An environmental advocacy group has been accused of attempting to influence judges and has responded by removing and anonymizing the names of jurists involved with its network. This action follows a report by Fox News Digital about an online forum promoting climate litigation updates. The Climate Judiciary Project (CJP), established in 2018 by the Environmental Law Institute, aims to provide judges with education on climate science and its legal implications, according to its website.
Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, have criticized the group for allegedly training judges to support creative climate-litigation tactics. In July, Fox News Digital reported on CJP’s forum where jurists shared climate-related legal updates with CJP leadership. The forum was made private in May 2024.
The testimonial page on CJP’s website was altered this summer, removing testimony from Judge Sam Scheele, who had praised the program while serving on the Civil Division of Indiana’s Lake Superior Court. Archived links reviewed by Fox News Digital showed that Scheele’s comments were public until they were removed following the report.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Law Institute said that changes were made to protect privacy and prevent harassment. “Judges are encouraged, and many required, to participate in continuing education on topics relevant to emerging trends in the law — including those related to science,” the spokesperson said.
Scheele was among several judges who communicated on CJP’s online forum from September 2022 to May 2024. While his testimonial was removed from the website, other quotes were anonymized or remained attributed to a “participating judge.”
Fox News Digital obtained archived chat history showing exchanges between at least five judges and CJP employees discussing climate studies and recent cases remanded to state courts. Delaware Judge Travis Laster shared a YouTube video about climate lawsuits that could potentially bankrupt the fuel industry, advising others not to forward it without permission.
Scheele’s office did not comment on why his name was removed but confirmed his past participation in a National Judicial Conference on Climate Science before joining the Indiana Court of Appeals. His office emphasized his commitment to impartial justice and continued education on emerging legal topics.
CJP told Fox News Digital that its email list was created for members of its Judicial Leaders in Climate Science program to communicate during the program’s one-year duration. The program trains state-court judges in judicial leadership skills integrated with consensus climate science.
Sen. Cruz has been vocal in his criticism of CJP, alleging it is part of a campaign by left-wing activists and foreign entities, such as China, to undermine American energy dominance through the courts. He accuses CJP of promoting biased judicial practices under the guise of neutrality.
CJP denies these accusations, asserting that it provides neutral information about climate science relevant to litigation as understood by experts.
For more details on this story, see Fox News Digital.
