Exxon Lobbyist Admits Fighting Climate Science, Gutting Biden Bill

Channel 4 News

ExxonMobil uses its public endorsement of a carbon tax as a public relations stunt to delay environmental action while privately lobbying key senators to strip climate mandates from major legislation.

AI-assisted summary of Revealed: ExxonMobil’s lobbying war on climate change legislation — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published: 2021-06-30

Key ideas

An undercover sting by Greenpeace UK's Unearthed caught ExxonMobil senior lobbyist Keith McCoy admitting on camera that the company fought early climate science and used shadow groups to protect shareholder investments. (0:01)
McCoy identified Senator Joe Manchin as a key legislative 'kingmaker' contacted weekly, alongside 10 other bipartisan senators targeted to shape climate legislation, nine of whom received campaign donations totaling $117,000 from ExxonMobil. (1:40)
ExxonMobil systematically worked to shrink President Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure package down to an $800 billion 'roads and bridges' bill by challenging the germaneness of climate and emissions provisions. (5:08)
McCoy revealed that ExxonMobil's public advocacy for a carbon tax is merely a cynical talking point, knowing lawmakers lack the political will to enact such a tax. (7:02)

Detailed notes

## Background Published by Channel 4 News on YouTube on June 30, 2021, this investigative report features exclusive undercover footage obtained by Greenpeace UK's investigative unit, Unearthed. The broadcast examines the covert lobbying tactics of ExxonMobil, America's largest oil corporation, revealing how senior lobbyists work behind closed doors to undermine environmental legislation despite public pledges to combat the climate emergency.

## TL;DR In an undercover sting operation, ExxonMobil senior government affairs director Keith McCoy candidly reveals how the oil major covertly battles climate legislation and scientific consensus to protect shareholder profits. McCoy details aggressive backroom strategies on Capitol Hill, including cultivating weekly access to key senators like West Virginia's Joe Manchin and using trade associations as sacrificial shields to keep executives out of tough congressional hearings. He explains how the company successfully dismantled President Biden's $2 trillion American Jobs Plan into a reduced 'roads and bridges' package by stripping out vital clean energy mandates. Furthermore, McCoy admits that ExxonMobil's public advocacy for a carbon tax is merely an unachievable public relations talking point designed to deflect scrutiny and delay the transition to renewable alternatives.

## Atmosphere & style The broadcast carries an intense, revelatory investigative tone driven by Chief Correspondent Alex Thomson's sharp delivery and the stark contrast between public corporate posturing and private candid admissions. Watching the grainy undercover sting footage feels gripping and conspiratorial, capturing a high-level lobbyist casually detailing legislative manipulation with chilling detachment. This creates an emotional arc of growing outrage and cynicism as the mechanics of corporate influence over democratic climate policy are laid completely bare.

## Bulletin - [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=1s) An undercover sting by Greenpeace UK's Unearthed caught ExxonMobil senior lobbyist Keith McCoy admitting on camera that the company fought early climate science and used shadow groups to protect shareholder investments. - [01:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=100s) McCoy identified Senator Joe Manchin as a key legislative 'kingmaker' contacted weekly, alongside 10 other bipartisan senators targeted to shape climate legislation, nine of whom received campaign donations totaling $117,000 from ExxonMobil. - [05:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=308s) ExxonMobil systematically worked to shrink President Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure package down to an $800 billion 'roads and bridges' bill by challenging the germaneness of climate and emissions provisions. - [07:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=422s) McCoy revealed that ExxonMobil's public advocacy for a carbon tax is merely a cynical talking point, knowing lawmakers lack the political will to enact such a tax.

## Key takeaways - [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=1s) Undercover operatives posed as recruiters to record senior ExxonMobil government affairs director Keith McCoy discussing covert lobbying strategies. - [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=1s) McCoy admitted ExxonMobil actively fought early climate science and utilized shadow groups to safeguard investments and shareholder value. - [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=1s) ExxonMobil publicly disputed McCoy's statements, stating it has supported climate science for decades and accusing Greenpeace of running a smear campaign. - [01:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=100s) Lobbyists target congressional chiefs of staff like 'reeling in' fish to orchestrate floor speeches, bill introductions, and regulatory letters. - [01:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=100s) West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin was described by McCoy as an essential 'kingmaker' with whom ExxonMobil communicates on a weekly basis. - [01:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=100s) McCoy named a targeted bipartisan group of 11 key senators, 9 of whom received a total of $117,000 in campaign funding from ExxonMobil. - [04:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=256s) ExxonMobil uses trade associations and third-party industry groups as 'whipping boys' to absorb public congressional grilling in place of its corporate executives. - [04:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=256s) Lobbyists actively protected ExxonMobil's CEO from testifying before congressional committees to avoid hostile public scrutiny. - [05:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=308s) The company actively undermined President Biden's $2 trillion American Jobs Plan, stripping out clean energy mandates by arguing they were not germane to a physical infrastructure bill. - [05:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=308s) By narrowing the infrastructure package to physical roads and bridges, lobbyists helped reduce the proposed spending to approximately $800 billion. - [07:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=422s) ExxonMobil's public endorsement of a carbon tax serves primarily as an unpassable PR talking point to project climate commitment without real legislative risk. - [07:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=422s) Lobbying efforts push narratives to convince policymakers and the public that rapid adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy is technically unfeasible within a 10-year window.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=1s) Undercover Sting: A Washington Lobbyist Admits Fighting Climate Science

In a European capital, operatives from *Unearthed*, Greenpeace UK’s investigative unit, set up covert recording gear to stage an undercover video call. On the receiving end on Washington D.C.’s K Street—the epicenter of American lobbying power—sat Keith McCoy, a senior director in ExxonMobil’s government affairs operation. McCoy believed he was participating in an exploratory recruitment interview after being headhunted for an executive lobbying role. Instead, the timing coincided directly with high-stakes negotiations in the United States Congress over what was being framed as America's most significant legislative opportunity to combat the climate emergency.

During the call, McCoy made unprecedented candid admissions regarding the fossil fuel giant's historic and covert resistance to climate action, acknowledging that the corporation actively sought to obscure environmental findings through third-party organizations to protect its balance sheet. When asked whether the company aggressively fought against early climate science and funded shadow outfits, McCoy was blunt:

> “Did we aggressively fight against some of the science? Yes. Did we join some of these shadow groups to work against some of the early efforts? Yes, that's true. But there's nothing illegal about that. You know, we were looking out for our investments, we were looking out for our shareholders.”

