Overview
- U.S. District Judge Michael J. Truncale found that Rob Bonta cannot claim official immunity for several statements about Exxon's plastics recycling efforts.
- The judge cited a campaign email to Texas residents that included a donation link, deeming it campaign activity outside Bonta's official role.
- Claims against environmental groups and a fund linked to Andrew Forrest were dismissed in Texas, leaving Bonta as the remaining defendant in that forum.
- California's separate lawsuit alleging a decades-long deception over plastics recycling remains active, and Bonta's office says it is appealing the Texas ruling.
- Exxon rejects the California allegations and characterizes the case as a campaign to derail its advanced recycling business.