Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office/Handout/Portal
David Scott, head of Exxon Mobil’s shale oil and gas business, is seen in a police mugshot obtained by Portal on October 8, 2023.
Minneapolis CNN –
An ExxonMobil executive who heads the division involved in a potential $60 billion mega-merger with Pioneer Natural Resources was arrested late last week in Texas over alleged sexual assault.
David Scott, senior vice president of ExxonMobil Upstream, was arrested on sexual assault charges at 9:24 a.m. CT on Thursday at the La Quinta Inn & Suites Hotel in Magnolia, Texas, according to Montgomery County, Texas, jail records. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Scott, 49, is being held on a $30,000 bond.
Sheriff’s deputies dispatched to the La Quinta Inn last Thursday spoke with a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by a man in one of the hotel rooms, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office provided to CNN on Monday became. Officers interviewed Scott, 49, and subsequently arrested him on a charge of sexual assault, a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
The headquarters of ExxonMobil (XOM) is approximately 27 kilometers southwest of the hotel.
“All ExxonMobil employees, officers and directors are responsible for adhering to the highest standards of integrity and codes of conduct in support of the company’s operations and otherwise,” an Exxon spokesperson said in an emailed statement to CNN. “We are aware of the allegations and cannot comment on a personal matter; However, we can say that this person will not continue with his professional obligations during the course of the investigation.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, Exxon is in talks to buy U.S. shale giant and rival Pioneer Natural Resources in a deal reportedly worth nearly $60 billion. Exxon declined to comment to CNN about the potential deal, saying the company does not comment on “market rumors.”
It was not immediately known what involvement Scott had in the reported negotiations.