Mccuskey John a g w v

---

naga and raga

---

fedsoc

He is a graduate of The George Washington University with a degree in Political Communication. He is also a graduate of the West Virginia University College of Law. Before attending law school, McCuskey worked as a civilian for the Department of Defense at the Pentagon in the offices of the Army and Department of Defense General Counsels.

Auditor McCuskey lives in Charleston with his wife, Wendy, and daughters, Charlotte Anne and Martha Elizabeth, and their dog Pearl, where they own a small business.

---

[

WV News

https://www.wvnews.com › statejournal › wendy-mccusk...](https://www.wvnews.com/statejournal/news/wendy-mccuskey/article_58685cf0-b0cd-5150-8e5d-1872177446d7.html)

Mar 7, 2014 — State Director, Americans for Prosperity Charleston, 32.

texAS

NOTE NO AFP

:{Experience

PresidentPresident Associated Builders and Contractors, WV ChapterAssociated Builders and Contractors, WV ChapterAug 2009 - Present · 16 yrs 6 mosAug 2009 to Present · 16 yrs 6 mos

• West Virginia Republican Party logo

Victory DirectorVictory Director West Virginia Republican PartyWest Virginia Republican PartyJul 2012 - Dec 2012 · 6 mosJul 2012 to Dec 2012 · 6 mosWest VirginiaWest Virginia

• WV Director

WV DirectorWV Director Romney for President, Inc.Romney for President, Inc.Aug 2008 - Mar 2009 · 8 mosAug 2008 to Mar 2009 · 8 mos

• • • Directed all grassroots activities

• Established a Romney for President organization in all 55 counties

• Traveled statewide to meet with party leaders in an effort to recruit their support/endorsements

• Represented Gov. Romney at all party functions and meetings in an effort to communicate issues and general information

• Helped to establish coalition groups

• Negotiated with Legislators on campaign issues and strategy

• Helped to develop strategy plans (communication with voters, party officials, and legislators)• Directed all grassroots activities • Established a Romney for President organization in all 55 counties • Traveled statewide to meet with party leaders in an effort to recruit their support/endorsements • Represented Gov. Romney at all party functions and meetings in an effort to communicate issues and general information • Helped to establish coalition groups • Negotiated with Legislators on campaign issues and strategy • Helped to develop strategy plans (communication with voters, party officials, and legislators)…see more

• Consultant

ConsultantConsultant Mike Teets for Commissioner of AgriculureMike Teets for Commissioner of AgriculureJul 2008 - Dec 2008 · 6 mosJul 2008 to Dec 2008 · 6 mos

• • • Helped develop advertisements and messaging

• Worked with associations to recruit their support/endorsements

---

GGL 1 26

[### No one who gives away free water can be evil.

Slate

https://slate.com › news-and-politics › 2014/01 › west-v...](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2014/01/west-virginia-chemical-spill-americans-for-prosperity-no-one-who-gives-away-free-water-can-be-evil.html)

Jan 13, 2014 — Exhibit A: Daily Kos diarist "dharmafarmer" writes on Jan. 11 about the chemical spill in West Virginia, the disaster that has left hundreds ...

No One Who Gives Away Free Water Can Be Evil

By David Weigel

Jan 13, 2014

Copy LinkShareComment

Exhibit A: Daily Kos diarist “dharmafarmer” writes on Jan. 11 about the chemical spill in West Virginia, the disaster that has left hundreds of thousands of people without fresh water.* It’s a hop, skip, and jump to link Freedom Industries, the source of the spill, to Koch Industries.

In 2008, Freedom Industries was specially selected by Georgia-Pacific Chemicals as a distributor of G-P’s Talon brand mining reagents for West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Minnesota, Kentucky and Michigan.

Georgia-Pacific Chemicals is, of course, a subsidiary of Georgia-Pacific, which was acquired by Koch Industries in 2005.

Exhibit B: a New York Times story from today about the questions raised by the disaster.

West Virginia law does not require inspections for chemical storage facilities — only for production facilities… “West Virginia has a pattern of resisting federal oversight and what they consider E.P.A. interference, and that really puts workers and the population at risk,” said Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council and a lecturer in environmental health at George Washington University.

