Activist groups Center for Climate Integrity and Fresh Energy, key players in the climate litigation campaign, are running the show in Minnesota – from both the inside and the outside.

On Thursday, these two groups joined other litigation proponents in filing a “Friend of the Court” brief in support of Attorney General Keith Ellison’s climate lawsuit.

These types of filings are almost always submitted by individuals and organizations that play no direct role in the case, whether for the plaintiffs or the defendants, but that simply want to show their support for one side or the other. As Cornell Law explains:

“Frequently, a person or group who is not a party to an action, but has a strong interest in the matter, will petition the court for permission to submit a brief in the action with the intent of influencing the court’s decision. Such briefs are called ‘amicus briefs.’” (emphasis added)

The issue here? CCI and Fresh Energy are 100 percent “a party to an action” in Minnesota by playing a direct role in orchestrating Ellison’s case behind-the-scenes and now they’re working to dial up the echo chamber of support for the lawsuit from the outside. Neither group makes any mention in the brief of their role in formulating the lawsuit they’re now rendering their support of.

Read the full blog at EIDClimate.org.