Attorney General JB McCuskey
West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey, a Republican and an outspoken defender of the state's coal, oil and natural gas industries, has served investigative subpoenas on at least six environmental groups. He wants nearly 10 years' worth of their records—fundraising letters, internal emails, talking points, donor names, even any ties to wind and solar companies. The legal hook? West Virginia's consumer protection law, the same law used to go after predatory lenders and bait-and-switch con artists. McCuskey's office is investigating whether the groups made "unfair or deceptive" claims blaming specific West Virginia energy companies (including drillers and pipeline companies) for climate change. Two of the groups, the West Virginia Rivers Coalition and 350.org, sued McCuskey in federal court on Thursday. The Sierra Club got a subpoena too, but McCuskey's office withdrew it after the club threatened to sue. Big Green is calling it a "fishing expedition." We call it something else (see MDN's Take below).
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