New York's attorney general considers Secretary of State Rex Tillerson a central figure in his expanding investigation into whether ExxonMobil misled investors about the impact of climate change.

It's unclear if Attorney General Eric Schneiderman will ultimately choose to force Tillerson to answer questions under oath. But Schnedierman tells The Associated Press that he has the legal authority to depose the nation's chief diplomat, who served as Exxon's CEO until joining the Trump administration.

The politically charged case pits the ambitious New York Democrat against a Texas energy giant and has divided attorneys general across the nation. Republican state prosecutors from South Carolina to Utah, like Exxon's legal team, accuse the New York attorney general of abusing the power of his office to score political points with his liberal supporters.