Statement of Support for MN Attorney General's Lawsuit Against Big Oil

SAINT PAUL, MN -- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a consumer protection

lawsuit today against some of the world’s largest oil interests, alleging decades of deception and

harm to the people of Minnesota. ExxonMobil, the American Petroleum Institute, and

Minnesota’s largest oil refiner Koch Industries have known for decades that their pollution

damages the climate. They hid that information, causing significant harm to the public. And as

decades of research show, this pollution hits minority and poverty-stricken communities first and

worst.

Like Minnesota’s historic lawsuit against Big Tobacco, this case seeks to hold these parties

accountable for lying to the public about the damages they knew their products would cause.

Kevin Reuther, Chief Legal Officer for the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy,

issued this statement:

We fully support the Attorney General's decision to bring this lawsuit. Minnesota

is a national leader in holding large corporations accountable for harming public

health. Much like the tobacco industry, the oil industry has made enormous

profits by engaging in a decades-long misinformation campaign and selling a

product it knew was harming Minnesotans. It is past time the oil industry is held

accountable.

MCEA will be following this lawsuit closely. Additional details about the complaint are available

upon request. Contact Aaron for more information or to schedule an interview.

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