Kimberly Guilfoyle Has Responded to Donald Trump Jr.’s Humiliating Engagement as Only She Knows HowKimberly Guilfoyle Has Responded to Donald Trump Jr.’s Humiliating Engagement as Only She Knows How

Read More

Exhibit C: a proud press release from Americans for Prosperity, the activist group chaired by David Koch, telling the media of a campaign to distribute fresh water in West Virginia.

“It is so exciting to serve our fellow West Virginians at this crucial time of need,” explained Wendy McCuskey, West Virginia state director of Americans for Prosperity Foundation. “We have had multiple residents tell us that they are picking up water for elderly neighbors who are not mobile and need clean water. We are so happy to be able to meet their need for clean water and ease this very difficult time for West Virginia families.”

Complete with photos:

PR problem solved! (AFP hasn’t answered my irritating question about the PR origins of the water handout.)

UPDATE: AFP’s Adam Nicholson explains the timing, which predates the media cage-rattling about Freedom Industries.

We were actually already planning to launch our WV chapter this Monday and had already sent a media advisory and email when we learned of the chemical spill. To provide context, we were at our all staff meeting off-site, and I was with Wendy when she got the first texts about the spill. I had already purchased my airfare to fly out to Charleston for the launch events and was working with Wendy on plans for introducing her to state reporters.{}_{}_

_{}_Within a few hours of learning of the spill we decided that not only would we postpone our chapter launch, but also do something to help the residents in need. Twelve hours after news first broke we had already purchased a truck full of water and had staff planning to drive out to WV to manage the efforts.

[### Mailers Sent By Koch Group Appear Designed to Misdirect ...

The American Prospect

https://prospect.org › Power](https://prospect.org/2014/10/08/mailers-sent-koch-group-appear-designed-misdirect-voters-key-u-s-senate-race/)

Wendy McCuskey, director of AFP's West Virginia chapter, said the mailer was a nonpartisan effort targeting people who were not registered to vote. However ...

[### West Virginia Secretary Of State Accuses Koch-Backed ...

HuffPost

https://www.huffpost.com › entry › west-virginia-voters...](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/west-virginia-voters-americans-for-prosperity_n_5198824)

Apr 23, 2014 — The leaflets, sent out to at least eight different counties, warned residents that if they did not update their voter registration before April ...Read more

[### Outside Spending Dominates Rahall-Jenkins Race

House Majority PAC

https://www.thehousemajoritypac.com › news › outside...](https://www.thehousemajoritypac.com/news/outside-spending-dominates-rahall-jenkins-race)

One of the largest Koch-affiliated organizations is Americans for Prosperity. AFP's state director is Wendy McCuskey. She declined to be interviewed for ...

[### Outside Spending Dominates Rahall-Jenkins Race

Public News Service

https://www.publicnewsservice.org › outside-spending-d...](https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2014-08-14/campaign-finance-reform-money-in-politics/outside-spending-dominates-rahall-jenkins-race/a41100-1)

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - Outside groups are spending about one-and-a-half times what the parties and candidates are spending in West Virginia's 3rd ...

[### Robo-calls set off flurry of accusations | Local News

journal-news.net

https://www.journal-news.net › News › Local News](https://www.journal-news.net/news/local-news/robo-calls-set-off-flurry-of-accusations/article_09a10dc6-6487-5ba8-bf55-5627ebfe577e.html)

Sep 10, 2014 — MARTINSBURG – A “push poll” robo-call campaign last month in the 15th state Senate district has officials with both parties pointing the ...

[### Koch Brothers Support Disaster Relief Effort for W. Va. ...

Hill Heat

:{https://hillheat.com › 2014/01/12 › koch-brothers-suppo...

https://hillheat.com/2014/01/12/koch-brothers-support-disaster-relief-effort-w-va-chemical-spill-koch-industries-distributor)}:

Jan 12, 2014 — In the wake of a coal-industry chemical spill that contaminated the water supply of over 300000 West Virginians, a Koch Industries political ...

