DOJ Sues to Block Minnesota’s Climate Fraud Lawsuit Against Oil Majors
The Justice Department filed suit May 4 to stop Minnesota’s climate fraud case against oil companies.
Why it matters: The case raises key questions about state authority to pursue climate misinformation claims against major corporations. The DOJ’s new lawsuit could set important precedent for energy industry risk and future environmental litigation strategy.
- The DOJ argues only the federal government has authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
- Minnesota’s 2020 lawsuit accuses ExxonMobil, Koch Industries, and others of misleading the public on climate science.
- At least 15 states are pursuing similar lawsuits over climate-related deception by major oil firms.
- Federal officials call Minnesota’s case unconstitutional overreach but Minnesota defends its right to protect consumers.
The Department of Justice sued Minnesota on May 4, seeking to halt its lawsuit against ExxonMobil, Koch Industries, and other oil companies for alleged public deception about fossil fuels and climate change.
- The DOJ’s complaint states that only the federal government can regulate greenhouse gas emissions, asserting states “cannot override or supplement federal law” on national climate policy.
- Minnesota’s 2020 suit, led by Attorney General Keith Ellison, accuses the oil industry of “deceptive trade practices” and misrepresenting the dangers of climate change for decades. The complaint seeks major financial penalties and broader disclosure from defendants. (AP News)
- At least 15 other states and localities are pursuing nearly identical claims seeking to hold oil companies accountable for their public marketing of fossil fuels and climate impacts. (Courthouse News, Reuters)
- Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward argued Minnesota’s lawsuit “mandates that their climate preferences become the uniform policy of our Nation,” while an Ellison spokesperson countered, “Minnesota has a duty to protect residents from deceptive business practices.”
This action amplifies a wider battle over whether courts or Congress should define legal responsibility for climate risks and business marketing. It also tests limits on state versus federal regulatory powers amid a patchwork of ongoing state-led climate litigation.
By the numbers:
- 15+ — Number of states and localities suing oil majors for misleading consumers about climate risks (Courthouse News, Reuters).
- 2020 — Year Minnesota filed its original climate deception lawsuit against oil companies.
- May 4, 2026 — DOJ files suit to block the state’s case.
Yes, but: Legal scholars note that the Supreme Court has yet to provide a clear standard on federal preemption in state climate lawsuits, leaving the eventual impact of the DOJ’s case uncertain.
What's next: Federal courts are expected to weigh in on whether Minnesota and similar state actions can proceed, with potential national ramifications.