ExxonMobil firmly disputed McCoy's statements, maintaining that the company has supported climate science for decades and accusing Greenpeace of running an aggressive, multi-decade smear campaign against the oil major and the broader energy industry.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: ExxonMobil Lobbying Strategy Overview accDescr: Diagram illustrating ExxonMobil's covert lobbying pipelines, political targets, and public deflection tactics. subgraph InfluencePipeline ["Covert Influence"] A["K Street Lobbyists (Keith McCoy)"] -->|"Direct Outreach"| B["Congressional Staff & Senators' Chiefs of Staff"] A -->|"Public Testimony Shield"| C["Trade Associations ('Whipping Boy')"] end subgraph LegislativeTargets ["Capitol Hill Targets"] B --> D["Kingmaker: Sen. Joe Manchin"] B --> E["Bipartisan Senate Block (10 Named Senators)"] D & E --> F["Strip Climate Spending (Reduce to 'Roads & Bridges')"] end subgraph PublicDeflection ["Public vs. Private PR"] G["Carbon Tax Endorsement"] -->|"Private Reality"| H["Unpassable Talking Point (Delay & Deflect)"] end ```

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[01:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=100s) Reel Them In: Capitol Hill Targets and Key Senate Targets

McCoy described the daily mechanics of influencing lawmakers as an exercise in psychological capture, employing a fishing metaphor to explain how lobbyists manipulate elected officials behind closed doors. Rather than encountering hostility, lobbyists find that members of Congress are eager to engage because of reciprocal dependencies. McCoy explained that establishing personal rapport with a member's chief of staff is the crucial operational lever:

> “When you have an opportunity to talk to a member of Congress, it's I liken it to fishing, right? You have bait, you throw that bait out, it's all these opportunities that you use, and to use the fishing analogy again, just to kind of reel them in because they're a captive audience. They know they need you, and I need them.”

By leveraging access to a chief of staff, lobbyists can dictate precise legislative maneuvers on demand: - Requesting a representative to formally introduce or sponsor specific bills. - Coordinating planned speeches and formal floor statements on the House or Senate floor. - Orchestrating official congressional letters to regulatory agencies.

When discussing individual targets, McCoy identified conservative West Virginia Democrat Senator Joe Manchin as Exxon’s paramount legislative ally. Manchin, who famously ran a campaign advertisement shooting President Obama’s 2009 cap-and-trade climate bill with a rifle, holds extraordinary leverage in an evenly divided Senate. McCoy revealed the intimate access his team maintains with the West Virginia senator:

> “Joe Manchin, I talk to his office every week. He is the kingmaker, and he's not shy about sort of staking his claim early and completely changing the debate.”

Public campaign finance filings demonstrate that Senator Manchin has received tens of thousands of dollars from ExxonMobil and its affiliate trade associations. Beyond Manchin, McCoy specifically named ten other United States senators deemed critical to ExxonMobil's legislative agenda: - Democrats: Chris Coons (Delaware), Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire), Mark Kelly (Arizona), Kyrsten Sinema (Arizona), and Jon Tester (Montana). - Republicans: John Barrasso (Wyoming), Shelley Moore Capito (West Virginia), John Cornyn (Texas), Steve Daines (Montana), and Marco Rubio (Florida).

Records confirm that with the exceptions of Kelly and Hassan, all of the named senators received political contributions from ExxonMobil, totaling $117,000 across their campaigns. Channel 4 News offered all eleven senators an opportunity to respond; none provided a comment. ExxonMobil stated in response that all corporate lobbying activities comply strictly with federal disclosure statutes and are publicly reported every quarter.

---

[04:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=256s) Shielding Executives Behind Trade Associations

Despite claims of transparency, McCoy revealed that ExxonMobil works deliberately to insulate its top corporate officers from direct accountability before congressional committees. Facing aggressive public hearings carries significant reputational and political risks for executive leadership. Consequently, ExxonMobil deploys external industry coalitions and trade groups to absorb public outrage on Capitol Hill on behalf of oil companies:

> “We don't want it to be us to have these conversations, especially in a hearing. It's getting our associations to step in and have those conversations and answer those tough questions and be the, for lack of a better term, the whipping boy for some of these members of Congress.”

McCoy noted that this buffer tactic is applied systematically when progressive committee chairs issue summons to ExxonMobil's chief executive officer:

> “Our CEO was invited to a hearing from a member of Congress who we know is just going to rip him to shreds when he goes there. The main thing that they're looking at is just to get ExxonMobil in front of a congressional hearing so they can rip us apart.”

---

[05:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=308s) Dismantling Biden's Infrastructure Bill to 'Roads and Bridges'

The undercover investigation laid bare ExxonMobil’s covert legislative war against President Joe Biden's flagship $2 trillion American Jobs Plan. Even as regions across North America experienced unprecedented, deadly heat waves, ExxonMobil’s lobbying machine mobilized on Capitol Hill to systematically gut the bill's foundational clean energy and carbon reduction mandates.

The strategy was straightforward: reframe the $2 trillion omnibus package down to an approximately $800 billion bare-bones infrastructure measure confined strictly to physical transit. McCoy detailed how lobbyists introduced procedural and conceptual objections regarding legislative germaneness to disqualify climate mandates:

> “Why would you put in something on emissions reductions on climate change to oil refineries in a highway bill? So people say, 'Yeah, that doesn't make any sense,' so then you get to the germaneness and say, 'That shouldn't be in this bill.'”

By steering the debate strictly to traditional concrete and steel, the environmental teeth of the bill were pulled:

> “When you start to stick to roads and bridges, instead of a two trillion dollar bill it's an 800 billion dollar bill. If you lower that threshold, you stick to highways and bridges, then a lot of the negative stuff starts to come out.”

Following this intense backroom pressure, the sweeping two-trillion-dollar climate package fractured, leaving major green spending and regulatory initiatives stripped out of the bipartisan infrastructure framework. ExxonMobil disputed Channel 4 News's portrayal of their role, arguing that their outreach had been misrepresented and that corporate lobbying was focused on preventing tax burdens that would disadvantage American businesses.

---

[07:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=422s) The Carbon Tax Sham and the Playbook of Delay

Recent academic investigations into fossil fuel public relations highlight a pronounced divergence between ExxonMobil’s public rhetoric and its closed-door activities. Although ExxonMobil publicly champions an economy-wide carbon tax as an elegant market-based climate mechanism, McCoy admitted behind closed doors that the policy position is an empty public relations stunt embraced precisely because corporate leadership knows Congress will never implement it:

> “Nobody is going to propose a tax on all Americans, and the cynical side of me says, yeah, we kind of know that. But it gives us a talking point that we can say, well what is ExxonMobil for? We're for a carbon tax.”

