Private Eye Accused of Hacking American Climate Activists Loses UK Extradition Fight
Amit Forlit, an Israeli private investigator, has lost his extradition fight in the United Kingdom after being accused of leading a hacking operation that targeted American climate activists. The U.S. Justice Department claims that Forlit orchestrated a campaign to discredit groups and individuals involved in climate change litigation in the United States.
The case began when the Justice Department filed an indictment against Forlit, accusing him of conspiracy to commit computer hacking, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud. The indictment alleges that Forlit worked with a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm to target American climate activists, using methods such as phishing emails and stolen documents.
Forlit's lawyer, Edward Grange, has denied his client's involvement in the hacking operation, stating that "the score is one-nil to the U.S." But Forlit has only two weeks to appeal the ruling.
Climate and environmental activists who were targeted by hackers say the attacks were intended to silence critics of the fossil fuel industry. Lee Wasserman, director of the Rockefeller Family Fund and a target of the hacking, described the attacks as "a very big issue that transcends, really, the most basic aspects of freedom and citizens' ability to participate in their governmental processes."
The Justice Department has stated that Forlit's extradition could help bring accountability for those who hired him. Kathy Mulvey, climate accountability campaign director at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said "This is an important step toward accountability and to bring into the light the evidence that the U.S. government has."
| Name | Accusations |
|---|---|
| Amit Forlit | Conspiracy to commit computer hacking, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud |
| Aviram Azari | Prison sentence for conspiracy to commit computer hacking, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft |
| DCI Group (lobbying firm) | Alleged involvement in targeting American climate activists using stolen documents and hacked news articles |
The Justice Department alleges that Forlit worked with Azari, another Israeli private investigator who was sentenced to prison in the U.S. after pleading guilty to the same charges.
As part of the investigation, prosecutors also revealed that ExxonMobil used news stories based on information stolen from activists as part of its defense against state climate investigations. However, prosecutors did not accuse ExxonMobil or DCI of wrongdoing in that case.
The Alleged Hacking Operation
The affidavit filed in Forlit's extradition case details how the Justice Department alleges the hacking operation worked:
- Forlit and his associates targeted American climate activists using phishing emails and stolen documents.
- The oil company relied on published articles about the stolen and leaked documents to fight litigation.
The affidavit claims that Forlit's work was designed to undermine the integrity of civil investigations into the oil company, allowing it to avoid accountability for its actions.
ExxonMobil's Involvement
The Justice Department has accused ExxonMobil of using stolen documents and hacked news articles as part of its defense against state climate investigations. However, the fossil fuel industry says the lawsuits are meritless and politicized, and that climate change is an issue that should be dealt with by Congress, not the courts.
Justice Barry Ostrager of the New York State Supreme Court ultimately found that the New York Attorney General's Office failed to prove that ExxonMobil broke the law in a previous trial.