Washington D.C. – Phil Goldberg, Special Counsel for the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project, issued the following statement in response to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filing a lawsuit today against the American Petroleum Institute, ExxonMobil, and Koch Industries:

“Politically-motivated legal actions over the shared global challenge of climate change have no place in the courtroom—whether they target a handful of companies or an entire industry. This pointless lawsuit is about trying to impose liability over policy positions, including from decades ago, which the AG’s office currently disagrees. Courts are rejecting this misguided and misleading narrative, with a judge already calling them “hyperbolic” last year when New York’s Attorney General brought claims based on essentially the same allegations.

It is disturbing to all manufacturers when the law is selectively applied and distorted for political purposes. Trying to scapegoat energy manufacturers, whether here or in other lawsuits, is not going to solve climate change. Minnesota and other governments should focus on collaborating with the industry to foster the policies and innovations required to address this challenge.”

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The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) will set the record straight and highlight the concerted, coordinated campaign being waged by plaintiffs’ lawyers, public officials, deep-pocketed foundations and other activists who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. This campaign will pull back the curtain to expose these efforts and to hold key actors accountable in order to protect our members and American manufacturing workers. The MAP is a project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), which serves as the leading voice of manufacturers in the nation’s courts. Visit us at mfgaccountabilityproject.org.