Koch Brothers Support Disaster Relief Effort for W. Va. Chemical Spill from Koch Industries Distributor

Posted by Brad Johnson on 01/12/20

In the wake of a coal-industry chemical spill that contaminated the water supply of over 300,000 West Virginians, a Koch Industries political operation stepped in. The spill into Elk River of 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM), a coal washing agent manufactured by Eastman Chemical, came from the facilities of Freedom Industries. Freedom Industries, a closely held private company, distributes coal-mining chemicals including those made by Koch Industries subsidiary Georgia-Pacific Chemicals.

Americans for Prosperity, the group that serves as the organizing wing for the Koch brothers’ extensive political efforts, alerted its national list soon after the coal-industry disaster crippled West Virginia. In an email with the electronic signature of AFP President Tim Phillips, describes the “disaster” caused by the Koch Industries chemical distributor as one that had “no warnings”:

A few days ago, there was a terrible incident in West Virginia, which has left more than 300,000 of our fellow citizens without safe, useable water. The water in the nine affected counties isn’t even safe after boiling! Currently there isn’t a timeline for when the water will be safe again. . . .

There were no warnings for this disaster. There was no time to prepare once the emergency struck.

The efforts of AFP staff to distribute “clean water and supplies into West Virginia to help with relief efforts” has been promoted on conservative media.

“It is so exciting to serve our fellow West Virginians at this crucial time of need,” explained Wendy McCuskey, the newly minted West Virginia state director of Americans for Prosperity Foundation, in a press release. “We are so happy to be able to meet their need for clean water and ease this very difficult time for West Virginia families.”

The message from AFP President Phillips raise a central question: Why where there “no warnings for this disaster” and “no time to prepare”?

“Few chemicals are actually regulated by safe-drinking-water or other water-quality rules,” the Charleston Gazette’s Ken Ward Jr. wrote, “and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has tested only about 200 of the 84,000 chemicals in the agency’s inventory.” In addition, the Freedom Industries facility has benefited from West Virginia’s notoriously lax oversight of the coal industry.

Koch Industries and its subsidiaries have a long record of opposing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency efforts to tighten water quality standards for stream-dumping and to update the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Substance Inventory.

At Slate, reporter Dave Weigel sardonically noted the Koch group’s charitable role, writing “No one who gives away free water can be evil.”

From: Tim Phillips – Americans for Prosperity

Date: Sat, Jan 11, 2014 at 4:57 PM

Subject: West Virginians need your help

I need your help.

A few days ago, there was a terrible incident in West Virginia, which has left more than 300,000 of our fellow citizens without safe, useable water. The water in the nine affected counties isn’t even safe after boiling! Currently there isn’t a timeline for when the water will be safe again.

There are thousands of suffering families, young mothers, and elderly folks who need your help. Fortunately, Americans have a great history of coming together during times of emergency to help those in need. This is one of those times. AFP Foundation, our sister organization, has already sent additional staff loaded with clean water and supplies into West Virginia to help with relief efforts, and hope you’ll help us bring aid to those in need.

Here are some ways you can help:

• Donate to our friends at the American Red Cross.
• Send supplies, such as water, baby wipes, and hand sanitizer to:

113 Lakeview Drive, Charleston, WV 25313

Many of our state chapters have begun putting together relief kits to send to West Virginia. Please contact your state director, or email us at info@afphq.org and we’ll get you in touch with the best person. There were no warnings for this disaster. There was no time to prepare once the emergency struck. Experts suggest that the best way to prepare is with a 72-hour kit that includes water, food, and toiletries. As much as we hope it doesn’t, an unexpected emergency could happen anywhere, so please take the time today to set aside enough supplies for you and your family for at least 72 hours. For more information on how you can prepare you and your family for emergencies, go here.

Thank you for all you do to help your fellow Americans. I know the citizens of West Virginia will appreciate your assistance.

Sincerely,

AFP President Tim Phillips

P.S. Send an email to info@afphq.org, and we’ll let you know what supplies are needed in West Virginia.

