The District of Columbia is now one step closer to putting major fossil fuel companies on trial for their climate lies.
Two years after the District of Columbia sued four Big Oil companies for lying about their products’ role in the climate crisis, a federal district court has ruled that the lawsuit can proceed in local D.C. court, where it was filed.
Judge Timothy Kelly rejected seven different arguments from ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP to move the case to federal court, where the polluters believe it will be easier for them to escape accountability.
Kelly, a Trump appointee, became the 13th federal district judge, along with six federal unanimous appeals court panels, to side with communities seeking climate accountability on this key jurisdictional issue. Zero have ruled in favor of Big Oil.
I appreciate Judge Kelly’s ruling that our lawsuit against Exxon Mobil, BP, Chevron, and Shell belongs in our local court, before DC residents. We filed our lawsuit to expose these big oil companies’ rampant deception and stop it.
— AG Karl A. Racine (@AGKarlRacine) November 13, 2022
Today our case takes an important step forward.