The New York attorney general engaging in a highly publicized probe into oil producer ExxonMobil solicited meetings from an influential billionaire Democratic donor, according to emails obtained Monday by the New York Post.
Four months after announcing the Exxon investigation, Democratic Attorney General Eric Schneiderman tried to finagle meetings and phone communications with hedge-fund tycoon Tom Steyer, an environmental activist and self-styled enemy of the fossil fuel industry.
“Eric Schneiderman would like to have a call with Tom regarding support for his race for governor .‚Äâ.‚Äâ. regarding Exxon case,” Steyer’s lawyer, Ted White, wrote in a March 10 email. White is a Colorado-based attorney and a Steyer confidant.
The email was addressed to Erin Suhr, the California billionaire’s director of strategic planning at Fahr LLC, which manages Steyer’s philanthropic efforts.
“Anyone have any flags on this call before I add to Tom’s call sheet for Monday?” Suhr replied in an email the next day.
A spokeswoman for Steyer confirmed the e-mail exchange did take place, but said the phone meetings never transpired.
The initial email alludes to a run for governor, yet the New York attorney general continues to shoot down any rumors he is considering a gubernatorial run in 2018. Schneiderman’s spokesman, Eric Soufer, in fact, called suggestions the email was about the attorney general utter “nonsense.”
