A U.S. federal appeals court on Tuesday rejected Exxon Mobil Corp’s effort to stop Massachusetts and New York from probing whether the oil company lied to investors and the public regarding what it knew about climate change.
Highlights
- The 2nd U.S.
- Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said Exxon could not sue in federal court because it was pursuing the same case in Massachusetts state courts.
- It also said Exxon’s federal case against New York Attorney General Letitia James was moot after she decided not to appeal a state judge’s dismissal of her lawsuit against the company.
- Exxon argued that its “viewpoint bias” violated its constitutional free speech rights under the First Amendment.
- The company had sued Massachusetts and New York in June 2016 after receiving subpoenas for documents about its understanding of climate change and communications with shareholders.
- Exxon has in the last several years faced many lawsuits claiming it tried to boost public sentiment, profit and its stock price by downplaying climate change.