Emails: Lead lawyer in major Climate lawsuit consulted on research he funded
The lead attorney representing the plaintiffs in a lawsuit claiming oil companies caused $51 billion in damages from climate change was accused in a motion by Chevron of colluding with the researchers of studies submitted in support of his client’s case. Emails obtained through a public records request show researchers have consulted that attorney on previous research he funded.
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Multnomah County is hoping to extract $51 billion from oil and gas companies it blames for a heat wave event in 2021, which was associated with over 100 deaths. The lawsuit it filed in 2023 against the companies was potentially undermined after the court learned the Oregon county failed to disclose that the plaintiff’s lead attorney, Roger Worthington, was involved in studies submitted in support of the county’s case.
The revelations of Worthington’s involvement came out when Chevron, one of the companies targeted by the lawsuit, filed a motion to have the studies stricken from the record. The court denied the request but not without sternly criticizing the county for failing to disclose the relationship.
During the hearing, the county denied that the researchers who published the studies had consulted with Worthington, as Chevron is alleging, beyond providing partial funding. However, emails obtained by the government transparency advocacy nonprofit Government Accountability & Oversight show that he did consult with the researchers on a 2024 study he also partially funded.
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