Tags: AFP, Koch, WV

[### Voters getting misleading info from group, Tennant says

Charleston Gazette-Mail

https://www.wvgazettemail.com › news › politics › voter...](https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/politics/voters-getting-misleading-info-from-group-tennant-says/article_f5291b12-33cf-5e51-8e05-55088683ea23.html)

Apr 22, 2014 — The leaflets — mailed by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation — warn voters that if they do not update their voter registration, they may ...Read more

[### Wendy McCuskey | State Journal News

WV News

https://www.wvnews.com › statejournal › wendy-mccusk...](https://www.wvnews.com/statejournal/news/wendy-mccuskey/article_58685cf0-b0cd-5150-8e5d-1872177446d7.html)

Mar 7, 2014 — State Director, Americans for Prosperity Charleston, 32.

Missing: KOCH ‎| Show results with: KOCH

[### AFP arm helps provide relief for West Virginia disaster victims

Washington Examiner

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com › red-alert-politics](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/red-alert-politics/1160430/afp-arm-helps-provide-relief-for-west-virginia-disaster-victims/)

Jan 13, 2014 — Americans for Prosperity Foundation has given back to the Charleston, W.Va. community - commissioning its staff and volunteers to help ...

---

Republican Attorneys General Association

https://republicanags.com › ags › jb-mccuskey

J.B. McCuskey - Republican Attorneys General Association

The Honorable John "JB" McCuskey is the state's 35th Attorney General. McCuskey has devoted his life to public service, most recently serving two terms as West Virginia State Auditor. Previously, he served two terms in the West Virginia House of Delegates while practicing law in Charleston.

Office of the WV Attorney General

https://ago.wv.gov › about-us › meet-attorney-general-jb-mccuskey

Meet Attorney General JB McCuskey | Office of the WV Attorney General ...

The Honorable John "JB" McCuskey is the state's 35th Attorney General. McCuskey has devoted his life to public service, most recently serving two terms as West Virginia State Auditor. Previously, he served two terms in the West Virginia House of Delegates while practicing law in Charleston.

---

1 26 no talk

JB McCuskey - Wikipedia

John "JB" McCuskey^[1] (born 1981 in Charleston, West Virginia) is an American lawyer and politician who is serving as the 35th attorney general of West Virginia since 2025. As a Republican, he has previously served as the West Virginia State Auditor from 2017 to 2025. He also was a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates representing District 35 from 2013 to 2017.^[2] On February 28, 2023, he announced he would run for governor of West Virginia to attempt to succeed term limited governor Jim Justice.^[3] However, in July 2023 he announced that he would run for attorney general instead.^[4]

McCuskey was elected West Virginia's 35th attorney general in 2024, winning over 70% of the vote to defeat Democrat Teresa Toriseva.^[5]

Education

McCuskey earned a Bachelor of Arts in political communication from George Washington University and a Juris Doctor from the West Virginia University College of Law.

Elections

• 2012 With the redistricting of District 35, which is represented by four delegates, McCuskey was among ten candidates in the May 8, 2012 Republican Primary and placed third with 1,969 votes (18.2%).^[6] He placed fourth out of eight candidates in the November 6, 2012 General election by 41 votes with 11,325 votes (12.0%), behind incumbent Democratic Representative Doug Skaff, fellow Republican selectees Suzette Raines and Eric Nelson, and losers incumbent Democratic Representatives Bobbie Hatfield and Bonnie Brown, Democratic nominee Chris Morris, and fellow Republican nominee Fred Joseph.^[7]
• 2014 McCuskey was reelected to the House.
• 2016 McCuskey defeated Mary Ann Claytor with 58% of the vote for State Auditor.

References

1. "John McCuskey's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
2. "John B. McCuskey". Charleston, West Virginia: West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
3. "W.Va. state auditor to run for governor". www.wsaz.com. Associated Press. March 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
4. "McCuskey pivots to attorney general's race, and Weld and Stuart say they won't back down". www.wvmetronews.com. July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
5. https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/WV/122766/web.345435/#/detail/550
6. "Statewide Results Primary Election May 8, 2012 Official Results". Charleston, West Virginia: Secretary of State of West Virginia. Archived from the original on November 13, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
7. "Statewide Results General Election November 6, 2012 Official Results". Charleston, West Virginia: Secretary of State of West Virginia. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved March 21, 2014.

