Conservative groups target climate researchers with open records requests

Key facts

• Conservative organizations are filing open records requests at public universities.
• The requests target emails, research drafts, and correspondence from climate change academics.
• The effort is described as an attempt to undermine climate research's role in litigation against U.S. fossil fuel companies.
• This strategy is part of a long-standing campaign by right-leaning groups to discredit climate scholars.
• The campaign is gaining momentum amid efforts by the Trump administration to block lawsuits against energy companies.

Conservative organizations are increasingly using open records requests to obtain documents from academics studying climate change. These requests, targeting emails, research drafts, and correspondence, are part of a strategy by right-leaning groups to undermine the influence of climate research in legal battles against U.S. fossil fuel companies. This tactic is seen as the latest move in a decades-long campaign to discredit scholars whose work could impact high-stakes climate litigation. The effort is reportedly gaining traction as the Trump administration seeks to block numerous lawsuits filed by communities affected by extreme weather events against energy companies.