Environmentalists Urge Clinton Foundation To Return ExxonMobil Donations

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Clinton Foundation Urged to Return Exxon Money by Growing Coalition of Activists and Celebrities (Video)
Hillary can’t escape her financial connections to the fossil fuel industry.
By Reynard Loki
April 15, 2016

Coming on the heels of a massive national investigation launched by several state attorneys general into whether ExxonMobil intentionally deceived investors and the public over climate change, activists gathered at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to release an open letter urging the Clinton Foundation to return more than $1 million it has received from the oil giant.

"ExxonMobil is a company that has been fighting efforts to address the climate crisis for over 25 years," the signatories write. "This includes spending $30 million to support groups whose basic purpose is to encourage doubt and denial about the facts of climate change. Given that [the Clinton Foundation] does work to fight climate change, we are writing to urge you to return the more than $1 million that your foundation has received from ExxonMobil in recent years."

The influence the gas, oil and coal industries wield over politicians has come into strong focus in the Democratic primary race, with Vermont senator Bernie Sanders criticizing Clinton for accepting fossil fuel contributions.

Criticism of Clinton's connections to the fossil fuel industry has been mounting. Last month, author Naomi Klein rebuked the former New York senator for not taking action on climate when she was secretary of state. "I don't trust her on climate at all," Klein told Al Jazeera. "As secretary of state, when she had a huge megaphone to make this an issue, to show that she understands the connections between human security and climate, she didn't use the megaphone."



Environmental and faith leaders gathered at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to unveil their letter urging the Clinton Foundation to cut ties with Exxon. (L-R): Lise Van Susteren, Interfaith Moral Action on Climate; Catherine Thomasson, Physicians for Social Responsibility; Wenonah Hauter, Food & Water Watch; and Mike Tidwell, CCAN Action Fund

http://www.alternet.org/environment/clinton-foundation-urged-return-exxon-money-growing-coalition-activists-and-celebrities

Signers and full text of the letter

An Open Letter to the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation:

Dear Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton Foundation,

New evidence has emerged that ExxonMobil allegedly misled the public and its shareholders about the central role fossil fuels have played in driving the global climate crisis. Given that your foundation does work to fight climate change, we are writing to urge you to return the more than $1 million that your foundation has received from ExxonMobil in recent years.

ExxonMobil is a company that has been fighting efforts to address the climate crisis for over 25 years. This includes spending $30 million to support groups whose basic purpose is to encourage doubt and denial about the facts of climate change. These ExxonMobil-funded groups question whether climate change is happening at all or they question the role of human activity as the primary cause.

ExxonMobil is now under investigation by the offices of the Attorneys General of New York, California, Massachusetts, and the Virgin Islands for possible fraud and deception. News reports have shown that the company’s own scientists, doing research in the late 1970s and early 1980s, told top Exxon leadership about the dangers to human society from the continued reliance on fossil fuels.

This is not a company that your foundation should be associated with in terms of past, current, or future donations. The Clinton Foundation, among its philanthropic activities, has adopted the goal of addressing the issue of climate change. Your website accurately declares that the Foundation has "helped communities address the effects of climate change." Following Superstorm Sandy, for example, you recruited volunteers to work in support of Sandy victims.

An organization whose purpose includes addressing climate change should not be giving an implicit seal of approval and social license to a company like ExxonMobil by accepting the company’s money.

We call upon the Clinton Foundation to publicly disclose the dates and amounts of ExxonMobil donations it has received over the years, and to return that money to the company. Further, the Foundation should announce it will no longer accept donations from ExxonMobil in the future. Finally, we urge the Foundation to consider doing the same for donations it has received from other fossil fuel corporations. Such steps by a foundation as well-known and impactful as the Clinton Foundation would send a clear and much-needed signal to the world that this is the time, right now, when we must step up and take action in defense of our severely stressed planet, the Earth, our only home.

Sincerely,

Mike Tidwell, Director, CCAN Action Fund
Bill Snape, Senior Attorney, Center for Biological Diversity
RL Miller, President, Climate Hawks Vote
Lydia Avila, Executive Director, Energy Action Coalition
Drew Hudson, Executive Director, Environmental Action
Rev. Kristin Stoneking, Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation
Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director, Food & Water Watch and Food & Water Action Fund
Patrick Carolan, Executive Director, Franciscan Action Network
Lise Van Susteren, convenor, Interfaith Moral Action on Climate
Ronnie Cummins, Director, Organic Consumers Association
Catherine Thomasson, Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility
Ruth Breech, Senior Campaigner, Rainforest Action Network
Stop the Frack Attack Advisory Committee
Daphne Wysham, Director, Sustainable Energy and Economy Network
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Director, The Shalom Center
Ed Asner
Tim DeChristopher
Mark Ruffalo
Susan Sarandon
Rev. Lennox Yearwood