DOJ filed complaint to block Minnesota's state-court climate lawsuit against oil companies

On May 4, 2026, the Department of Justice filed a federal complaint against the State of Minnesota in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. The complaint sought to halt Minnesota's pending state-court lawsuit against fossil-fuel companies for climate damages, arguing the suit attempted to regulate global greenhouse gas emissions — "subject to exclusive federal authority" — and was preempted by the Constitution and the Clean Air Act.

The action was brought by the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) under Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, who said: "President Trump promised to unleash American energy dominance, and Minnesota officials cannot undermine his directive by mandating that their woke climate preferences become the uniform policy of our Nation." Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of ENRD stated the complaint was "an attempt to rein in another unconstitutional state effort to invade an area of exclusive federal control." The press release cited Trump's executive order directing DOJ to "protect American energy from state overreach" as the direct basis for the action.

According to the complaint, Minnesota's state lawsuit sought to hold energy companies liable for global greenhouse gas emissions and compel them to disgorge profits, an effort the DOJ characterized as an attempt to "set national energy policy" exceeding the limits of state law. DOJ's ENRD had previously filed similar complaints against Hawaii, Michigan, New York, and Vermont to block those states' climate accountability lawsuits.

Updates

2026-07-23 — Federal court held hearing on DOJ suit to block Minnesota climate lawsuit; case approached discovery [4]

On July 23, 2026, a federal court in Minneapolis held arguments over the DOJ's suit to halt Minnesota's state-court climate lawsuit against oil companies, with state officials on the defensive. The hearing was described as a "final hurdle before discovery" — if the court dismissed the federal suit, Minnesota's state lawsuit would clear its final procedural obstacle and advance toward discovery. The Trump administration argued that allowing state courts to impose climate liability would create conflicting national energy regulations; Minnesota and allied states countered that the suit sought accountability for documented climate deception, not regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.