An appellate judge is downplaying his reported role in communicating with environmental activists seeking to educate judges on climate change and related litigation while his testimonial rides high on the group’s website.
The Climate Judiciary Project (CJP) — which describes itself as a “first-of-its-kind effort” to educate judges on the impacts of climate change — reportedly operated an email-formatted listserv with judges for years focusing on climate issues and related litigation, according to Fox News. Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Stephen “Sam” Scheele maintains that he doesn’t recall substantively messaging with CJP on any purported listserv, though he reportedly championed the group in an unearthed email while CJP’s website prominently displays a testimonial attributed to him.
While CJP claims to be objective, critics of the organization have argued that its purpose is to influence judges with left-leaning talking points on climate change and related litigation in order to steer the courts toward rulings that favor the green movement’s preferred policy outcomes.
“It’s been truly a privilege. I am welcomely absorbing everything that has been brought to us and I look forward to carrying that forward and paying it forward,” Scheele’s testimonial on CJP’s website reads.
Despite Scheele’s positive review of CJP on on the group’s website, a spokesperson commenting on his behalf said that Scheele does not remember being part of any meaningful communication on the listserv.
“Judge Scheele does not recall any substantive communication on the ‘listserv’ mentioned. He, like all of our Court of Appeals of Indiana judges, is dedicated to the unbiased, apolitical administration of justice in the State. He, like all of our judges, educates himself on emergent topics in the law and applies his legal training to evaluate the legal issues before him,” Director of Communications for the Court of Appeals of Indiana Anne Fuchs told the Daily Caller News Foundation. Scheele’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment regarding his testimonial on the CJP website.
Several massive climate lawsuits are pending nationwide in Democrat-leaning jurisdictions based on the premise that fossil fuel companies have misled the public, allegedly knowing that their products would cause climate change-related harm and pushing them anyways. If the plaintiffs in these cases have their way, energy companies will be slapped with hefty fines and U.S. energy costs will climb, industry experts explained to the DCNF previously.
“The Climate Judiciary Project does not participate in litigation, provide support for or coordinate with any parties in litigation, or advise judges on how they should in any case,” a CJP spokesperson said in a statement to the DCNF. “CJP’s curriculum is fact-based and science-first, grounded in consensus reports and developed with a robust peer review process that meets the highest scholarly standards. CJP’s work is no different than the work of other continuing judicial education organizations that address important complex topics, including medicine, tech, and neuroscience.”
“The Judicial Leaders in Climate Science is a one-year program, established with the National Judicial College, that trains state court judges on judicial leadership skills integrated with consensus climate science and how it is arising in the law,” the statement continued. “In September 2022, CJP created an io. group, which is no longer active, for a cohort of participants in that program primarily so they could communicate and network with each other.”
CJP was reportedly contacting judges directly from September 2022 to May 2024 through a website titled “judicial leaders in climate science,” and a link to the forum was public until it was recently taken down, according to Fox News. At least five judges, including Scheele, and multiple CJP members shared climate studies and updated the group about climate litigation according to the outlet.
“This is great work/great stuff, Travis; congrats on a job well-done, & thank you so much for sharing this!” Scheele reportedly wrote on the listserv in response to a video presentation about climate change, according to Fox News. The video was shared by a different member of the forum with a note that requested the group do not forward the presentation, according to the publication.
One message on the listserv from a CJP member reportedly read, “it isn’t too late for us to act,” arguing that the looming effects of climate change can be fought. The message also suggested that the group should read CJP’s climate materials, including “Climate Science 101” and “Climate Litigation 101,” according to Fox News.
Judges communicating with climate activists has bred controversy. Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz accused CJP of trying to manipulate judges in a Senate hearing in June, alleging that the group is funded by left-wing activists and potentially by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Cruz did not provide clear evidence for the claim about China.
“They fund CJP to train judges,” Cruz said. “So, quote, unquote, train in climate science and make them agreeable to creative climate litigation tactics. Then, these left-wing bankrollers turn around and fund the climate litigators who will bring these bogus cases before those same judges that they’ve just indoctrinated.”
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