Leonard leo's shadow network targets state courts, shielding oil giants
The same strategist who engineered a conservative majority on the Supreme Court is now quietly orchestrating a nationwide effort to insulate oil and gas companies from climate change lawsuits, according to a damning investigation by ProPublica. It’s a maneuver that could dramatically reshape legal accountability for the industry and its role in the accelerating climate crisis.
A coordinated assault on state laws
Fifteen laws, either already enacted or actively debated in eleven states, are designed to preemptively block public claims against oil and gas companies for damages related to climate change. This isn't organic legislation; ProPublica’s reporting reveals a remarkably coordinated campaign, fueled by a network of groups with shared staff and financial ties—all ultimately linked to Leonard Leo, the Republican power broker.
The scheme involves drafting legislation, disseminating it to state lawmakers, and leveraging a well-connected lobbying firm to push it through. The motivation is clear: to evade mounting legal pressure from states and municipalities seeking compensation for climate-related damages—a pressure that’s intensifying as the costs of extreme weather events and rising sea levels continue to surge.
The alec connection and dark money flows
The blueprint for this legal shield was laid out at the annual States and Nation Policy Summit of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a notorious organization where corporate interests and conservative activists collaborate on model legislation. ALEC, often described as a “legislative chop shop,” has long been a vital conduit for conservative policy goals. Leo’s intervention involves injecting what ProPublica estimates to be $1.6 billion through a labyrinth of nonprofits and shell organizations – what’s known as “dark money” – obscuring both the donors and the recipients.
A significant portion of this funding flows through The 85 Fund, a judicial advocacy group founded by Leo, which acts as both a source and distributor of these funds. The money trail gets even more tangled: The 85 Fund contributed over $67 million to Donors Trust in 2024, a group known for funneling funds to conservative causes. Consumers’ Research, another key player, received over 65% of its funding from Donors Trust and also contracts extensively with CRC Advisors, a for-profit consulting firm owned by Leo.
Boulder’s fight and the implications
The consequences of these efforts are already being felt. Consider Boulder, Colorado, a city grappling with intensifying droughts, extreme precipitation, and larger wildfires—all exacerbated by climate change. In 2018, Boulder County sued Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy, alleging a conspiracy to mislead the public about the dangers of fossil fuels. But with these new state laws gaining traction, such lawsuits face an increasingly uphill battle.
The irony is stark: as communities like Boulder bear the brunt of a climate crisis fueled by the oil and gas industry, powerful interests—backed by a shadowy network of dark money and political maneuvering—are actively working to dismantle the legal avenues for accountability.
Leonard Leo, in a text message to ProPublica, framed the effort as a response to what he considers a “woke” takeover of American institutions. But the reality is far more consequential: a deliberate effort to shield a powerful industry from the financial repercussions of its actions, leaving vulnerable communities to foot the bill for a crisis it helped create.