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Tag: lawsuit

Trump DOJ slaps Illinois, Chicago with lawsuit over sanctuary laws

The Department of Justice on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago for allegedly interfering with federal immigration enforcement – the latest escalation in the battle between the Trump administration and Democrat-led cities and states on the administration’s mass deportation operation.

The lawsuit filed in Illinois, against Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and others, claimed that several state and local laws are “designed to and in fact interfere with and discriminate against the Federal Government’s enforcement of federal immigration law in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution.”

The lawsuit comes a day after Attorney General Pam Bondi signed a directive to limit funding to sanctuary cities. Sanctuary jurisdictions typically limit or forbid state and local law enforcement cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers – requests that illegal immigrants in custody be transferred to ICE.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker slams President Donald Trump’s leadership following the American Airlines crash. (AP/Getty)

This is a breaking news alert; check back for updates.

Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.

He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter.

February 6, 2025
NJ lawsuit claiming oil companies cause climate change dealt massive blow in court

The climate change movement was issued a massive blow on Wednesday after a trial judge permanently closed a Democrat-charged lawsuit claiming that big oil was to blame for climate-caused damages in the state.

In 2022, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin filed a lawsuit against the country’s largest oil companies, ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, Shell, as well as the American Petroleum Institute, claiming that the fossil fuel industry was worsening the effects of climate change, and therefore, causing damage to the state.

However, the case was tossed out on Wednesday by New Jersey Superior Court Judge Douglas Hurd, who ruled that lawful oil companies could not be held liable for worldwide emissions. The case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be reopened.

“Plaintiffs seek to regulate the nationwide—and even worldwide—marketing and distribution of lawful products on which billions of people outside of New Jersey rely to heat their homes, power their hospitals and schools, produce and transport their food, and manufacture countless items essential to the safety, wellbeing, and advancement of modern society,” said Hurd, who issued the ruling.

ENERGY SECRETARY WARNS AGAINST TREATING CLIMATE CHANGE AS ‘POLITICAL FOOTBALL’: SLOW-MOVING PROBLEM’

The Chevron logo is displayed at a Chevron gas station in Los Angeles, California. (Mario Tama)

Hurd said that the plaintiffs could not justly claim damages caused by nationwide emissions.

ENERGY SEC. WRIGHT OUTLINES DAY 1 PRIORITIES: REFILLING SPR, PROMPTING ‘ENERGY ADDITION, NOT SUBTRACTION’

“Because Plaintiffs seek damages for alleged harms caused by interstate and international emissions and global warming, their claims cannot be governed by state law. Under our federal constitutional system, states cannot use their laws to resolve claims seeking redress for injuries allegedly caused by out-of-state and worldwide emissions,” Hurd said in the decision.

NJ AG Matthew Platkin sued big oil on claims that they were causing climate change. (Getty Images)

Energy experts told Fox News Digital that the dismissal sends a clear message that “energy policy should be set by elected officials, not litigated into existence by activist lawyers.”

“This ruling is a major victory for common sense and the rule of law. Climate activists have been using the courts to push their radical agenda, but judges are increasingly rejecting these baseless lawsuits that threaten energy security and economic stability,” Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute and former Texas representative, said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

An Exxon gas station is seen on Aug. 5, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Steve Milloy, senior fellow at the Energy & Environment Legal Institute and former Trump EPA transition team member, said that similar lawsuits could face the same fate because “the climate controversy is a political, not a legal one.”

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“Although Democrats don’t really understand this, political issues are on the ballot box, not the courtroom,” Milloy said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Platkin’s office for comment.

Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.

February 5, 2025
Trans lawsuit lobbed against Trump admin based on ‘faulty interpretations’: Legal expert

As LGBT advocates and medical organizations challenge the Trump administration’s ban on transgender treatments for minors, legal expert Sarah Marshall Perry of the Heritage Foundation warns that this lawsuit is just the “tip of the iceberg,” driven by “faulty interpretations,” with more legal battles expected in the coming months.

“This is a $5 billion a year industry,” Perry said. “I would not expect what I like to call the gender ghouls to go quietly into that good night, they are going to suddenly be faced with a devastating reckoning on exactly where their bottom line lies.”

“If they want to fight for private insurance coverage through Cigna or Blue Cross Blue Shield, that’s entirely their prerogative,” Perry said, adding that these companies have “very big lobbying presences” to pursue coverage through private insurers.

LGBTQ+ ADVOCATES, FAMILIES SUE TRUMP ADMIN FOR ENDING FUNDING OF TRANSGENDER HEALTHCARE UNDER 19

LGBT advocates and medical organizations sued the Trump administration over his executive order barring federal funds from going toward trans surgeries for those under the age of 19. (Getty Images)

“There is a reason that this type of so-called medical care proliferated, and that’s because they had governmental cover,” she said.

