D.C. Democrats send findings of Big Oil investigation to Justice Department (NYSEARCA:XLE)

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Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill said Wednesday they have referred to the Department of Justice the results of their investigation into major oil companies and whether the industry deceived the public about the effects of fossil fuels on climate change.

In a letter to the DoJ, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Sheldon Whitehouse and House Oversight Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin said the documents uncovered during the three-year probe show that the oil and gas industry has been using “deceptive practices” to “entrench the use of fossil fuels” and mislead the general public, including collaborating with trade groups and academic institutions to “lend an aura of credibility” to their claims.

The group accuses Exxon Mobil (XOM), Chevron (CVX), Shell (SHEL), BP (BP), the American Petroleum Institute and U.S. Chamber of Commerce of engaging in a public relations “campaign of deception and doublespeak” while internally acknowledging that fossil fuels caused climate change since the 1960s.

“We believe that there is adequate evidence that fossil fuel industry companies and trade associations may have violated one or more federal statutes and that, accordingly, further investigation is warranted,” the letter said.

The American Petroleum Institute called the move “another unfounded political charade to distract from persistent inflation and America’s need for more energy, including oil and natural gas.”

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