Judge Rules Men Accused of Hacking Can Be Sent to U.S. for Trial

A British court has approved the extradition of an Israeli individual charged by a New York prosecutor in a case involving an operation dubbed “hacking fatalen,” aimed at environmental organizations.

According to prosecutors, the company operated by 57-year-old Amit Forlit allegedly earned over $16 million by hacking more than 100 victims and stealing confidential data while working for major oil companies on behalf of a lobbying firm.

In a court submission from January, Forlit’s attorneys identified the company as ExxonMobil. Exxon is currently facing lawsuits from Democratic lawyers and local officials regarding its role in climate change, with claims that it has concealed knowledge about climate change for decades to maintain its oil sales. The lobbying firm mentioned in the filing is known as DCI Group.

Exxon has stated that it was not involved in and had no knowledge of the hacking activities, emphasizing, “If hacking is involved, we will condemn it in the strongest possible terms.”

A spokesman for DCI, Craig Stevens, stated that the firm has instructed its employees and consultants to follow the law and asserted that none of DCI’s guidance was linked to the hack that allegedly occurred a decade ago.

DCI also referred to “numerous billionaire donors still benefiting from the fossil fuel legacy,” describing them as “financiers of radical anti-oil activists and their billionaire backers.”

This remark hinted at the Rockefellers’ involvement in supporting organizations pursuing climate change litigation. The Rockefeller heirs, who amassed oil fortunes over a century ago, lead the Rockefeller Family Fund, which plays a significant role in the movement to sue oil companies over climate change. Lee Wasserman, its director, has reported being targeted in a hacking initiative.

Last year, Forlit was arrested in connection with a major trial in New York for allegedly committing wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and hacking offenses that could lead to lengthy prison sentences. His legal team contended that he should not be extradited due to concerns about a fair trial in the U.S., given the political climate surrounding climate change litigations.

They argued that “one motive for the prosecution appears to be an effort to advance political agendas against ExxonMobil, with Forlit being collateral damage.”

Forlit’s attorneys also expressed concerns about his safety at the Metropolitan Detention Center, New York’s only federal prison, which has been criticized for violence and dysfunction. High-profile detainees have included individuals such as Luigi Mangione, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Shawn Combs (Puff Daddy/Diddy).

The Westminster Magistrate’s Court dismissed these worries, but Forlit has the option to appeal. His attorney did not immediately respond to inquiries for comments.

One targeted entity was a coalition of concerned scientists who have extensively researched the fossil fuel industry’s influence on climate science disinformation. This group also engages in source attribution science, estimating how specific companies contribute to global warming effects like rising sea levels and wildfires. Their findings support lawsuits against the oil sector.

The organization became aware of hacking attempts following a 2020 report from Citizen Lab, a cybersecurity watchdog from the University of Toronto, which revealed that hackers were targeting American nonprofits working on the #ExxonKnew campaign.

A coalition of concerned scientists has received suspicious emails in which hackers attempted to extract passwords or deploy malicious software. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York have initiated an investigation.

One of Forlit’s associates, Aviram Azari, pleaded guilty in New York to charges including computer breaches, wire fraud, and identity theft, receiving a six-year prison sentence.

Forlit manages two Israel-registered security and intelligence newsletter firms, one of which is registered in the U.S. His clientele includes a lobbying firm representing “one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies” involved in ongoing climate change litigation. Exxon has its historical roots in Irving, Texas.

The lobbying firm selected targets for Mr. Forlit, who then passed the list to Azari. Azari, who owned another Israeli-based company, employed individuals from India to gain illegal access to accounts. This information was reportedly utilized to gather documents from oil companies and the media, allegedly undermining the integrity of the civil investigation, according to the filings.