In a story posted Monday morning, Reuters declared: "The Chamber of Commerce said on Monday it will no longer oppose climate change legislation, but wants the bill to include a carbon tax."

"Reuters has an obligation to its clients to publish news and information that could move financial markets, and this story had the potential to do that," said a Thomson Reuters spokesperson. "Once we had confirmed the release was a hoax, we immediately issued a correction, and in keeping with Reuters policy, the story was subsequently withdrawn and an advisory sent to readers."

The hoax was perpetrated by the Yes Men, an activist group known for performing similar stunts in the past.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President for Communications and Strategy Thomas J. Collamore issued the following statement on the fake press activities which muddled the Chamber’s position on climate change:

“Public relations hoaxes undermine the genuine effort to find solutions on the challenge of climate change.

“These irresponsible tactics are a foolish distraction from the serious effort by our nation to reduce greenhouse gases. The U.S. Chamber believes that strong climate legislation is compatible with the goals of improving our economy and creating jobs. We continuously seek opportunities to engage in a constructive dialogue to achieve these goals.

“We will be asking law enforcement authorities to investigate this event. Beyond that, the Chamber will simply continue to focus on a positive vision for getting people back to work and growing our economy.”