Minnesota State Wire

On behalf of Energy Policy Advocates, Government Accountability and Oversight filed a lawsuit for records showing how Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is using attorneys financed by Michael Bloomberg to advance a lawsuit against oil companies.

The complaint also shows that Ellison entered into confidentiality agreements that required his office to obtain consent from the private attorneys before they released any information regarding the climate lawsuits. 

“They likely are void as against public policy including that underlining open records laws, and probably violate obligations of state attorney generals to the people of their states by purporting to contract away the public’s right to access to public information such as is embodied in the MGDPA,” GAO attorney Chris Horner said, according to Daily Caller. 

The agreements cover records related to two Special Assistant Attorneys General (SAAGs) in Ellison's suit against ExxonMobil. Ellison's lawsuits targeted ExxonMobil, Koch Industries and the American Petroleum Institute for their approach to climate change. The program received $6 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies in 2018. 

SAAGs are placed in national attorneys general offices by the New York University's State Energy and Environmental Impact Center. Ellison applied for two SAAGs in March 2019. In the application, Ellison stated he wanted to do more in interests pertaining to Bloomberg and the SEEIC.