External links

• Campaign site
• Profile at Vote Smart
• John B. McCuskey at Ballotpedia
• John B. McCuskey at the National Institute on Money in State Politics

...

---

co lead on?

guk ref 404 ag

Wayback Machine

5 pp ltr to bondi

2025.06.12%20--%20Letter%20to%20Dep%27t%20of%20Justice%20on%20Energy%20Actions

Dear Attorney General Bondi:

We, the undersigned Attorneys General, write to applaud the Department of Justice’s recent

actions to curtail the climate lawfare that has intensified our Nation’s energy crisis.

The energy industry is foundational to American flourishing. President Trump rightly

observed that our Nation “is blessed with an abundance of energy and natural resources that

historically powered our Nation’s economic prosperity.”1 The industry has created millions of

American jobs and annually generates billions of dollars in tax revenue. This money supports

schools, hospitals, and public infrastructure; it also helps ensure that everything from electricity to

transportation to consumer goods remains both available and affordable for all Americans.

Altogether, “[t]he development of domestic energy resources is of paramount public interest.”2

And traditional energy resources like “oil, natural gas, and coal provide 80% of American

energy.”3

President Trump’s recent Executive Orders recognize just how important the energy

industry is to American success. The President noted that the “burdensome and ideologically

motivated ‘climate change’ [and] energy policies” enacted by some States “weaken our national

security and devastate Americans by driving up energy costs for families coast-to-coast, despite

1 Unleashing American Energy, Exec. Order No. 14154, 90 Fed. Reg. 8353, 8353 (Jan. 29, 2025).

2 U.S. Dep’t of Energy, The Economic Benefits of Oil & Gas (2025), https://perma.cc/7R3GTZCP.

3 Nat. Res. Def. Council v. Kempthorne, 525 F. Supp. 2d 115, 127 (D.D.C. 2007).

...3

Unfortunately, the United States Supreme Court has declined up to this point to tackle these

modern-day climate lawsuits and anti-energy state laws head on. For instance, the Court has

recently denied petitions asking the Court to consider whether these state-law-based claims against

energy companies belong in federal court (as they undoubtedly do). Our own efforts before that

Court to protect the interests of our citizens in a strong American energy industry have largely been

rebuffed.14 Thus, we expect that only legislative and executive actions can provide real answers to

these continuing problems.

We therefore write to suggest additional steps the Department could take to effectuate the

President’s Executive Orders and assist our States in continuing the fight against anti-energy

interests. In particular, the Department could recommend legislation that would:

11 E.g., Patrick Brown, How Much Did Increasing “Climate Whiplash” Impact the Los Angeles

Fires?, Breakthrough Inst. (Jan. 29, 2025), https://perma.cc/UEH2-LYF9.

12 Climate Change Superfund Act, N.Y. S.2129-B, 2023–24 Session; Climate Superfund Act, Vt.

S.259, 2023–24 Session.

13 City of San Francisco v. Exxon Mobil Corp., No. 02-18-00106-CV, 2020 WL 3969558, at *20

(Tex. App. June 18, 2020).

14 E.g., Alabama v. California, 145 S. Ct. 757 (Mar. 10, 2025).

p2 notes

4 Protecting American Energy From State Overreach, Exec. Order 14260, 90 Fed. Reg. 15513,

15513 (Apr. 8, 2025).

5 Id. at 15513–14.

6 Ibid.

7 Press Release, U.S. Dep’t of Just., Justice Department Files Complaints Against Hawaii,

Michigan, New York and Vermont Over Unconstitutional State Climate Actions (May 1, 2025),

https://perma.cc/HSZ7-GK4H.

8 Press Release, U.S. Dep’t of Just., Justice Department Launches Anticompetitive Regulations

Task Force (Mar. 27, 2025), https://perma.cc/XGR5-EJYH.

9 E.g., S. Comm. On Com., Sci., & Transp. And H.R. Comm. on Oversight & Accountability,

Republican Staff, Report, Investigation into Sher Edling, LLP (Oct. 7, 2024),

https://perma.cc/4YNQ-GQXE.