The lawsuit was filed in Baltimore federal court and seeks an immediate injunction to delay the implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order from last week.

“Over the past week, hospitals across the country have abruptly halted medical care for transgender people under nineteen, canceling appointments and turning away some patients who have waited years to receive medically necessary care for gender dysphoria,” the lawsuit reads.

“This sudden shutdown in care was the direct and immediate result of an Executive Order that President Trump issued on January 28, 2025 — Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation — directing all federal agencies to ‘immediately take appropriate steps to ensure that institutions receiving Federal research or education grants end gender-affirming medical care for people under nineteen (the ‘Denial of Care Order’).”

The group of plaintiffs claims executive orders are unlawful and unconstitutional, saying the Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse.

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDERS BANNING ‘RADICAL GENDER IDEOLOGY,’ DEI INITIATIVES IN THE MILITARY

The Supreme Court is expected to hand down a ruling by the end of June on a challenge to a Tennessee state law banning gender transitions for minors. (Alexander Pohl/NurPhoto via Getty Images | AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

However, Perry argued that existing federal coverage for gender-related procedures for minors stems from a misinterpretation of the Supreme Court’s 2020 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, a decision that several federal courts have since ruled does not support such policies.

“Remember that we’re dealing with the vestiges of an administration that was all in on gender identitarianism and was manipulating federal case law to be able to push through policies that have already been struck down,” Perry said. “I think the President is acting wisely in an anticipatory stance to make sure that the federal funding cap is turned off, while we can get some of these challenges through court and determine whether or not, first, if there is a parental right to these particularly controversial procedures.”

She said that a federal judge already ruled against former President Joe Biden’s re-interpretation of Title IX, referring to U.S. District Court Chief Judge Danny Reeves vacating the regulation in January, in which the previous administration had expanded sex discrimination protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

Reeves ruled that Biden’s expansion contradicted the original intent of Title IX, stating that incorporating gender identity into the statute “eviscerates the statute and renders it largely meaningless.”

CRACKING DOWN ON TRANS TROOPS: TRUMP ORDER NIXES PREFERRED PRONOUNS, RESTRICTS FACILITY USE

A transgender rights supporter takes part in a rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court as the justices hear arguments in a case on transgender health rights on Dec. 4, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Perry noted that various federal statutes, including the Affordable Care Act’s anti-discrimination provisions, were “manipulated” by the previous administration to advance gender identity policies and noted that courts have increasingly pushed back against these interpretations.

“I think he is rightly acting in an anticipatory fashion,” Perry said of Trump. “He is the chief enforcer of the law, and he has drawn a line in the sand, saying we’re going to cut the tap off until we find a way to get clarity on this, but in the meantime, we are not going to continue to fund the things that we know have catastrophic, devastating effects on minor kids.”

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The lawsuit is the latest addition to those suing Trump over his gender-related executive orders.

The executive orders, signed in late January, include a reinstatement of the ban on transgender troops in the military, a ban on federal funding for sex changes for minors and a directive requiring federal agencies to recognize only “two sexes,” male and female, in official standard of conduct.

A White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital they do not comment on pending litigation. On the campaign trail, Trump promised to weed out “radical gender ideology” as one of his key administrative focuses.

The Supreme Court will also rule on a major case this term about a Tennessee law that will determine whether gender transition procedures can be banned for minors.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics. She leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate.

February 5, 2025
McDonald’s settles lawsuit challenging company’s Latino scholarship

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., reacts to Pete Hegseth’s push to end DEI programs and initiatives in the military as well as discusses President Trump’s border agenda.

McDonald’s opened a longstanding diversity program to all races and ethnicities last week following a lawsuit from a legal group opposed to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices.

The lawsuit was filed by American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER), an organization dedicated to challenging race-based preferences and discrimination.

AAER argued that the fast-food chain’s HACER National Scholarship Program was discriminatory against non-Hispanic/Latino students as the program required applicants to have at least one parent of Hispanic/Latino heritage.

The settlement last week saw McDonald’s agree to open up the program to applicants of any race or ethnicity.

MCDONALD’S SUED OVER LATINO SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM DAYS AFTER DITCHING SOME DEI POLICIES

McDonald’s is being sued over a program that grants scholarships to Latino high school students. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“We reached the conclusion that settling this lawsuit and evolving the program is the right thing to do for its recipients,” McDonald’s said in a statement. “To achieve this, we will remove the criteria for at least one parent to be of Hispanic/Latino heritage. Instead, applicants must demonstrate their impact and contribution to the Hispanic/Latino community through their activities, leadership, and service.”

