(TRUNEWS) While testifying to the Senate, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the Department of Justice (DOJ) has discussed the possibility of prosecuting legal action against climate change deniers.

“This matter has been discussed. We have received information about it and have referred it to the FBI to consider whether or not it meets the criteria for which we could take action on,”Lynch said while speaking at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Justice Department operations.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) raised the issue to Lynch, drawing a contrast between the self proclaimed dangers of climate change deniers and the civil action taken against the tobacco industry during the Clinton administration for claiming that the science behind the dangers of their product was unsettled.

“The similarities between the mischief of the tobacco industry pretending that the science of tobacco’s dangers was unsettled and the fossil fuel industry pretending that the science of carbon emissions’ dangers is unsettled has been remarked on widely,” Whitehouse said, adding “particularly by those who study the climate denial apparatus that the fossil fuel industry has erected.”

“Under President Clinton, the Department of Justice brought and won a civil RICO action against the tobacco industry for its fraud. Under President Obama, the Department of Justice has done nothing so far about the climate denial scheme,” Whitehouse proclaimed.

“A request for action by the Department of Justice has been referred by you to the FBI. My question to you is other than civil forfeitures and matters attendant to a criminal case, are there other circumstances in which a civil matter under the authority of the Department of Justice has been referred to the FBI?” Whitehouse asked Lynch.

Lynch replied: “Senator, thank you for raising that issue, and thank you for your work in this area. I know your commitment is deep. This matter has been discussed. We have received information about it and have referred it to the FBI to consider whether or not it meets the criteria for which we could take action on. I’m not aware of a civil referral at this time. I will look into that and get back to you, but I’m not aware of a civil referral outside of the one that you just raised.”

Whitehouse continued the line of questioning: “Are there any civil cases with the United States as plaintiff within DOJ’s civil division in which the FBI is preparing the case for the civil division?”

To which Lynch countered, “are you regarding climate change issues?”

“Regarding any matter,” Whitehouse answered.

“I couldn’t give you that information right now in terms of whether or not—” Lynch responded.

“I will take that as a question for the record,” Whitehouse ended.

Lynch’s comments come a day before Canadian President Justin Trudeau visits Washington to hold talks with President Obama on issues including energy and climate change.

Both Trudeau and Obama are advocates of carbon emission taxing, and believe in theory of anthropogenic climate change.