The FBI is investigating a consultant for Exxon Mobil over their alleged involvement in a hack-and-leak operation that targeted critics of the oil company. The operation involved hackers who breached the email accounts of environmental activists and others. The stolen material was later leaked to the media by a public affairs and lobbying company working for Exxon, in an effort to push a narrative that the company was the victim of a political vendetta. The leaked documents have been used to counter litigation claiming that Exxon misled the public and investors about climate change risks.