This is about the criminal trial of the hacker, so Exxon can't hide it with a settlement.

And also, the headline is clickbait because the article references a filing in the UK courts which provided information from the sealed indictment.

With Forlit potentially facing up to 45 years in prison, his lawyer referenced the then-sealed justice department indictment and named the alleged client for the first time, in a filing arguing against his extradition from the UK: “The hacking is alleged to have been commissioned by DCI Group, a lobbying firm representing ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies.”

Or the US, or OPEC...