When asked directly why the tax would never materialize, McCoy dismissed the possibility outright:

> “Carbon tax isn't going to happen. And the bottom line is it's going to take political courage, political will in order to get something done, and that doesn't exist in politics. It just doesn't.”

ExxonMobil countered by reiterating that it has formally backed an economy-wide price on carbon dioxide emissions for more than a decade.

McCoy detailed an identical approach applied to clean energy alternatives and vehicle electrification. Rather than opposing green innovations directly, ExxonMobil crafts messaging campaigns designed to convince lawmakers and consumers that widespread adoption of renewable power and electric vehicles is technically and logistically unfeasible for at least another generation:

> “You're not going to be able to just switch to battery-operated vehicles or wind for your electricity. And just having that conversation around why that's not possible in the next 10 years is critically important to the work that we do.”

While climate scientists warn that greenhouse gas emissions must be radically curtailed immediately, McCoy's disclosures reveal the enduring pillars of the modern fossil fuel lobby: manufacture doubt, deflect responsibility onto trade associations, champion unpassable market proposals, and delay transition timelines from inside the corridors of power.

## Notable quotes > [07:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=422s) Nobody is going to propose a tax on all Americans, and the cynical side of me says, yeah, we kind of know that. But it gives us a talking point that we can say, well what is ExxonMobil for? We're for a carbon tax. — Keith McCoy

> [07:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=422s) Carbon tax isn't going to happen. And the bottom line is it's going to take political courage, political will in order to get something done, and that doesn't exist in politics. It just doesn't. — Keith McCoy

> [01:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=100s) Joe Manchin, I talk to his office every week. He is the kingmaker, and he's not shy about sort of staking his claim early and completely changing the debate. — Keith McCoy

## Mentioned Alex Thomson, American Jobs Plan, Channel 4 News, Chris Coons, ExxonMobil, Greenpeace UK, Joe Biden, Joe Manchin, John Barrasso, John Cornyn, Jon Tester, Keith McCoy, Kyrsten Sinema, Maggie Hassan, Marco Rubio, Mark Kelly, Shelley Moore Capito, Steve Daines, Unearthed, United States Congress

## Video description They're America's biggest oil company - committed they claim, to tackling the climate emergency. But tonight this programme can reveal undercover footage of one of Exxonmobil's top Washington lobbyists - speaking candidly about his efforts to undermine new legislation to protect the environment. The lobbyist was captured on camera by the environmental group Greenpeace UK - boasting of how Exxonmobil has fought climate science, and operated behind closed doors to water down green legislation. Exxonmobil dispute the claims - and accuse Greenpeace of "waging a campaign against them". In the first part of a series of reports on the secretive world of fossil fuel lobbying - our Chief Correspondent Alex Thomson has this exclusive story.

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[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE)

中文简报

埃克森美孚说客承认对抗气候科学并削弱拜登法案埃克森美孚将公开支持碳税作为拖延环保行动的公关噱头，同时私下游说关键参议员从重大立法中剔除气候强制条款。在一次卧底暗访行动中，埃克森美孚高级政府事务总监基思·麦考伊坦率透露了这家石油巨头如何秘密对抗气候立法和科学共识以保护股东利润。麦考伊详细介绍了在国会山采取的激进幕后策略，包括与西弗吉尼亚州参议员乔·曼钦等关键议员建立每周联络渠道，以及利用行业协会作为挡箭牌，使公司高管免受严厉的国会听证质询。他解释了公司如何通过剥离关键的清洁能源强制要求，成功将拜登总统规模达2万亿美元的《美国就业计划》缩减为精简版的“道路与桥梁”法案。此外，麦考伊承认，埃克森美孚公开倡导碳税纯粹是一个无法实现的公关说辞，旨在转移外界审视并推迟向可再生替代能源的转型。英国绿色和平组织旗下调查机构“Unearthed”开展的一项卧底暗访拍摄到，埃克森美孚高级说客基思·麦考伊在镜头前承认该公司曾对抗早期气候科学，并利用影子团体来保护股东投资。 (0:01) 麦考伊将参议员乔·曼钦指认为每周保持联络的关键立法“造王者”，此外还锁定了其他10名两党参议员以影响气候立法，其中9人共计获得了埃克森美孚11.7万美元的竞选捐款。 (1:40) 埃克森美孚通过质疑气候和排放条款的关联性，系统性地推动将拜登总统规模达2万亿美元的基础设施一揽子方案削减为8000亿美元的“道路与桥梁”法案。 (5:08) 麦考伊透露，埃克森美孚公开倡导碳税只是一种虚伪的说辞，因为他们深知立法者缺乏落实该税收的政治意愿。 (7:02)

Reading summary

In an undercover investigation by Greenpeace UK's Unearthed, an ExxonMobil senior lobbyist revealed how the oil major covertly resists climate legislation by targeting key lawmakers, gutting environmental mandates, and leveraging unpassable policy proposals as delay tactics—claims ExxonMobil firmly disputes. Targeting Kingmaker Senators and Congressional Staff (1:40) Keith McCoy, a senior director in ExxonMobil’s government affairs operation, described lobbying lawmakers as an exercise in psychological capture akin to 'fishing,' where lobbyists target chiefs of staff to coordinate floor statements, introduce legislation, and direct letters to regulators. McCoy identified moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia as Exxon’s prime legislative 'kingmaker,' noting he speaks with Manchin's office weekly. McCoy also cited ten other bipartisan senators critical to Exxon’s goals, including Democrats Chris Coons, Maggie Hassan, Mark Kelly, Kyrsten Sinema, and Jon Tester, alongside Republicans John Barrasso, Shelley Moore Capito, John Cornyn, Steve Daines, and Marco Rubio. Campaign finance records confirm that ExxonMobil contributed a total of $117,000 across nine of these senators' campaigns, excluding Kelly and Hassan, and had given tens of thousands to Manchin and affiliated groups. None of the eleven senators provided comment when contacted by Channel 4 News. ExxonMobil stated in response that all corporate lobbying activities comply strictly with federal disclosure statutes and are publicly reported every quarter. Dismantling Federal Infrastructure to Roads and Bridges (5:08) During negotiations over President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion American Jobs Plan, ExxonMobil mobilized lobbyists on Capitol Hill to strip foundational climate provisions and emissions reduction mandates on oil refineries. McCoy explained that lobbyists utilized procedural and conceptual arguments regarding legislative 'germaneness' to argue that climate mandates had no place in a highway bill. By systematically restricting the debate to an approximately $800 billion package confined strictly to traditional physical transit, the fossil fuel lobby successfully removed sweeping green spending and regulatory initiatives from the bipartisan infrastructure framework. ExxonMobil disputed Channel 4 News's portrayal, arguing that its outreach was misrepresented and that corporate lobbying was focused on preventing tax burdens that would disadvantage American businesses. Promoting Unpassable Carbon Taxes to Delay Transition (7:02) Although ExxonMobil has publicly advocated for an economy-wide carbon tax for more than a decade, McCoy conceded that the stance serves primarily as an empty talking point because corporate leadership knows Congress will never implement it. McCoy stated that enacting a broad tax on all Americans requires political courage that simply does not exist in contemporary politics, making the policy an effective public relations shield. McCoy revealed that ExxonMobil adopts an identical playbook of delay regarding clean energy alternatives and vehicle electrification. Rather than opposing green innovations directly, corporate messaging campaigns focus on convincing lawmakers and the public that transitioning to battery-powered vehicles or renewable power grids is technically and logistically unfeasible for at least the next ten years. Shielding Corporate Executives Behind External Groups (4:16) McCoy acknowledged that ExxonMobil historically fought early climate science and joined shadow groups to protect company investments and shareholder returns, while maintaining that these actions were entirely legal. Furthermore, McCoy disclosed that ExxonMobil deliberately deploys industry coalitions and trade associations to absorb public scrutiny and testify before hostile congressional committees. By positioning external trade groups as a 'whipping boy' to answer tough questions during Capitol Hill hearings, the company actively shields its chief executive officer and top corporate leadership from direct confrontation with progressive lawmakers. ExxonMobil countered McCoy’s statements by maintaining that the company has supported climate science for decades and accused Greenpeace of conducting a multi-decade smear campaign against the energy industry. While the undercover recording details an explicit insider strategy to manipulate legislative gatekeepers, dilute climate legislation, and use unviable market proposals to buy time, ExxonMobil maintains that its lobbying strictly follows federal disclosure laws, seeks to protect business competitiveness, and supports climate science.

