Attorney General William Tong has issued a statement criticizing a petition filed by 19 Republican state attorneys general with the U.S. Supreme Court. The petition seeks to block cases brought by Connecticut and four other states, which aim to hold ExxonMobil accountable for alleged deception regarding 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," said Attorney General Tong. "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."
Tong further stated, “It is embarrassingly obvious that none of these states even bothered to read our complaint. Our case is about truth in advertising, 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.”
Connecticut's lawsuit was initiated in September 2020 under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act in Hartford Superior Court. ExxonMobil has made unsuccessful attempts to transfer the case to federal court. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has affirmed that Connecticut’s case against ExxonMobil should remain in state court. Additionally, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear ExxonMobil’s challenges in related cases.