“an ethical quagmire of the bottomless pit variety”

In an effort to reduce the $5 billion punitive damage sanction against them, Exxon funded several studies that criticized such damages in principle. When the case finally went to the Supreme Court, Justice Souter "declined to rely" on the studies because they were underwritten by Exxon. Souter's disdain has evidently created a new area of law in which to specialize: the dubious relationship between money and research.

It's an interesting conundrum, if you're into that sort of thing. Read on...