精炼阅读摘要

英国绿色和平组织调查机构Unearthed的卧底暗访显示，ExxonMobil政府事务高级主管Keith McCoy承认，该公司曾通过影子组织阻击气候科学，并运用国会游说策略削弱美国关键气候立法；ExxonMobil对此坚决驳斥，强调其数十年间始终支持气候科学且所有游说均严格合规。卧底调查与早期气候科学阻击 (0:01) 在Unearthed设置的虚假猎头招聘通话中，ExxonMobil资深游说主管Keith McCoy对该企业抵制气候行动的历史作出了私下说明。McCoy在对话中承认，公司早期确实曾加入第三方“影子组织”来对抗气候科学研究与治理举措，其目的在于保护投资组合与股东利益，并强调此类操作在法律上并无不合规之处。针对暗访曝光的内容，ExxonMobil公开发表声明坚决否认，声称该企业数十年以来始终支持气候科学，并指责绿色和平组织长期针对传统能源巨头展开有预谋的抹黑与攻击活动。国会“垂钓”与跨党派参议员网络 (1:40) McCoy将游说美国国会议员的过程比喻为“垂钓”，指出游说者通过与议员的幕僚长（Chief of Staff）建立互利关系，能够协调议员发起特定法案、在国会发表预定演讲或向监管机构致函施压。他特别将西弗吉尼亚州民主党参议员Joe Manchin称为对立法具有决定性影响的“造王者”（kingmaker），透露游说团队每周都会与其办公室沟通。除Manchin外，McCoy还点名了另外10位核心参议员，包括民主党人Chris Coons、Maggie Hassan、Mark Kelly、Kyrsten Sinema和Jon Tester，以及共和党人John Barrasso、Shelley Moore Capito、John Cornyn、Steve Daines和Marco Rubio。公开竞选财务记录显示，除Kelly与Hassan外，其余9位参议员共计从ExxonMobil获得了11.7万美元的政治献金；相关议员均未回应置评请求，而ExxonMobil强调其季度游说披露完全符合联邦法规。行业协会充当国会质询“替罪羊” (4:16) 为规避高管直接出席国会委员会听证会所面临的严厉政治诘问与声誉风险，McCoy透露ExxonMobil采取了系统性的风险隔离手段。当进步派委员会主席传唤企业最高管理层时，公司会刻意避免让首席执行官亲自坐上听证席。在这一策略下，ExxonMobil推动外部行业联盟与贸易协会出面应诉，使其成为承受国会议员猛烈抨击的“替罪羊”（whipping boy），以此构筑公关缓冲带，掩护石油巨头核心领导层免遭公开针对与质询。肢解拜登基建法案的气候条款 (5:08) 在拜登政府提出2万亿美元的《美国就业计划》（American Jobs Plan）期间，ExxonMobil团队展开了针对性的游说阻击。McCoy解释，游说人员利用立法程序中的“相关性”（germaneness）争议，质问为何在公路法案中加入针对炼油厂的气候减排要求，从而推动立法者剔除环境约束。通过将法案讨论范围严格局限在传统的“道路与桥梁”物理基建上，原本总额达2万亿美元的综合方案被压缩为约8000亿美元的精简法案，主要绿色支出与减排监管条款随之被剥离。ExxonMobil对此回应称，其沟通诉求被外界曲解，企业游说旨在防止加重企业税负并削弱美国商业竞争力。碳税公关话术与新能源拖延战术 (7:02) 尽管ExxonMobil在对外公关中长期公开支持以市场为导向的全国性碳税，但McCoy在对话中承认该政策在私下实为不可行的游说掩护。他表示，政界根本缺乏征收全民税收的政治意愿，倡导碳税纯粹是为企业提供正面宣传口径；ExxonMobil则重申其十多年来一直正式倡导碳定价机制。类似逻辑同样运用于阻滞清洁能源转型。McCoy透露，公司致力于向决策层普及“技术悲观论”，强调未来十年内彻底转向电动汽车或风能供电在物流与技术层面均不现实，从而在立法和舆论层面达到拖延能源转型时间表的效果。该卧底调查指出了大型化石能源企业在公开公关表态与幕后立法游说之间的显著落差，揭示了通过行业组织分流责任、倡导缺乏可行性的方案以及延缓转型进度的具体游说手段；不过，上述对话主要反映游说者个人的内部陈述，游说干预在整场立法进程中的实际决定性作用仍交织于复杂的国会政治博弈之中。

