(Reuters) – U.S. lawmakers behind a congressional probe of major oil companies on Wednesday called on the Justice Department to investigate whether the industry deceived the public about fossil fuels’ impact on climate change.
Two Democrats, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Representative Jamie Raskin, outlined the findings of a nearly three-year investigation into Big Oil and urged the agency to take action in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.
The lawmakers accuse companies of misleading the public by making promises to reduce emissions while also seeking to protect oil and gas production.
“This evidence, combined with the entities’ failure to comply fully with validly issued congressional subpoenas, suggests that further investigation by the executive branch is warranted,” the letter said.
The Department of Justice was not immediately available for comment.
The American Petroleum Institute, an oil and gas trade group that was among the targets of the congressional probe, called the move a distraction.
“This is another unfounded political charade to distract from persistent inflation and America’s need for more energy, including oil and natural gas. U.S. energy workers are focused on delivering the reliable, affordable oil and natural gas Americans demand and any suggestion to the contrary is false,” an API spokesperson said in a statement.
(Reporting by Nichola Groom; editing by Diane Craft)
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