House Oversight Committee sent letters to the chief executives of Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N), Chevron Corp (CVX.N), BP USA (BP.L), Royal Dutch Shell Oil Co (RDSa.L), American Petroleum Institute (API) and the US Chamber of Commerce, asking them to appear before a hearing on October 28 and provide emails and documents.

The fossil fuel industry reaped huge profits over decades while polluting and contributing to devastating US communities, according to the letter to Darren Woods, Exxon’s CEO.

House Democrats strongly believe these companies spread misinformation in order to mislead the public and avoid the adoption of pivotal measures to tackle global warming.

House Oversight Committee initially investigated Exxon Mobil Corp after some statements by a senior member of the oil giant against climate science came to light.

The businessman, whose identity was not disclosed, also claimed in a secret video that he tried to influence Democratic senators to undermine President Joe Biden’s climate agenda.

On Thursday, the investigation was extended to the rest of the companies, few of which replied immediately to requests from the Chamber´s comments.

On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, Matt Letourneau said he disagreed with the accusations the institution worked hard with members of Congress to enact climate solutions.

pgh/Pll/msm / age