Detailed notes — zh

## Background 该视频由英国第四台新闻（Channel 4 News）于2021年6月30日发布在YouTube平台。视频基于英国绿色和平组织调查机构Unearthed的独家卧底暗访，披露了美国最大石油巨头埃克森美孚（ExxonMobil）高管暗中破坏气候保护立法的真实游说内幕，而埃克森美孚对此回应称绿色和平组织对其发起了恶意舆论战。 ## TL;DR 本片曝光了埃克森美孚华盛顿特区资深游说高管基思·麦考伊在虚假招聘面试中的私下坦白。麦考伊在暗访镜头前承认，公司曾利用影子团体反击气候科学以捍卫股东利益，并将包括乔·曼钦在内的关键国会参议员视为可以操控的受动目标。他还披露了埃克森美孚如何拿行业协会充当国会质询的“替罪羊”、如何以“内容相关性”为由游说将拜登2万亿美元基建法案中的气候条款彻底剔除，以及将公开支持碳税作为不用兑现的公关掩护、在绿色转型中极力推行“拖延与怀疑”的双面派策略。 ## Atmosphere & style 整部调查报道呈现出一种紧迫、冷峻且充满张力的侦查纪实风格。暗访视频中游说高管自信且毫不避讳的言辞，与全美极端热浪灾害画面及国会山庄的庄严形成刺眼的荒诞反差。记者亚历克斯·汤姆森以严谨犀利的叙事逐步推进，将政治黑箱操作与幕后利益输送层层剖析，带给观众一种冰冷刺骨且深感幻灭的震撼观感。 ## Bulletin - [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=1s) 绿色和平组织卧底暗访曝光埃克森美孚资深游说高管基思·麦考伊的录像，麦考伊亲口承认公司曾加入影子团体对抗气候科学，以保护投资与股东利益。 - [01:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=108s) 麦考伊披露其团队将国会议员视作被动上钩的猎物，重点攻关民主党关键参议员乔·曼钦及其他跨党派议员，名单中9位参议员共计接受过埃克森美孚11.7万美元的政治献金。 - [05:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=308s) 埃克森美孚利用法案‘相关性’游说策略，成功将拜登政府原定2万亿美元的旗舰基建法案中的气候支出剔除，缩水至约8,000亿美元的传统公路修造法案。 - [07:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=422s) 麦考伊承认埃克森美孚公开支持‘碳税’仅是毫无落地风险的公关谈资，并利用行业协会作为听证会替罪羊，在电动汽车和可再生能源议题上持续散布怀疑以拖延转型。 ## Key takeaways - [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=1s) 绿色和平组织旗下调查机构Unearthed通过虚构跨国招聘面试，暗访拍摄了埃克森美孚K街游说高管基思·麦考伊的真实陈词。 - [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=1s) 基思·麦考伊成为首位公开承认公司曾激进反击科学结论、资助影子团体阻碍早期减排立法的石油高管，并辩称其行为完全合法且旨在维护股东利益。 - [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=1s) 面对卧底视频披露的证据，埃克森美孚回应坚称数十年如一日支持气候科学，并反指绿色和平组织发动长期恶意公关战。 - [01:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=108s) 麦考伊将国会议员比作上钩的鱼，游说日常依赖于向议员幕僚长提供具体鱼饵，指令其撰写立法、发表议场讲话或联名致函施压。 - [01:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=108s) 保守派民主党参议员乔·曼钦被埃克森美孚视作扭转辩论走向的‘造王者’，游说团队每周均与其办公室直接沟通。 - [03:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=216s) 埃克森美孚圈定了包括曼钦、西内玛、卢比奥等在内的11位两党核心参议员，其中9人累计收取了来自该公司的11.7万美元政治献金。 - [03:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=216s) 为避免高管和品牌在国会公开听证会上直面公众舆论谴责，埃克森美孚习惯性将行业贸易协会推到前台充当替罪羊和挡箭牌。 - [05:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=308s) 白宫原计划推动融合气候变化与传统基建的2万亿美元法案，但在埃克森美孚的阻击下，气候和新能源条款被剥离殆尽。 - [05:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=308s) 埃克森美孚利用法案‘相关性’审查逻辑说服国会议员，声称炼油厂减排等气候规定不应混入传统道路交通预算法案，法案最终被腰斩为约8,000亿美元。 - [07:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=422s) 埃克森美孚对外宣扬支持十余年的‘碳税’实为免责公关策略，公司明知国会缺乏通过碳税立法的政治魄力，借此打造虚假的绿色形象。 - [07:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=422s) 游说团队在电动汽车与风电等清洁技术领域反复灌输‘未来十年不可能实现全面替代’的怀疑论调，通过‘拖延与质疑’拖慢能源转型步伐。 ## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=1s) 卧底暗访曝光内幕：游说高管承认利用影子团体对抗气候科学上个月，在欧洲某国首都，英国绿色和平组织旗下的调查机构“Unearthed”完成了最后的设备调试，暗中架设隐蔽录音与拍摄装备。而在大洋彼岸的华盛顿特区，美国最顶尖游说机构汇聚的K街（K Street）上，全美最大石油巨头埃克森美孚（ExxonMobil）的关键游说高管基思·麦考伊（Keith McCoy）正等候视频通话。此刻正值全美抗击气候危机的关键立法由国会审议的节点，时机极为敏感。麦考伊自以为参加的是一场高规格的猎头跨国招聘面试，却未料到自己正被全程隐蔽拍摄。视频接通寒暄后不久，麦考伊便成为首位公开在镜头前承认公司暗中破坏气候科学的石油高管。当被问及埃克森美孚是否曾利用前沿机构对抗气候科学以最大化股东利润时，基思·麦考伊直言不讳地坦白道：“我们是否曾激进地反击过某些科学结论？是的。我们是否加入过其中一些影子团体来抵制早期的减排努力？是的，确实如此；但那完全没有任何违法之处，你知道，我们是在维护我们的投资，我们是在维护我们的股东利益。” 面对这一重磅暗访画面，埃克森美孚迅速作出反驳，声称公司数十年来始终坚定支持气候科学，并反诉绿色和平组织针对埃克森美孚及整个化石能源行业发起了一场持续数十年的恶意舆论战。 ### [01:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=108s) “议员就是上钩的鱼”：埃克森美孚对关键参议员的幕后操控暗访视频真实揭露了大型石油公司如何操控最高权力核心。麦考伊毫不避讳地将国会议员比作水里的鱼，而埃克森美孚就是钓鱼的渔夫。他解释道，与国会议员沟通就像下饵捕鱼，通过抛出各种量身定制的机会当作鱼饵，再把他们像猎物一样收线拖拽进来，因为议员们实际上是“被动的目标”，彼此深知各取所需的利益捆绑关系。游说活动深植于闭门运作之中，其核心是打通幕僚长（Chief of Staff）的关系，直接授意某位议员牵头提出法案、发表议场演讲或联名致信。在麦考伊眼中，最重要的“头号大鱼”是保守派民主党参议员乔·曼钦（Joe Manchin）。曼钦曾在竞选广告中亲手开枪射击奥巴马时期的“限额与交易”（Cap and Trade）气候法案，被视作国会参议院的实权仲裁者。基思·麦考伊明确评价道：“对于乔·曼钦，我每周都会同他的办公室沟通；他是执掌乾坤的关键造王者（Kingmaker），而且他从不避讳及早表明立场，从而彻底扭转整场辩论的走向。” 公开法律申报文件证实，参议员曼钦已从埃克森美孚及其行业贸易协会处收取了数万美元的政治资金支持。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 埃克森美孚国会游说与利益输送机制 accDescr: 展现埃克森美孚游说团队如何通过幕僚长操纵国会议员及行业协会规避审查的运作链条 subgraph 游说与操控机制 EM["埃克森美孚游说核心 (K街)"] -->|"定期沟通与抛出利益鱼饵"| CS["国会议员幕僚长 (Chiefs of Staff)"] CS -->|"指令传达"| LAW["国会议员 / 参议员"] LAW -->|"议场发言 / 引入法案 / 撰写联名信"| LEG["立法与政策阻截"] end subgraph 资金与公关防护 EM -->|"提供11.7万美元等政治献金"| TARGETS["关键参议员 (曼钦等11人)"] EM -->|"推到前台承受炮火"| ASSOC["行业贸易协会 (遮羞布/替罪羊)"] ASSOC -->|"应对国会公开听证质询"| HEAR["国会公开审查"] end ``` - 麦考伊点名的核心影响对象包括西弗吉尼亚州民主党参议员乔·曼钦，其每周均与埃克森美孚保持沟通。 - 麦考伊指出，游说日常依赖于向议员幕僚长提出具体指令，包括代写立法草案、安排议场发言或向行政部门施压致函。 ### [03:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=216s) 拿行业协会当“替罪羊”：规避国会听证质询的遮羞布策略除了关键的乔·曼钦，麦考伊还在暗访中透露了对埃克森美孚至关重要的其他10位参议员名单，横跨两党，具体包括：马克·凯利（Mark Kelly）、克里斯·库恩斯（Chris Coons）、雪莱·摩尔·卡皮托（Shelley Moore Capito）、柯尔丝滕·西内玛（Kyrsten Sinema）、乔恩·泰斯特（Jon Tester）、玛吉·哈桑（Maggie Hassan）、约翰·巴拉索（John Barrasso）、史蒂夫·戴恩斯（Steve Daines）、约翰·科宁（John Cornyn）以及马可·卢比奥（Marco Rubio）。在这一长串名单中，除凯利与哈桑之外，其余所有参议员均接受过来自埃克森美孚的竞选资金，总计达117,000美元。针对记者的置评请求，上述议员均未予回应；而埃克森美孚则坚称其游说行为完全合法合规，并按季度向社会全面公开披露。麦考伊进一步承认，埃克森美孚深谙隐秘行动之道，极力避免在国会聚光灯下承担直接责任，其应对策略是将各类行业贸易协会推到聚光灯前去当挡箭牌。在谈及如何逃避议员在听证会上的严厉质问时，基思·麦考伊坦率地解释道：“我们绝不想亲自出面去展开这些对话，特别是在公开听证会上；我们的做法是推动我们旗下的各个行业协会站出来介入对话、回答那些尖锐棘手的问题，并充当某些国会议员宣泄怒火的受气包或替罪羊。” 麦考伊回忆，曾有国会议员向埃克森美孚首席执行官（CEO）发出公开听证会邀请，但团队心知肚明议员的目的就是要把巨头高管拉到现场“撕得粉碎”，因此公司选择利用行业协会在暗处抵挡公众审查与舆论风暴。 - 麦考伊列出的11位核心参议员中，有9位接受了埃克森美孚的献金，累计总额达117,000美元。 - 面对涉及企业核心环保责任的国会尖锐听证，埃克森美孚一贯安排行业协会（Trade Associations）作为缓冲盾牌，防止高管个人及公司品牌声誉受损。 ### [05:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=308s) 肢解拜登2万亿基建法案：游说剔除气候支出，缩水至“修桥修路” 在全美正遭遇被气象学家形容为“启示录式”的致命热浪袭击、极端气候警钟长鸣之际，白宫正全力推动拜登总统标志性的2万亿美元旗舰法案，试图将就业创造、传统基础设施建设与数千亿美元的应对气候变化支出深度绑定。然而在华盛顿国会山，埃克森美孚展开了一场截然相反的秘密狙击战，游说议员将所有针对气候变化与绿色能源的开支全盘剥离，迫使法案退回单纯的“修桥铺路”。麦考伊揭露了埃克森美孚游说议员采用的“相关性（Germaneness）”策略。他们对议员循循善诱，声称气候开支根本不属于传统交通基建范畴。基思·麦考伊描述了说服议员的逻辑：“你为什么要把针对炼油厂的气候变化减排条款塞进一份公路预算法案里呢？大家听了就会觉得‘对啊，这根本毫无逻辑’，于是你就可以抓住这种相关性问题向他们施压，认定这些内容绝不应当出现在这份法案当中。” 通过这一游说策略，原本2万亿美元的庞大法案被肢解缩水为约8,000亿美元的纯基建框架，其中的重大绿色转型措施被尽数抹去。面对将法案缩水归咎于大石油游说集团的指控，埃克森美孚辩解称相关报道扭曲了其立场，并称其游说重点在于反对可能削弱美国企业竞争力的繁重税负，同时仍在致力于推进二氧化碳捕集等技术。 - 拜登政府原计划推出规模达2万亿美元、融合就业与气候转型的全面基础设施法案。 - 埃克森美孚成功游说将气候条款剔除，推动法案降级为聚焦于公路和桥梁的8,000亿美元传统基建法案。 - 游说核心切入点是法案内容的“关联性审查”，借此阻挠针对炼油厂等化石能源设施的碳减排规管。 ### [07:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=422s) 碳税不过是公关话术：埃克森美孚“拖延与怀疑”的虚伪两面派策略近年来的学术研究揭示，埃克森美孚长期奉行“公开一套、私下一套”的双轨公关机制。在公开场合，埃克森美孚反复标榜自身积极拥抱绿色责任，声称十多年来始终支持全面征收碳税（Carbon Tax）。但在麦考伊的私人谈话中，这一面具被彻底撕下。他承认，支持碳税纯粹是一套没有任何落地风险的安全公关说辞，因为华盛顿的政客根本没有推行碳税的政治魄力。基思·麦考伊极其坦白地自嘲道：“我身上犬儒的一面会告诉我，没错，我们骨子里其实清楚这一点；但这恰好为我们提供了一个现成的公关谈资，每当被问及‘埃克森美孚究竟支持什么’时，我们就可以堂而皇之地声称‘我们支持征收碳税’。” 这种策略同样被如法炮制在电动汽车和可再生能源领域。麦考伊强调，公司的游说工作重点在于向决策层灌输“怀疑与拖延”，反复渲染在未来十年内全面切换至电池驱动汽车或风力发电在现实中根本不可能实现。基思·麦考伊总结道：“引导外界就‘为何在未来十年内根本无法实现转型’展开讨论，这对我们正在开展的游说工作而言具有极其关键的意义。” 然而，现代气候科学发出的严峻警告表明，人类根本没有多余的十年可供蹉跎。“拖延、怀疑、转移视线”正是现代气候危机否认论的经典套路，而这位K街资深游说家的亲口证词，以极其罕见的内部第一视角，彻底撕碎了化石能源巨头的虚伪假面。 ## Notable quotes > [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=1s) 我们是否曾激进地反击过某些科学结论？是的。我们是否加入过其中一些影子团体来抵制早期的减排努力？是的，确实如此；但那完全没有任何违法之处，你知道，我们是在维护我们的投资，我们是在维护我们的股东利益。 — 基思·麦考伊 > [03:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=216s) 我们绝不想亲自出面去展开这些对话，特别是在公开听证会上；我们的做法是推动我们旗下的各个行业协会站出来介入对话、回答那些尖锐棘手的问题，并充当某些国会议员宣泄怒火的受气包或替罪羊。 — 基思·麦考伊 > [07:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE&t=422s) 引导外界就‘为何在未来十年内根本无法实现转型’展开讨论，这对我们正在开展的游说工作而言具有极其关键的意义。 — 基思·麦考伊 ## Mentioned Channel 4 News, 埃克森美孚, ExxonMobil, 绿色和平组织, Greenpeace UK, Unearthed, 基思·麦考伊, Keith McCoy, 阿列克斯·汤姆森, Alex Thomson, 乔·曼钦, Joe Manchin, 马克·凯利, Mark Kelly, 克里斯·库恩斯, Chris Coons, 雪莱·摩尔·卡皮托, Shelley Moore Capito, 柯尔丝滕·西内玛, Kyrsten Sinema, 乔恩·泰斯特, Jon Tester, 玛吉·哈桑, Maggie Hassan, 约翰·巴拉索, John Barrasso, 史蒂夫·戴恩斯, Steve Daines, 约翰·科宁, John Cornyn, 马可·卢比奥, Marco Rubio, 乔·拜登, 巴拉克·奥巴马, K街, 美国国会 ## Video description They're America's biggest oil company - committed they claim, to tackling the climate emergency. But tonight this programme can reveal undercover footage of one of Exxonmobil's top Washington lobbyists - speaking candidly about his efforts to undermine new legislation to protect the environment. The lobbyist was captured on camera by the environmental group Greenpeace UK - boasting of how Exxonmobil has fought climate science, and operated behind closed doors to water down green legislation. Exxonmobil dispute the claims - and accuse Greenpeace of "waging a campaign against them". In the first part of a series of reports on the secretive world of fossil fuel lobbying - our Chief Correspondent Alex Thomson has this exclusive story. (Subscribe: https://bit.ly/C4_News_Subscribe) ------- Watch more of our explainer series here - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXjqQf1xYLQ6bu-iixvoFTVsiXQVlVniX Get more news at our site - https://www.channel4.com/news/ Follow us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Channel4News/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/Channel4News [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1Yg6XejyE)

