The Attorney General of Minnesota filed a lawsuit against Exxon, the American Petroleum Institute, and Koch Industries, alleging they spent decades deceiving the public about climate change. The charges, brought against the companies and API by AG Keith Ellison, include fraud, deceptive trade practices, and false statements in advertising, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports . “The defendants deceived, lied and misrepresented the effects of their product to the public,” Ellison told media at a news conference. Asked about the size of damages he would be seeking from the court, Ellison said that it would be a lot, adding, in response to another question, that it could be in the ballpark of the $7-billion settlement that the tobacco industry paid Minnesota back in 1998. “The fraud, deceptive advertising, and other violations of Minnesota state law and common law that the lawsuit shows they perpetrated have harmed Minnesotans’ health and our […]