“Leonard Leo-Linked Group Targets
Climate Education for Judges”
A
right-wing organization is opposing efforts to educate judges about climate
change, with potential ties to Leonard Leo, a key figure in shaping the
American judiciary and instrumental in selecting Trump’s Supreme Court
nominees, according to reports by The Guardian.
The
Environmental Law Institute (ELI), a non-profit based in Washington, DC, runs a
Climate Judiciary Project designed to educate lawyers and judges on climate
science. Its mission is to provide neutral, evidence-based information to the
judiciary relevant to climate-related legal cases. However, the American Energy
Institute (AEI), a conservative pro-fossil fuel think tank, has launched a
series of attacks on the program. In a report released in August, AEI accused
ELI of "corruptly influencing the courts" and promoting
"questionable climate science."
AEI
claims that ELI is falsely presenting itself as neutral and alleges that the
Climate Judiciary Project is closely aligned with plaintiffs in climate-related
lawsuits against the oil industry. AEI further asserts that the project is
secretly assisting plaintiffs in influencing judicial decisions.
AEI's
report and related materials have been linked to CRC Advisors, a public
relations firm chaired by Leonard Leo. Known for his pivotal role in moving the
U.S. judiciary to the right, Leo’s involvement has raised concerns due to his
efforts to influence climate litigation. CRC Advisors’ staff, including its
director of branding Maggie Howell and vice president Kevin Daley, are listed
as authors of AEI’s materials.
Jason
Isaac, AEI’s CEO, confirmed that CRC Advisors helped produce and promote the
report, but critics, such as Kert Davies of the Center for Climate Integrity,
have dismissed the accusations. Davies argues that ELI is far from partisan,
pointing out that its board includes representatives from major oil companies
like Shell and BP, which are defendants in ongoing climate litigation.
ELI
has defended its Climate Judiciary Project as science-driven and rigorously
peer-reviewed. Nick Collins, a spokesperson for ELI, described AEI’s report as
full of "misinformation" from a group known for spreading false
claims about climate science.
AEI’s
attack comes as the U.S. Supreme Court considers a series of lawsuits that
could hold oil companies financially liable for climate damages. In one case,
Honolulu and other municipalities are suing major oil companies, accusing them
of hiding the risks of fossil fuels. With Leonard Leo's allies ramping up
pressure on the courts to protect the fossil fuel industry, AEI’s criticism of
ELI may be part of a broader strategy to influence the outcome of these high-stakes
cases.
In addition to his role with AEI,
Jason Isaac is also a fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), a
think tank funded by oil and gas companies. TPPF has recently come under
scrutiny for its involvement in drafting the ultraconservative policy agenda
known as Project 2025. A former Republican Texas state representative, Isaac
has built much of his career on challenging climate science and spreading
misinformation to promote deregulation in favor of the fossil fuel industry.
Isaac’s stance on climate issues is
evident in his public comments. Responding to a Twitter post by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) about Climate Week, Isaac dismissed the event as “a
celebration of people suffering from mental illness, #EcoDysphoria,” suggesting
that attendees want others to adopt the same mindset. During a 25 September
appearance on the right-wing Wisconsin radio program *The Vicki McKenna Show*,
he defended the fossil fuel industry, claiming that oil and gas are essential
to global prosperity. “I live a high-carbon lifestyle,” he said. “I wish the
rest of the world could, too.”
Formerly known as the Texas Natural
Gas Foundation, AEI primarily operates as a public relations outlet defending
the fossil fuel industry. Its blog posts argue in favor of carbon emissions and
criticize climate action, while longer reports promote anti-environmental,
social, and governance (ESG) policies and oppose the widespread adoption of
electric vehicles.
AEI’s board includes figures like
Steve Milloy, who served on Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency
transition team and has a history of climate denial, including work with a
tobacco industry front group. AEI’s 2022 tax filings reveal that it is a modest
operation, generating around $312,000 in revenue. The organization partially
funds its activities by selling merchandise, such as T-shirts and beer koozies
with slogans like “I Embrace The High Carbon Lifestyle.”
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