Sunday, July 17, 2016

John Locke Foundation Called Out for Participating in Outright Fraud

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), along with 18 other Democratic senators, named the John Locke Foundation of North Carolina, along with other "climate deniers" in business and think tanks, for deliberately and consistently misleading the public about the role of fossil fuels in climate change.
Whitehouse accused the 48 groups – including some major corporations, media outlets and research organizations – of trying to “fool the public about the risk of climate change.” Those entities, he said, “provide talking points to right-wing talk radio” and “take advantage of a lazy media's impulse to offer both sides of the story even when one is false.” [N&O]
Senators Dick Burr and Thom Tillis immediately started whining that Sen. Whitehouse was trying to suppress free speech.

Actually, dear senators from North Carolina, fraud is not covered by free speech rights.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

So, it's a crime to disagree with Sheldon Whitehouse and 18 other democrats? Practiced law nearly 40 years and didn't know that. What are the legal elements of this crime Mr. Williamson and where can its' wording be found? The crime can't be fraud, since fraud posesses the element of personal or economic enrichment. I hope you can find this law, since you have aided in knowingly and falsely accusing others of the crime of fraud which is an actionable civil wrong.

Anonymous said...

Given that many of the climate deniers are people and corporations engaged in the fossil fuel business (coal, oil, and gas), the element of personal or economic enrichment is patently obvious beyond a reasonable doubt (that is, the doubt that a reasonable person would have given the facts in evidence). As you are fully aware, that is a far more stringent level of certainty than 'the preponderance of the evidence', which is the standard in a civil case.

Nrorie said...

Glad I never had need of Mr. Wilson's services.

Anonymous said...

Mr Wilson has almost 40 years of experience as an attorney and was, for many of those years, our elected District Attorney. I don't know the fraud laws, but I would bet money that Mr Wilson is far more qualified than the unknown internet posters who challenge his conclusions!

What will Watauga Watch claim next? That disagreeing with Hillary is a crime?

Edison Carter said...

Dear Anonymous: "Qualified" as anything doesn't translate to competency, or reputable ethics and morals. But you knew that, right? Please evolve, intellectually.