10 Am. Energy Inst., The Environmental Law Institute’s Climate Judiciary Project (CJP) Is

Corruptly Influencing the Courts and Destroying the Rule of Law to Promote Questionable

Climate Science (2024), https://perma.cc/8TJT-JNZD.

These protective measures could complement other initiatives that could affirmatively

strengthen our American energy industry. Among other things, Congress and the Administration

could streamline required permitting for energy-related facilities (including related environmental

assessment requirements), extend current grant and tax-incentive programs limited to so-called

“green” energy to domestic energy producers, and continue peeling back anti-energy regulations

:{:{from past administrations.}:

Measures like these could be expected to re-empower American}:

industry, better enabling it to fend off unjustified attacks like that seen in recent years.

We unhesitatingly support President Trump’s goals to “restore American prosperity” and

“rebuild our Nation’s economic and military security” by unleashing American energy, and his

commitment to protecting American energy from state overreach. Ending the unlawful assault on

American energy is critical to achieving those objectives. We commend the Department for already

taking action to stop climate lawfare and hope that you will consider our suggestions to further

bolster your efforts.

Sincerely,

Mike Hilgers John B. McCuskey

Nebraska Attorney General West Virginia Attorney General

Steve Marshall Tim Griffin

Alabama Attorney General Arkansas Attorney General

James Uthmeier Chris Carr

Florida Attorney General Georgia Attorney General

Brenna Bird Kris Kobach

Iowa Attorney General Kansas Attorney General

Russell Coleman

Austin Knudsen

Kentucky Attorney General Montana Attorney General

Drew Wrigley Dave Yost

North Dakota Attorney General Ohio Attorney General

Ken Paxton Alan Wilson

Texas Attorney General South Carolina A

marty Jackley

South Dakota Attorney General

Ryan Schelhaas

Interim Wyoming Attorney General

---

---

gmail cci 1225

connecticut-is-closer-than-ever-to-putting-exxon-on-tria

December 1, 2025

Connecticut’s climate accountability lawsuit is one step closer to trial after a state judge last week rejected ExxonMobil’s attempts to strike the case, delivering a major win for the state’s effort to hold the oil giant accountable for its decades of climate deception.

“ExxonMobil is throwing the kitchen sink at us, trying every angle to invalidate our case,” Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said in a statement. “Once again, they have failed on every count.”

The lawsuit, filed in 2020, argues that Exxon’s historic and ongoing “campaign of deception” about the climate harms of fossil fuels violated the state’s consumer protection law and has inflicted “decades of avoidable harm” and “catastrophic consequences” on Connecticut’s people, infrastructure, and ecosystems. The storms hitting Connecticut’s coastline and flooding communities’ homes have been supercharged by climate change that Exxon knew it was fueling decades ago. By one estimate, sea-level rise caused by climate change created an additional $8.1 billion in damages during Hurricane Sandy, which hit Connecticut in 2012.

In a ruling Wednesday, Connecticut Superior Court Judge John B. Farley rejected all of Exxon’s claims that the state’s case was preempted by federal law, barred by the First Amendment, and other unfounded legal arguments.

“[T]he fundamental objective of the lawsuit,” Judge Farley wrote, is “to remedy the defendant’s alleged unfair and deceptive marketing practices.”

Connecticut’s case — which aims to make Exxon stop deceiving the public, disclose internal climate change research, disgorge profits made while engaging in illegal activity, and fund a “corrective education campaign” about climate change — now enters the discovery phase of litigation.

“Our case is simple and strong — ExxonMobil amassed billions of dollars in profits off a decades-long campaign of lies, and they must be held accountable,” Attorney General Tong said. “We are in the midst of discovery and are aggressively prosecuting this case in Connecticut to uncover and expose ExxonMobil’s lies and to hold the company accountable for the harm their deception has caused.”

