Federal judge in Texas allows lawsuit against California attorney general over ExxonMobil remarks
Yahoo • • business
Key Points:
- A federal judge in Texas ruled that ExxonMobil can pursue a defamation lawsuit against California Attorney General Rob Bonta over statements about the company's plastic recycling efforts, rejecting Bonta's claim of official immunity.
- Bonta had sued ExxonMobil in September 2024, accusing the company of misleading consumers by promoting plastic products as recyclable when less than 5% are actually recycled into new products.
- ExxonMobil countersued Bonta individually and environmental groups for defamation, alleging the comments damaged its business contracts; the judge dismissed the case against environmental groups but allowed the suit against Bonta to proceed.
- The judge highlighted a campaign email sent by Bonta to Texas residents, which included a donation request, concluding that this constituted a campaign
