Exxon values its
assets in a world of increasing climate-change regulations, a probe
that could have far-reaching consequences for the oil and gas
industry.
The Irving, Texas-based company has played down questions about
its modest asset write-downs, saying it is extremely conservative
in booking the value of new fields and wells. In January, Exxon
said it wrote down the value of more than $2 billion in U.S.
assets, departing from decadeslong practice.
It is unclear at this stage what impact the investigations may
have on Exxon, if any. Mr. Schneiderman has broad powers to
investigate corporations under New York state's Martin Act,
including civil and criminal claims against companies for
securities violations.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 13, 2017 20:35 ET (00:35 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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