Letitia James, New York’s Democrat attorney general, has filed a lawsuit against a major meat packager, arguing that the company is “misleading” consumers about the impact its work has on the environment.
The suit was brought against JBS, an international business with headquarters in Brazil, on Wednesday, February 28, according to a press release from James’ office.
Happening Now: Letitia James is now suing the worlds largest beef producer, JBS USA, for not meeting environmental quality standards of net zero by 2040.
JBS recently announced they’ll be increasing production and adding more jobs, which James claims will increase their… pic.twitter.com/8sH1uCsme2
— 🇺🇸Travis🇺🇸 (@Travis_in_Flint) February 29, 2024
The lawsuit accuses the United States division of the meatpacking company of breaking its promise to become a carbon-neutral business by 2040. Although the goal’s deadline remains 16 years away, James argues in her case that JBS will not be able to achieve its promised goal because it is involved in producing beef.
A statement from the attorney general accused the business of being engaged in “greenwashing” that “exploits the pocketbooks” of American citizens. She said that her goal with the lawsuit is to put an end to JBS’ “false and misleading marketing practices” and “pay disgorgement of all ill-gotten profits.”
Minimum penalties for the company, if convicted of James’ allegations, could be $5,000 for each violation.
Following the lawsuit, a spokesperson for JBS confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation that the meatpacking company has a “commitment to a more sustainable future for agriculture,” which the business takes “very seriously.”
The statement also said that JBS “will continue” its business partnerships with farmers and ranchers across the globe with the intent of providing food to “a growing population” and simultaneously “using fewer resources and reducing agriculture’s environmental impact.”
But this is not the first time that James has made headlines for filing a lawsuit. In September 2022, the attorney general sued former president Donald Trump for overstating the value of holdings on real estate properties so he could claim loan payments.
On February 16, a judge ruled against Trump in that case, ordering the leading GOP candidate for the upcoming presidential election to pay $354 million. The judge also ruled that Trump was not permitted to be the managing director at any business or organization based out of the state of New York for the next three years.
Following the ruling, James said that if Trump was unable to pay the fines, the attorney general would return to court to request that the judge “seize his assets.”
The massive fine from the lawsuit has been speculated as being politically motivated as the ruling came about months before the highly anticipated election, which is expected to be a rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden.
