{"id":2655552,"date":"2026-09-07T12:20:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T16:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/letitia-james-loses-again-ag-suffers-another-major-courtroom-defeat-this-time-at-hands-of-obama-judge\/"},"modified":"2026-09-07T12:23:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T16:23:18","slug":"letitia-james-loses-again-ag-suffers-another-major-courtroom-defeat-this-time-at-hands-of-obama-judge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/letitia-james-loses-again-ag-suffers-another-major-courtroom-defeat-this-time-at-hands-of-obama-judge\/","title":{"rendered":"Letitia James Loses Again: AG Suffers Another Major Courtroom Defeat, This Time at Hands of Obama Judge"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fletitia-james-loses-again-ag-suffers-another-major-courtroom-defeat-this-time-at-hands-of-obama-judge%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2655552&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>On August 31, a U.S.federal judge blocked New York\u2019s $75 billion Climate Superfund Law, ruling that the state cannot compel energy companies to pay for global greenhouse gas emissions. Chief Judge Brenda Sannes found that the law conflicts with federal law and federalism principles, specifically noting it is preempted by the Clean air Act. The law aimed to require major fossil fuel companies to collectively pay $75 billion over 25 years for emissions from 2000 to 2024,funds intended for climate-related infrastructure projects. although the ruling does not settle the broader Suncor Energy v.Boulder County case, it highlights important legal debates over state liability for greenhouse gases and the scope of federal versus state authority in environmental regulation. This <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >decision reflects ongoing legal disputes involving state<\/a> and federal powers to address climate change and holds implications for similar climate and environmental cases.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>On Aug. 31, a federal judge blocked New York\u2019s $75 billion climate superfund law, ruling the state cannot force energy companies to pay for global greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">Chief U.S. District Judge Brenda Sannes \u2014 an appointee of former President Barack Obama \u2014 sided with a coalition of Republican-led states and energy groups challenging New York\u2019s Climate Change Superfund Act, finding that it is preempted by federal law and granting the challengers\u2019 motions for summary judgment. The ruling comes as the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in October for Suncor Energy v. County Commissioners of Boulder County, a landmark climate case.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">\u201cIn seeking damages \u2018for the cumulative impact\u2019 of conduct that has occurred \u2018simultaneously across just about every jurisdiction on the planet[,]\u2019 the Climate Act conflicts with \u2018the overriding . . . need for a uniform rule of decision\u2019 on matters influencing national energy and environmental policy, and . . . \u2018basic interests of federalism.\u2019\u201d Sannes\u2019 memorandum reads.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">The climate superfund law should survive regardless of which legal standard the court applied, New York argued. But Sannes disagreed, finding that the law was not entitled to the usual benefit of the doubt courts sometimes give state laws when deciding whether they are overridden by federal law.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is because these disputes \u2018often implicate two federal interests that are incompatible with the application of state law: (i) the \u2018overriding need for a uniform rule of decision\u2019 on matters influencing national energy and environmental policy, and (ii) \u2018basic interests of federalism,\u2019\u201d the Obama-appointed judge wrote in the memorandum.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">That legal principle, known as the \u201cpresumption against preemption,\u201d generally requires courts to hesitate before concluding that Congress intended federal law to displace a state\u2019s authority. Sannes found that presumption did not protect New York\u2019s law and ultimately concluded that the Clean Air Act preempts the state\u2019s attempt to impose liability for greenhouse gas emissions originating outside its borders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">The Climate Change Superfund Act <a class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nysenate.gov\/legislation\/bills\/2023\/S2129\/amendment\/B?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">requires<\/a> major fossil fuel companies to collectively pay $75 billion over 25 years based on their alleged  of greenhouse gas emissions between 2000 and 2024. New York <a class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nysenate.gov\/legislation\/bills\/2023\/S2129\/amendment\/B?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">intended<\/a> to use the money for infrastructure projects designed to address costs attributed to \u201cclimate change.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">The Supreme Court\u2019s Suncor case is centered on whether states and local governments can use state law to hold fossil fuel companies liable for alleged harms tied to global greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n<p>Boulder\u2019s lawsuit is governed by federal law because greenhouse gas emissions mix globally and cannot be confined within Colorado\u2019s borders, Suncor and ExxonMobil argued.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">The New York ruling does not decide the Suncor case, but Sannes relied on a similar federalism concern in finding that New York could not impose its own liability regime on emissions generated around the country and world.<\/p>\n<p>West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Peabody Energy, Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Core Natural Resources and Alliance Resource Partners did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation\u2019s requests for comment.<\/p>\n<p>The climate ruling adds to a busy stretch of legal and political battles for Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">A New York assistant attorney general claimed Friday that James\u2019 office directed him to investigate specific individuals and organizations affiliated with President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p>James has long sparred with Trump, making him a focus of her 2018 campaign for attorney general and promising at the time to hold him accountable. \u201cNobody is above the law, not even [Trump],\u201d James <a class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__link\" href=\"https:\/\/politifact.com\/article\/2022\/aug\/12\/context-what-ny-attorney-general-letitia-james-sai\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote<\/a> during the campaign.<\/p>\n<p>The attorney general is simultaneously defending New York\u2019s restrictions on civilian body armor against a Second Amendment challenge brought by the Firearms Policy Coalition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">James is also facing a federal lawsuit alongside Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul from 15 New York sheriffs challenging a state law restricting their cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Another law <a class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__link\" href=\"https:\/\/ag.ny.gov\/press-release\/2026\/attorney-general-james-and-governor-hochul-announce-first-enforcement-action-new\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">passed<\/a> in May gave James authority to investigate sheriffs who cooperate with federal immigration authorities, and her office has already issued subpoenas to several sheriff\u2019s offices. James and Hochul called the sheriffs\u2019 lawsuit a \u201cfrivolous waste of taxpayer dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p>All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter\u2019s byline and their DCNF affiliation. 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Chief Judge Brenda Sannes, appointed by President Obama, sided with Republican-led states and energy groups challenging the law<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2655553,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_2476-1.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[23458,85244,4431,32506,5894],"class_list":["post-2655552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-courtroom","tag-judicialdecision","tag-legal","tag-letitia-james","tag-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_2476-1.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2655552","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2655552"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2655552\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2655556,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2655552\/revisions\/2655556"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2655553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2655552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2655552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2655552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}