Full Breakdown
Trump DOJ Moves to Block Minnesota Climate Deception Lawsuit
5/5/2026, 3:15:16 AM
Federal Injunction Sought to Block Minnesota Climate Lawsuit
On May 4, 2026 the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for Minnesota seeking a preliminary injunction that would stop its 2020 consumer-fraud suit against ExxonMobil, Koch Industries, its subsidiary Flint Hills Resources, and the American Petroleum Institute (API). The DOJ argues the suit attempts to regulate global greenhouse-gas emissions, a power it says is reserved for the federal government under the Clean Air Act.
Background and Legal Context
Attorney General Keith Ellison filed the suit in June 2020, alleging the companies misled the public about fossil-fuel contributions to climate change through deceptive advertising and funded research. The complaint claims a decades-long deception campaign. At least 15 other states, including Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island, have filed similar actions. In April 2025 President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the DOJ to protect energy sector from “state overreach,” and earlier revoked EPA’s 2009 endangerment finding that classified carbon dioxide as public-health threat. A three-judge panel in January 2024 allowed Minnesota’s case to proceed, prompting challenge.
Official Statements & Responses
Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. said Minnesota’s lawsuit “usurps federal authority, burdens domestic energy development, and weakens national security,” and seeks a declaration that the suit is pre-empted. Ellison called the DOJ filing “frivolous” and a “delay tactic,” arguing the state’s action is needed to hold the industry accountable.
Criticism & Opposition
Ellison accused the oil companies of using “every procedural trick in the book” to avoid trial and condemned the DOJ’s move as a betrayal, stating, “the American people deserve a Department of Justice that fights for us.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources vary on state actions, with one citing “at least 15 other states” and another referring to “dozens of states and local jurisdictions.” No comment from the defendants was obtained.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The Constitution does not tolerate such a conflict,” — Justice Department attorneys (complaint)
- “President Trump promised to unleash American energy dominance, and Minnesota officials cannot undermine his directive by mandating that their woke climate preferences become the uniform policy of our Nation,” — Stanley E. Woodward Jr., Associate Attorney General
- “The American people deserve a Department of Justice that fights for us, and it’s a tremendous shame that Trump’s DOJ would rather sell us out to Big Oil.” — Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General
- “Minnesota's attempt to impose a national regulation on global greenhouse gas emissions not only is preempted by federal law, but also undermines affordable and reliable American energy, weakening the national and economic security of the United States,” — Stanley E. Woodward Jr.
What’s Next
The federal court will decide whether to grant the preliminary injunction. A ruling could set a precedent for pre-empting state climate lawsuits, shaping strategy of dozens of states currently pursuing similar claims.
