November 30, 2023 | njspotlightnews.org
Credit: Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
America’s corporate oil giants are doing everything they can to avoid a pair of New Jersey trials — both of which could end with hefty financial penalties if prosecutors prevail. The two cases, one filed by the city of Hoboken in 2020 the other filed by the state of New Jersey in 2022, allege that major oil companies and the industry trade group that lobbies on their behalf violated state consumer fraud protections by obscuring from the public the relationship between burning fossil fuels and climate change, while pushing policies that boosted oil consumption over the adoption of alternative energy sources. Read More: Click Here NJ SEED: It should come as no surprise that the oil companies being sued by Hoboken and the state are using all legal means to defend themselves. One defense is based on the U. S. Constitution’s commerce clause that would appear to preclude NJ from using state law to prosecute an issue governed by interstate commerce law.