As climate accountability cases like Connecticut’s move closer to trial, the oil and gas industry is trying to find ways to block accountability outside the courthouse. Fossil fuel companies are lobbying Congress for a legal shield that would block communities from being able to access the courts and limit the ability of state lawmakers to demand accountability for the industry’s illegal actions. In June, more than a dozen Republican attorneys general proposed creating a “liability shield” for fossil fuel companies modeled on a 2005 law protecting gun manufacturers from lawsuits, and the New York Times later confirmed that securing similar legal protections is a priority for the fossil fuel industry this Congress.

“Exxon and other Big Oil companies are desperate to avoid facing the evidence of their climate lies, but as this ruling makes clear, the people of Connecticut deserve their day in court,” CCI President Richard Wiles said about the ruling. “As the fossil fuel industry lobbies Congress for a ‘get-out-jail-free’ card in cases like Connecticut’s, it’s critical for elected officials to stand up and protect communities’ access to the courts.”

ref 1

September 9, 2025

Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reported that lobbyists for the oil and gas industry were “urging members of Congress to consider granting legal protection for oil companies against lawsuits over their contributions to climate change.”

Now the New York Times confirms that this lobbying campaign to secure legal immunity is a “priority” for the fossil fuel industry in the current Congress.

In a story about the Trump administration’s efforts to help Big Oil companies avoid paying for climate damages, Karen Zraick reports that:

There is also a brewing effort to get Congress to pass a federal shield law protecting fossil fuel companies from litigation, similar to the measure that immunizes gun manufacturers. In a letter to the Justice Department in June, 16 Republican state attorneys general asked the administration for such protections for the fossil fuel industry. [...] The liability shield they have proposed for fossil fuel companies is modeled on a 2005 law that protects gun manufacturers from litigation when their guns are used in crimes.

Communities across the country are paying nearly $1 trillion per year for damages from extreme heat, floods, wildfires, and rising seas and other extreme weather events that fossil-fuel driven climate change is making more intense, deadly, and destructive. Major oil and gas companies knew decades ago that their products would fuel these climate damages, but they orchestrated a Big Tobacco-style campaign of deception to mislead the public and protect their profits. More than 1 in 4 Americans now live in a state or community taking Big Oil companies to court to hold them accountable for this deception and make polluters pay for the harm they have caused.

A legal shield for Big Oil could forever shut the courthouse doors for all Americans, forcing the rising bill for climate change onto taxpayers, and setting a harmful legal precedent that protects corporations instead of communities.

“It’s a nonstop effort by the oil and gas industry to somehow get a get-out-of-jail-free card in regard to these cases,” CCI President Richard Wiles told The Times.

But as the paper noted, a growing number of voices are calling on Congress to make clear that Big Oil should not be above the law:

This year, nearly 200 nonprofit groups signed a letter to Democratic leaders asking them to oppose a liability shield.

And, over the summer, the National Association of Counties, which includes more than 3,000 counties, passed a resolution opposing “any legislation that would limit or pre-empt counties’ access to courts or give companies immunity from lawsuits over damages and costs.” The resolution noted that extreme weather events were straining municipal budgets and resources.

No industry should be above the law — especially one with a documented history of deceiving the public. Congress must oppose the fossil fuel industry’s lobbying efforts and keep the courthouse doors open for communities seeking accountability.

ref 2bondi ltr

...

• Reinforce and further confirm existing federal preemption 15 of state laws or causes of action that seek to impose liability on, or require payment from, energy companies for climate change or out-of-state greenhouse-gas emissions;

• Restrict federal funding for States that seek to impose liability on, or require payment from, energy companies for climate change or out-of-state greenhouse-gas emissions;

• Create a right of removal to federal district court for any suit involving claims that implicate climate or ambient greenhouse-gas-related harms;

• Stop activist-funded climate lawsuits with a liability shield protecting necessary and federally permitted and compliant activity, similar to the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005;

• Clarify that the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction is mandatory, so that the Court cannot willfully ignore claims brought by one State against another State, including claims related to state climate laws and litigation; and

