Climate Professor Rachel Rothschild Prevails Against Dark Money Attack

Last week, a state judge dismissed a lawsuit against the University of Michigan, which sought the private emails of climate expert and professor Rachel Rothschild, a scholar whose research has been pivotal to the adoption of “climate superfund” laws. As part of her defense team, CSLDF is proud to have assisted Professor Rothschild in this litigation, helping thwart another dark money-funded attack on the scientific community.  

Two years ago, a conservative group filed this state Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) suit, seeking to compel the University of Michigan to release Professor Rothschild’s private emails from her personal accounts. In an attempt to abuse the state FOIA law, the group also demanded privileged correspondence between Rachel and several pro bono clients dating back years before she became a public university professor. Ultimately, the Michigan Court of Claims rejected these demands, finding that the requested documents were not created or used “in the performance of an official function.”  While a resounding legal victory for Rachel and the University, the decision also reaffirms the hostilities and harassment academics and scholars face when conducting research that sheds light on the realities of climate change. 

For fifteen years, the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund has been committed to defending the scientific endeavor and protecting researchers as new challenges and attacks emerge. In these turbulent times, CSLDF will continue to hold the line for the scientific community. 

Bad-faith actors and dark-money groups often attempt to subvert and weaponize records request laws to harass and intimidate researchers. For a state-by-state breakdown of the existing protections for research and scientific records, please see our guide, “Research Protections in State Open Records Laws: An Analysis and Ranking.”