Press Releases
05/22/2024
Attorney General Tong Statement on U.S. Supreme Court Petition from 19 Republican Attorneys General Seeking to Block Connecticut ExxonMobil Suit
(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong released the following statement denouncing a petition filed by 19 Republican state attorneys general with the U.S. Supreme Court attempting to block cases filed by Connecticut and four other states seeking to hold ExxonMobil accountable for decades of deception on climate change.
“This must be a fake lawsuit filed in the Land of Make Believe. I live and work in the real world, where I am focused on actual threats-- like the climate crisis-- to the health and safety of the people of Connecticut. Is ExxonMobil unable to handle its own defense? This is pure partisan political theater, and it will not distract or deter us from fighting for Connecticut consumers, families and our environment. It is embarrassingly obvious that none of these states even bothered to read our complaint. Our case is about truth in advertising, and not emissions controls. Look, climate change is real. ExxonMobil has and continues to lie about it to consumers while they sit on billions of dollars in profits. Our case is as simple as it is strong—ExxonMobil must be held accountable for the massive harm their deception caused to our environment, public health, and economy,” said Attorney General Tong.
Connecticut’s case was filed in September 2020 in Hartford Superior Court under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. ExxonMobil has unsuccessfully tried to remove Connecticut’s case to federal court. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has affirmed that Connecticut’s case against ExxonMobil belongs in Connecticut state court. The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear ExxonMobil’s challenges in other cases.
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Media Contact:
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