"West Virginia’s Republican attorney general has launched a broad investigation of the state’s leading environmental groups, demanding a decade of internal records involving “unfair or deceptive acts” in their fundraising and climate change advocacy.
The environmental groups decried the inquiry as a sham and filed lawsuits Thursday seeking to dismiss subpoenas they described as harassing and overly broad.
West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey has urged federal authorities to investigate and defund climate advocacy organizations and said that protecting the state’s fossil fuel energy industry from what he’s characterized as overreaching liberal climate and energy policies is a top priority of his office.
The subpoenas seek records related to the groups’ public statements on climate and energy, internal deliberations and requests for donations. The documents offer few details of any alleged deception but invoke “possible violations” of the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act."
Jim Mustian and Sarah Rankin report for the Associated Press October 22, 2026.
