"The longtime Big Oil attorney has major ties to conservative legal groups."

"“In one of the executive orders, President Trump described the coal industry as beautiful,” said Robert L. Levy, ExxonMobil’s executive counsel, at a 2025 event organized by the Federalist Society. 

“No such reference to the beauty of the oil and gas side of the industry,” he went on, “but we are very appreciative of the support that the administration has given.”

Now Levy is poised to help lead the Trump administration’s efforts to protect companies like Exxon from climate lawsuits.

In a mid-June social media post, Levy announced that he was leaving his job at Exxon to take an environmental litigation role at the Justice Department, in a division that calls itself the nation’s environmental lawyer and the largest environmental law firm in the country."

Rachel Santarsiero reports for DeSmog July 10, 2026. [2]