Federal judge tosses Nessel suit accusing fossil fuel industry of anti-trust violations

Filed 1h ago · Via Michigan Advance · The Buffoon Desk

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Kevin MacLeod · incompetech.com · CC BY 4.0

Photo: The Official White House Photostream · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

A federal judge dismissed most of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's antitrust suit against BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Shell and the American Petroleum Institute, ruling the state lacks standing to pursue federal claims. Judge Jane Beckering found the state had plausibly alleged the companies conspired to stifle renewable energy competition, but failed to show that conspiracy directly caused higher energy costs for Michigan residents.

Chevron's attorney called the ruling part of a growing pattern of dismissed climate lawsuits nationwide. Nessel's office said it is reviewing the decision and considering its options.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.

✒ FROM THE EDITORIAL DESK

A judge just said the plaintiffs plausibly proved the conspiracy but couldn't connect it to the bill in your mailbox, which is a strange kind of victory for an oil company to celebrate as vindication. Losing on proximate cause isn't the same as being found innocent, whatever the press statement implies. Somebody ought to tell the lawyers that the two are not the same thing, though they clearly already know.

Source: Read the original at Michigan Advance → Scored: Night Vigil · Kevin MacLeod · CC BY 4.0

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