By Valerie Volcovici
WASHINGTON, June 25 (Reuters) - The attorney general for
the District of Columbia on Thursday filed a lawsuit against
Exxon Mobil Corp, BP Plc, Chevron Corp,
and Royal Dutch Shell Plc for "systematically and
intentionally misleading" consumers about the role their
products play in causing climate change, the latest action by a
U.S. attorney general against the oil and gas industry.
The lawsuit brought by Attorney General Karl Racine comes a
day after Minnesota AG Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit against the
American Petroleum Institute, Exxon Mobil and Koch Industries
for violating state laws barring consumer fraud, deceptive trade
practices and false advertising.
"The defendants violated the District’s consumer protection
law by concealing the fact that using fossil fuels threatens the
health of District residents and the environment," Racine said
in a statement.
The intent of the legal action is to "end these
disinformation campaigns and to hold these companies accountable
for their deceptive practices,” he said.
The companies were not immediately available for comment.
Minnesota and D.C.'s lawsuits are the latest in a string of
legal challenges by states, cities, and citizen groups targeting
fossil fuel companies over their role in global warming.
Counterparts in California, New York and Massachusetts also
filed lawsuits against oil majors but the Minnesota and DC
lawsuits focus on consumer protection.
(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici
Editing by Marguerita Choy)
