CLW recently posted “Memo Reveals Role of Climate Industry Players: Arabella Advisors and New Venture Fund”.
Now, researching certain relationships has reminded CLW of New Venture Fund’s direct and leading role in the climate litigation industry, including the case about to unfold in New York City later this month.
As the Wall Street Journal first reported back in April 2016, there was
“A key meeting in the new push unfolded in January behind closed doors at a Manhattan office building. The session brought together about a dozen people, including Kenny Bruno, a veteran of environmental campaigns, and Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, two activists who helped lead the successful fight to block the Keystone XL pipeline.”
It was this reporter whose calls led plaintiffs’ lawyer Matt Pawa and senior attorneys from the New York and Vermont AG offices to agree to mislead her about Pawa’s role in briefing AGs when they vowed “unprecedented cooperation” in using the courts to go after opponents of the climate political agenda.
The notorious Rockefeller “delegitimize” meeting’s “agenda was drafted by Kenny Bruno, an activist with the New Venture Fund…[it] outlined “the main avenues for legal actions & related campaigns,” including state attorneys general, the Department of Justice, international litigation, and tort lawsuits.”
Attendees included tort lawyers Matt Pawa and his partner in this enterprise of recruiting attorneys general – Brad Campbell of the Conservation Law Foundation – and Sharon Eubanks.
Privilege logs in open records litigation show Wasserman and RFF were in frequent contact with the NY AG’s office promoting investigation of specific companies for alleged climate offenses, at least none months before any subpoenas these parties sought were issued.