Local lobbyists representing cities impacted by the 2021 heat dome simultaneously work on behalf of Chevron, one of the companies most responsible for human-caused climate change as outlined in a local lawsuit against the company.

Disclosure records show Chevron gave $15,000 to the Oregon lobbying firm Proxy LLC in the first quarter of 2024. Proxy also represents the cities of Hillsboro and Happy Valley, just outside the Multnomah County border.

Climate advocates say it is impossible to work in the interest of residents impacted by climate change while simultaneously working in the interest of fossil fuel companies.

James Browning, executive director of nonprofit F-Minus — launched in 2023 to increase transparency in lobbying activities across the United States — said it is not surprising Chevron moved to improve its image in Oregon.

“Hiring lobbyists who also work on climate issues or health issues or institutions that are doing good in the world, like hospitals, is a form of greenwashing,” Browning said. “It's a form of greenwashing for Chevron because they get to be associated with these good causes.”

Double agent

Inga Deckert and Andrew Smith, lobbyists and registered agents for Proxy, registered as lobbyists for Chevron on May 14. Chevron lists its legislative interests as “matters effecting (sic.) oil and gas” in disclosure reports about its lobbying in Oregon.

The Chevron deal came just weeks before a federal judge dismissed Chevron’s request to move a Multnomah County lawsuit to federal court on June 10, keeping the case in Oregon.

Chevron is one of more than a dozen fossil fuel companies named in a lawsuit Multnomah County filed June 22, 2023 — two years after the 2021 heat dome event. The high heat killed at least 69 people in Multnomah County and 116 throughout Oregon, and caused significant property damage over the course of three record-breaking days.

The lawsuit seeks $50 million in actual damages, $1.5 billion in future damages and an estimated $50 billion abatement fund to plan and study opportunities for climate resiliency.

Deckert registered as a lobbyist for the cities of Hillsboro and Happy Valley Dec. 31, 2023, and Smith registered for both cities May 2, less than two weeks before the Chevron deal.

“Hiring lobbyists who also work on climate issues or health issues or institutions that are doing good in the world, like hospitals, is a form of greenwashing. It's a form of greenwashing for Chevron because they get to be associated with these good causes.”

— James Browning,
F-Minus executive director

Happy Valley paid Proxy $30,000 in the first two quarters of 2024, and its “Comprehensive Plan” encourages “the innovative use of alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, etc.”

Hillsboro spent a total of $87,000 for Proxy’s services.

Patrick Preston, Hillsboro communications manager, said Proxy previously had a contract with the Renewable Energy Group, which was purchased by Chevron some years ago.

“The scope of Proxy’s contract with Chevron is the Renewable Energy Group work on biodiesel and renewable diesel, rather than Chevron’s petroleum business or fossil fuels,” Preston said. “The long-term relationship we have with Proxy, as well as our contract with them, would ensure that the work they are doing on our behalf aligns with our values and won’t be swayed by their other clients.”

Hillsboro’s “Comprehensive Plan” says the city is “actively engaged in reducing the use of non-renewable fossil fuels.”

Browning said Chevron and other fossil fuel companies have a long history of “magical solutions” like renewable fuels to confuse lawmakers and the public to continue their business development.

“They get to keep drilling and fracking and the rest of it for as long as they can,” Browning said.

Deckert also represents the University of Oregon Foundation, which committed to making no new direct investments in fossil fuel extraction in 2014. The foundation invests less than 5% of its direct holdings in fossil fuel extraction and all remaining direct investments will expire by 2027, according to its website.

Proxy did not respond to Street Roots’ multiple requests for comment, but its website says the lobbyists engage on issues from their inception and continue through rulemaking at the agency level.

“The art of providing government relations services requires creativity and agility in approach and awareness of context,” the website reads.

The issue at hand is whether Chevron and a host of other fossil fuel companies can be held financially responsible for their role in climate change. Evidence shows oil companies knew about the effects of climate change well before the public, and obscured scientific evidence that its practices were contributing to an increase in carbon emissions.

Chevron doctrine

Chevron was at the center of a 1984 case, Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which led to the “Chevron doctrine,” a holding that government agencies were best suited to address ambiguities in federal laws in the practices they regulate. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the precedent June 28, a decision expected to deeply impact regulatory agencies’ ability to interpret the laws they are responsible for applying to the companies they regulate.

With the Chevron doctrine overturned, the power of regulatory agencies was drastically reduced, giving corporations like Chevron the opportunity to use the court system to avoid repercussions.

“Given Chevron's damage on climate, given the atrocious Supreme Court ruling — which kind of vindicated the Chevron worldview — to be working with Chevron at all is a betrayal of your residents on climate, if you're the government of Hillsboro or Happy Valley,” Browning said.

The conflicts of ideals are not confined to Oregon. A tool on the F-Minus website gives users the ability to search lobbyists' clients in all 50 states, elucidating the issue of lobbyists attempting to play both sides of the ball in advancing and impeding policies to address climate change.

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