Source quotes

[0:01] 基思·麦考伊: 我们是否曾激进地反击过某些科学结论？是的。我们是否加入过其中一些影子团体来抵制早期的减排努力？是的，确实如此；但那完全没有任何违法之处，你知道，我们是在维护我们的投资，我们是在维护我们的股东利益。 [3:36] 基思·麦考伊: 我们绝不想亲自出面去展开这些对话，特别是在公开听证会上；我们的做法是推动我们旗下的各个行业协会站出来介入对话、回答那些尖锐棘手的问题，并充当某些国会议员宣泄怒火的受气包或替罪羊。 [7:02] 基思·麦考伊: 引导外界就‘为何在未来十年内根本无法实现转型’展开讨论，这对我们正在开展的游说工作而言具有极其关键的意义。

Source quotes

[7:02] Keith McCoy: Nobody is going to propose a tax on all Americans, and the cynical side of me says, yeah, we kind of know that. But it gives us a talking point that we can say, well what is ExxonMobil for? We're for a carbon tax. [7:02] Keith McCoy: Carbon tax isn't going to happen. And the bottom line is it's going to take political courage, political will in order to get something done, and that doesn't exist in politics. It just doesn't. [1:40] Keith McCoy: Joe Manchin, I talk to his office every week. He is the kingmaker, and he's not shy about sort of staking his claim early and completely changing the debate.

