Judge Dismisses Exxon’s Defamation Case Against Environmental Groups

A federal judge in Texas has dismissed Exxon Mobil’s defamation suit against several environmental groups but allowed a related case involving California Attorney General Rob Bonta to move forward. The dispute began in the fall of 2024 after Mr. Bonta, following a two-year investigation, sued Exxon in California, saying the company had engaged in a “decades-long campaign of deception” tied to plastics and its statements about “advanced recycling.” Exxon filed a countersuit in the U.S.

District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, alleging a conspiracy that involved Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest and a funded nonprofit that recruited U.S. groups as “local placeholders.” Judge Michael J. Truncale concluded that many of the nonprofits lacked sufficient ties to Texas to remain in the case and scrutinized online speech and official-immunity claims.

He found that one campaign fundraising email was “not within Bonta’s scope of employment,” a finding that undercut the attorney general’s immunity defense.

United States, Texas, California

exxon mobil, defamation suit, environmental groups, rob bonta, michael truncale, eastern district, andrew forrest, advanced recycling, immunity defense, fundraising email