The US trial of Israeli private investigator Amit Forlit has sent shockwaves through the global climate activism community, as it could finally expose those behind a decade-old hacking campaign targeting critics of ExxonMobil. The cyberattacks, which began in 2016, were aimed at activists who had been exposing the oil giant's alleged deception over climate change. This was sparked by explosive media reports in 2015 that revealed ExxonMobil's own scientists had identified the link between fossil fuels and climate change as early as 1982.
Among those targeted was Kert Davies, founder of the Climate Investigations Center, who was confirmed to have been successfully hacked through phishing emails, along with over 100 others. Court documents now reveal that a lobbying firm, DCI Group – with a long-standing relationship with ExxonMobil – hired Forlit for the hacking operation. Public records show Exxon spent over £2.3 million on lobbying in 2015, including £250,000 to DCI Group, around the same time the hacking is believed to have been commissioned.
DCI Group and ExxonMobil have both vehemently denied any involvement in the hacking activities, despite a newly unsealed indictment from the US attorney's office in New York alleging that an oil giant matching ExxonMobil's description hired Forlit. Craig Stevens, a partner at DCI Group, has stated his firm had no knowledge of the alleged hacking and dismissed claims otherwise as "completely false and unsubstantiated".
Forlit has pleaded not guilty to charges which could see him face up to 45 years in prison. The extradition and ongoing trial are the culmination of a years-long effort by the US Department of Justice, which began gathering evidence in 2018 after being alerted by the targeted activists. This case is set to shed light on the tactics used against environmental campaigners and has significant implications for British climate activism, with many UK-based groups having faced similar intimidation and cyberattacks.