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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