:{:{These protective measures could complement other initiatives that could affirmatively strengthen our American energy industry. Among other things, Congress and the Administration could streamline required permitting for energy-related facilities (including related environmental assessment requirements), extend current grant and tax-incentive programs limited to so-called “green” energy to domestic energy producers, and continue peeling back anti-energy regulations from past administrations. Measures like these could be expected to re-empower American industry, better enabling it to fend off unjustified attacks like that seen in recent years.}:

We unhesitatingly support President Trump’s goals to “restore American prosperity” and “rebuild our Nation’s economic and military security” by unleashing American energy, and his commitment to protecting American energy from state overreach. Ending the unlawful assault on American energy is critical to achieving those objectives. We commend the Department for already taking action to stop climate lawfare and hope that you will consider our suggestions to further bolster your efforts.}:

Sincerely, Mike Hilgers John B. McCuskey Nebraska Attorney General West Virginia Attorney General

Steve Marshall Tim Griffin Alabama Attorney General Arkansas Attorney General James Uthmeier Chris Carr Florida Attorney General Georgia Attorney General Brenna Bird Kris Kobach Iowa Attorney General Kansas Attorney General Russell Coleman Austin Knudsen Kentucky Attorney General Montana Attorney General Drew Wrigley Dave Yost North Dakota Attorney General Ohio Attorney General Ken Paxton Alan Wilson Texas Attorney General South Carolina Attorney General Marty Jackley South Dakota Attorney General Ryan Schelhaas Interim Wyoming Attorney General

==-=

real wv

October 19, 2023

McCuskey shakes up race for Attorney General with fundraising edge

By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV

The addition of JB McCuskey into the Republican primary race for Attorney General has generated a shift in the campaign finance landscape. Ryan Weld held a fundraising lead over Mike Stuart earlier this year, which he maintains. However, McCuskey outraised them both in the last quarter.

State Auditor JB McCuskey raised $149,000 this quarter in addition to the $412,000 he raised previously while a candidate for governor. McCuskey transferred from the governor’s race to the attorney general’s race over the summer. After expenses of $32,000, he still has $533,000 remaining in his campaign account.

Major donors include lawyers and business executives. A majority of his donations did come from within the state of West Virginia.

State Senator Ryan Weld raised $83,000 this quarter in addition to the $98,000 he raised previously. After expenses of $17,000, Weld still has $163,000 remaining in his campaign account.

Major donors to Weld include energy executives, the gambling industry, lobbyists, and lawyers. A majority of those donations did come from within the state of West Virginia.

State Senator Mike Stuart raised $46,000 this quarter in addition to the $69,000 he raised previously. After expenses of $19,000, Stuart still has $108,000 remaining in his campaign account.

Major donors to Stuart included car dealers and energy/coal executives. While most of his donors came from inside the state of West Virginia, his expenditures list multiple reimbursements for out of state trips as part of his campaign to places such as Nashville and Hagerstown.

No Democratic or Independent candidates have filed to run for the office.

Campaign finance records are public records. They may be reviewed at https://cfrs.wvsos.gov/index.html#/index.

---

follow money 2020 1 lobbyists 2 energy

MCCUSKEY, JOHN B (JB) - FollowTheMoney.org

	Candidate	Election Status	Status of Candidate	Specific Party	General Party	Election Jurisdiction	Election Year	Election Type	Office Sought	Incumbency Status	# of Records	Total $
	MCCUSKEY, JOHN B (JB)	WON-GENERAL	WON	REPUBLICAN	REPUBLICAN	WV	2020	STANDARD	AUDITOR	INCUMBENT	280	$163,880
	MCCUSKEY, JOHN B (JB)	WON-GENERAL	WON	REPUBLICAN	REPUBLICAN	WV	2016	STANDARD	AUDITOR	OPEN	521	$183,645
	MCCUSKEY, JOHN B (JB)	WON-GENERAL	WON	REPUBLICAN	REPUBLICAN	WV	2014	STANDARD	HOUSE DISTRICT 035	INCUMBENT	430	$117,917
	MCCUSKEY, JOHN B (JB)	WON-GENERAL	WON	REPUBLICAN	REPUBLICAN	WV	2012	STANDARD	HOUSE DISTRICT 035	CHALLENGER	464	$104,073

ballotpedia off bs