To the Editor:
Sen. Rob Portman seems to have found an unlikely ally in Rex Tillerson in taking a more hawkish stance
toward Russian aggression, particularly in regards to Ukraine.
Yet it would be wise to keep in mind what is at stake for the company that Tillerson so recently ran: the
largest oil find in the past half century off the coast of Siberia, worth around $100 billion, which it
had to leave behind after sanctions against Russia came into place.
That Exxon Mobil did, in fact, seek to influence against the sanctions has been corroborated by multiple
sources, including congressional records, despite Tillerson’s testimony to the contrary. Tillerson’s
refusal to venture an opinion on human rights abuses in the Philippines or Saudi Arabia’s targeting of
Yemeni citizens (places where Exxon also has lucrative business) should also give everyone on the
committee extreme pause.
Despite Tillerson’s seeming belief that he can leave the lens through which he has seen the world for the
past 40 years behind, his false statements on Exxon’s efforts to prevent sanctions and his tepid
response to known human rights violations strongly suggest otherwise.
We expect more than “deal-making” from the secretary of state. We expect someone who will stand up for
the basic rights of people everywhere while ensuring the security of the United States and its allies —
without any potential conflict of interest.
Meghan Wilson
Bowling Green