Original transcript

[0:01] last month in a european capital [0:04] unearthed greenpeace uk's investigations [0:07] unit [0:07] is making the final preparations wiring [0:10] up [0:11] with covert recording devices on k [0:14] street washington dc home of america's [0:17] most powerful lobbyists [0:19] keith mccoy a key representative of the [0:22] biggest oil company in america [0:24] is waiting for the call the timing's [0:27] vital [0:28] what may be america's greatest chance to [0:30] combat the climate crisis [0:32] is going through congress right now [0:35] the video connection is set up it's time [0:40] to go to work hi good to see you moments [0:43] later mr [0:44] mccoy will become one of the first ever [0:46] executives to claim [0:48] that exxonmobil has aggressively fought [0:50] climate science using front [0:52] organizations [0:53] to maximize shareholder profit did we [0:56] aggressively [0:57] fight against um [1:01] uh some of the science [1:04] uh yes did we join some of these [1:07] shadow groups uh to work against [1:11] uh some of the early efforts yes that's [1:14] true [1:15] um but there's nothing there's nothing [1:18] illegal about that [1:19] uh you know we were looking out for our [1:22] investments [1:23] we were looking out for our in [1:27] our shareholders in response exxon said [1:30] we've supported climate science for [1:32] decades [1:33] and accused greenpeace of waging a [1:35] multi-decade campaign [1:36] against them and the industry [1:40] keith mccoy thinks he's being head [1:42] hunted for a new [1:43] job in fact of course he's being [1:45] covertly filmed [1:47] [Music] [1:49] so tonight a man boasting at a job [1:51] interview [1:52] or a never seen before look at how big [1:55] oil tries to manipulate big power [1:57] or both first the targets [2:02] congressmen are fish exxon [2:05] is the fisherman when you have an [2:07] opportunity to talk to a member of [2:09] congress you know [2:10] the the the you know it's it's i i liken [2:13] it to fishing right [2:14] yeah yeah you know you have bait you [2:16] throw that bait out you know it's all [2:18] these opportunities [2:20] that that you use and to use the [2:22] phishing analogy again just to kind of [2:24] reel them in because they're a captive [2:26] audience they know [2:28] they need you and i need them [2:31] senators pressed to do exxon's bidding [2:33] behind closed doors [2:36] you want to be able to go to the chief [2:37] and so the chief knows you [2:39] that you can go to the chief and say [2:41] look we've got this issue [2:43] uh we need congressman so and so to be [2:46] able to either introduce the spill we [2:48] need him to make a floor statement we [2:49] need him to send a letter [2:51] you name it for everything [2:55] so who are the fish i'm joe manchin [2:58] i approve this ad because the biggest [3:00] catch according to mr coy is the [3:02] conservative democrat [3:04] senator joe manchin who famously shot [3:07] president obama's cap and trade climate [3:09] bill [3:10] and i'll take dad aim at the cap and [3:12] trade bill [3:13] joe manchin i talked to his office every [3:15] week [3:17] he is the king maker uh and he's not shy [3:20] about sort of staking his claim early [3:23] and completely changing the debate legal [3:26] declarations show [3:28] that senator manchin has received tens [3:30] of thousands of dollars from exxon [3:32] mobil and its trade associations [3:35] keith mccoy names 10 other senators as [3:38] crucial [3:38] to exxon mobil senators mark kelly [3:42] chris coons shelly moore capito [3:46] kirsten cinema john testa maggie hassan [3:50] john barrasso steve danes [3:53] john cornyn and marco rubio [3:56] all bar kelly and hassan have taken [3:59] money from exxon [4:00] totaling 117 000 [4:04] we gave all these senators a chance to [4:06] respond none did so [4:08] exxon insists our lobbying efforts are [4:10] fully compliant with all laws [4:12] and are publicly disclosed on a [4:13] quarterly basis [4:16] nonetheless a degree of secrecy appears [4:18] to be key [4:19] the last thing exxon seems to want is [4:22] open accountability [4:23] facing congress in public we don't want [4:26] it to be us [4:27] to have these conversations especially [4:29] in a hearing [4:30] it's getting our associations to step in [4:33] and have those conversations and answer [4:35] those tough questions [4:37] and be the the flack of a better term [4:40] the whipping boy [4:41] for some of these members of congress so [4:44] he says [4:45] they hide behind trade bodies to avoid [4:47] public scrutiny [4:48] on the hill our ceo was invited to a [4:52] hearing [4:52] from a member of congress who we know is [4:55] just going to rip him to shreds when he [4:56] goes there [4:58] the main thing that they're looking at [4:59] is just to get exxon mobil in front of [5:02] a a congressional hearing so they can [5:05] rip [5:05] us apart big oil big power [5:08] big pressure the route from the k [5:12] street lobbyist offices to capitol hill [5:14] is very well trodden [5:16] from the street to the hill we can now [5:18] reveal the current exxon mobil [5:20] battleground [5:20] and strategy it's big yes it's bold yes [5:26] and we can get it done just last week [5:30] as america continues to suffer heat [5:32] waves described as apocalyptic [5:34] and linked to the current climate crisis [5:37] president biden [5:38] fought to get congress to pass his two [5:40] trillion dollar [5:41] showpiece law linking jobs and [5:44] infrastructure [5:44] to massive spending to combat climate [5:47] change [5:48] on capitol hill though exxon was also [5:51] fighting [5:52] to strip out spending on climate forget [5:55] that [5:55] it lobbied stick to roads and bridges [5:58] so that's a completely different [6:00] conversation when you start you start to [6:02] stick to roads and bridges [6:04] and instead of a two trillion dollar [6:06] bill it's a 800 billion dollar bill [6:08] if you lower that threshold you stick to [6:10] highways and bridges [6:11] then a lot of the the negative stuff [6:13] starts to come out [6:15] why would you put in a uh something on [6:18] a emissions reductions on climate change [6:22] uh to oil refineries in a highway bill [6:26] so and people say yeah that doesn't make [6:28] any sense so that so you then you get to [6:29] the germanius and say [6:30] that shouldn't be in this bill sure [6:33] enough [6:34] last week biden's beomoth bill [6:36] evaporated [6:38] a new law may be agreed but major green [6:40] initiatives are gone [6:42] coincidence or the big oil effect [6:45] nothing illegal just oiling the wheels [6:48] of power [6:49] exxon said our discussions on the bill [6:51] are not accurately portrayed [6:53] our lobbying efforts are related to a [6:55] tax burden that could disadvantage [6:57] us businesses plans capture co2 [7:02] recent academic studies show what keith [7:04] mccoy alleges [7:06] is the wider exxon strategy say one [7:08] thing in public [7:09] do another in private for example it [7:12] says publicly it supports a carbon tax [7:14] keith mccoy says privately that's just [7:17] pr [7:18] you know nobody is going to to propose a [7:21] tax on all americans [7:23] um and and and the cynical side of me [7:26] says yeah we kind of know that [7:28] um but it gives us a talking point that [7:30] we can say well what is that on mobile [7:32] for when we're for a carbon tax [7:34] and why because they're confident it'll [7:36] never happen [7:37] in america no it's not it's not good [7:39] carbon tax isn't going to happen [7:41] and the bottom line is it's going to [7:44] take political courage [7:46] political will in order to get something [7:49] done [7:49] and that doesn't exist in politics it [7:51] just doesn't [7:52] exxon told us for more than a decade [7:54] it's supported an economy-wide [7:56] price on co2 emissions we're working on [8:00] ways to provide energy while addressing [8:02] the risks of climate change [8:03] take electric cars it's all about doubt [8:06] and delay you're not going to be able to [8:10] just switch to [8:12] battery-operated vehicles or [8:15] wind for your electricity and just [8:17] having that conversation [8:19] around why that's not possible in the [8:22] next [8:22] 10 years is critically important to the [8:25] work that we do [8:27] but science is screaming at us that we [8:29] do not have [8:30] 10 years delay doubt [8:33] deflect the classic hallmarks of modern [8:36] day climate crisis [8:37] denial and exxonmobil's mobil's alleged [8:39] involvement in that [8:41] is thus revealed from the inside tonight [8:44] straight from the horse's mouth