350.org challenges West Virginia Attorney General’s subpoenas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Charleston, West Virginia, 26 October 2026 – On 16 September 2026, West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey issued a subpoena to 350.org and at least five other environmental organizations, demanding nearly ten years of records about our climate advocacy, our fundraising, our partners and our supporters.

The subpoenas were issued under a consumer protection law meant to stop unfair business practices, but don’t identify a single consumer, sale, complaint or wrongdoing. What they do target is our advocacy. They serve no legitimate investigative purpose, and are an attempt to pressure and intimidate organizations working for the public good.

Last week, 350.org and the West Virginia Rivers Coalition went to federal court to challenge these subpoenas. We are asking the court to declare that they violate our rights under the First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, and to stop the Attorney General from enforcing them.

Anne Jellema, 350.org's Executive Director, says:

“These subpoenas rely on a consumer protection law, but 350 doesn’t sell anything, and people who donate to a cause they believe in aren’t buying anything. There is no legal basis here.

What’s really at stake is free speech. If public officials can investigate nonprofits simply for disagreeing with their views, no one who speaks out is safe.

350 operates openly, transparently and within the law. We have done nothing wrong, and we will not be intimidated. Speaking out for people and the planet is a right, not a crime, and we’re asking the court to protect that right – not just for us, but for everyone.”