The Trump administration filed lawsuits against four states, Hawaii, Michigan, New York, and Vermont, in a sweeping attempt to shut down state-level climate accountability. The Department of Justice is suing Hawaii and Michigan preemptively, in an effort to block them from filing climate lawsuits that did not yet exist.
These lawsuits come directly on the heels of Trump’s executive order directing the DOJ to intervene against state climate action. This is a coordinated legal and political campaign to shield Big Oil from responsibility, and we need to respond swiftly and strategically.
Messaging
Trump’s DOJ is using public resources to stage a political stunt designed to intimidate states and score points with fossil fuel donors.
The lawsuits are built on shaky legal arguments that have already failed in multiple courts, including the Supreme Court. Even conservative legal experts have called the strategy unusual and unlikely to succeed.
This is not about the rule of law – it’s about protecting polluters and punishing states that dare to challenge them.
Michigan has not filed any legal action, and Hawaii was sued before the state filed its case.
The federal government is trying to stop states from even considering holding polluters accountable. It’s an outrageous attempt to shut down legal rights before they’re even exercised.
This is a warning shot to other states: don’t you dare try this. And that’s exactly why we must keep going.
These states enacted climate superfund laws to recover some of the massive costs of climate disasters from the corporations that helped cause them.
The laws follow the “polluter pays” principle that already governs other industries like toxic waste cleanup. It’s not radical, it’s common sense.
These lawsuits are an attack on states trying to protect taxpayers and communities from footing the entire bill for climate damage.
Trump built his political brand on “states’ rights,” but is now using federal power to override state governments acting in their constituents’ interests.
These lawsuits undermine the long-standing authority of states to manage public health, disaster costs, and consumer protections.
If the federal government can block a state from seeking compensation for harm, it sets a dangerous precedent far beyond climate.
The fossil fuel industry donated hundreds of millions of dollars to Trump’s campaign and the groups supporting him. This is payback.
The administration is doing exactly what industry lobbyists and executives have been demanding: stop the lawsuits, kill the laws, and keep the profits flowing.
The DOJ is being used as a law firm for oil companies, at the expense of the public.
Cassidy DiPaola, Communications Director
“This is political theater, plain and simple. Trump is using the Department of Justice to protect his biggest donors, and the public is being forced to bankroll it.”