Trump Lawyers Get Argument Time in High Court Climate Case

Trump administration lawyers will join the oil and gas industry to battle a climate case before the U.S. Supreme Court, one day before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

The high court on Friday approved the federal government’s request to argue alongside lawyers for BP Plc, Exxon Mobil Corp., and other oil companies facing liability claims related to their role in global warming. Arguments are scheduled for Jan. 19, the day before inauguration.

• The dispute stems from the city of Baltimore’s effort to make the industry pay for allegedly misleading the public about the impacts of burning fossil fuels—the primary driver of climate change. The justices are weighing a procedural issue affecting whether the case belongs in state or federal court—not the merits of the claims.
• The Trump administration has repeatedly offered its support to the oil companies defending against Baltimore’s case and others like it through amicus briefs and appellate arguments.
• The incoming Biden administration hasn’t addressed the specific procedural issues at play in the Supreme Court case but has generally signaled support for plaintiffs pursuing climate liability cases against the industry.

The case is BP Plc v. Mayor & City Council of Baltimore, U.S., No. 19-1189.