Ellison Pushes to Expose Big Oil Lies Despite Trump DOJ's Last-Ditch Legal Hurdles

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is gearing up to finally put Big Oil on trial after a grueling six-year fight to expose what he calls a “campaign of deception” by ExxonMobil, Koch Industries, and the American Petroleum Institute. The lawsuit, originally filed in June 2020, alleges these fossil fuel companies knowingly misled the public about the dangers of burning fossil fuels, echoing tactics once used by tobacco companies to hide health risks.

The Trump administration’s Department of Justice, with its well-documented cozy ties to the oil industry, has thrown every legal wrench at Ellison’s case. Just weeks after Minnesota’s Supreme Court allowed the case to proceed into discovery, the DOJ filed a suit aimed at derailing the effort by claiming Minnesota is overstepping federal authority on regulating greenhouse gas emissions. This move aligns with Trump’s 2024 promise to oil executives at Mar-a-Lago to roll back environmental regulations in exchange for campaign cash.

Legal experts note that the Trump-appointed Eighth Circuit Judge David Stras, who may hear the case on appeal, has already expressed skepticism about state-led climate lawsuits, though he previously ruled that the case must remain in state court. Despite this, Ellison remains undeterred. He calls the DOJ’s intervention “frivolous” and points out similar federal challenges in Michigan and Hawaii have failed.

Ellison stresses that Minnesota’s suit is not about banning fossil fuels but about protecting consumers from deceptive marketing. “We’re not saying you can’t sell oil,” Ellison said. “We’re saying it’s just like tobacco. If you say that ‘nine out of 10 doctors smoke Pall Mall’ … you’re lying to people.”

The evidence against Big Oil is extensive. Investigations, including those by the Los Angeles Times, have uncovered internal Exxon research from the 1970s and 1990s acknowledging fossil fuels’ role in global warming—knowledge the companies then hid from the public to protect profits.

Climate law expert Margaret Barry highlights that Minnesota’s focus on deception rather than direct regulation may give the state a stronger legal footing. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear a related case this fall that could either open or close the door for state and local governments to hold fossil fuel companies accountable.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s legal defense of Big Oil underscores its ongoing commitment to prioritize corporate interests over climate accountability. But Ellison and advocates see this as just another delay tactic in a fight that’s long overdue for a reckoning.

The coming months will be critical as Minnesota prepares to finally put Big Oil’s lies on trial—and the Trump DOJ scrambles to protect its fossil fuel allies. We’ll be watching every move.