According to the settlement, HACER’s “Eligibility & Requirements” page originally stated that applicants “must be from a family” that originated from one of the 22 Hispanic/Latino countries the site listed.

The applicants were also required to answer, “Are you of Hispanic/Latino heritage?”

MCDONALD’S LATEST COMPANY TO ROLL BACK ‘WOKE’ DEI POLICIES AS TREND CONTINUES INTO 2025

RNC youth advisory council co-chair CJ Pearson reacts to President Donald Trump’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion on ‘The Evening Edit.’

In the statement, McDonald’s did not necessarily agree that HACER was discriminatory but did not want the suit to end its longstanding program nor jeopardize opportunities for the applicants to pursue their educational aspirations.

“To be clear: we disagree with this claim,” McDonald’s said. “A legal challenge would mean this year’s applicants would not have the opportunity to compete for the scholarship funds.”

The HACER program, which has awarded 17,000 students more than $33 million in scholarships over nearly 40 years, has received more than 3,000 student applicants this year, McDonald’s said.

The deadline for this year’s application has also been extended from Feb. 6 to March 6 to accommodate the new applicants, according to the suit.

COSTCO DEFENDS DEI PROGRAM AS OTHER MAJOR RETAILERS DROP CONTROVERSIAL DIVERSITY PUSH

Vice President JD Vance sets the record straight with President Donald Trump’s approach to DEI and more during an appearance on ‘Sunday Morning Futures.’

The suit was first filed on Jan.12 shortly after McDonald’s conducted a civil-rights audit and scaled back on its DEI policies.

Some alterations included McDonald’s ending its DEI pledge for its suppliers and changing the name of its diversity team to the Global Inclusion Team. The chain also ended its participation in surveys that could have gauged practices pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees.

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MCD MCDONALD’S CORP. 288.70 -1.62 -0.56%

Following the rollbacks, AAER claimed McDonald’s was still not treating everyone fairly.

“Even after its civil-rights audit, McDonald’s has decided to continue a program that blatantly discriminates against high-schoolers based on their ethnicity,” the lawsuit stated.

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“It is astonishing that after what McDonald’s describes as a comprehensive civil-rights audit of its programs and policies, the Hispanic-only HACER scholarship was not flagged for likely being a violation of our nation’s civil rights laws,” AAER President Edward Blum said.

According to McDonald’s, the company will continue to work on inclusion.

“McDonald’s position and our commitment to inclusion is steadfast,” the company said. “As part of our ongoing inclusion efforts, our work is evolving.”

Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

February 3, 2025
Padres owner’s widow says team would have signed Roki Sasaki if she was involved, amid succession lawsuit

EXCLUSIVE: The widow of late San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler has spoken out against her brother-in-law who claimed her lawsuit against him prevented the team from signing star pitcher Roki Sasaki.

Seidler’s brother, Matthew Seidler, provided a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday suggesting that Sheel Kamal Seidler’s lawsuit against him came during a “critical time” of negotiations with Sasaki. Matthew’s statement also claimed that their recruitment efforts were impacted by the fact her lawsuit claimed that he and his brother Robert were trying to relocate the Padres elsewhere.

Sheel Seidler’s representatives provided a statement to Fox News Digital, saying her lawsuit would not have prevented the team from signing Sasaki if she was involved in the recruitment process.

“Matt and Robert Seidler must be relieved to have an easy scapegoat for their failure to sign Roki Sasaki. The outcome could have been different if they hadn’t blocked Sheel from participating in the recruitment process, despite her many pleas to put aside any differences and help do what’s best for the Padres,” the statement read.

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Sheel Seidler throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Thursday, March 28, 2024 in San Diego. (Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Sasaki himself said that one of the reasons he chose to sign with the Dodgers was because of the organization’s stability, at his introductory press conference last week.

“The No. 1 thing that stood out [about the Dodgers] was the stability of the front office,” the pitcher said via a translator.

Seidler’s lawsuit against her late husband’s brothers, Matthew and Robert, was filed in early January, as she attempted to seize control of the team from them for her children.

She claimed that Peter, before his death, revealed his dying wish was for her to take control of the Padres, followed by their children, and that her children hold the largest stake in ownership. She added that Peter’s two brothers, Matt and Bob, “are trying to erase Peter’s vision and legacy, as well as falsely cast themselves as Peter’s true heirs.”

“I made this decision as a very last resort, but I am confident it is the right one, and the best way to protect the Padres franchise and ensure the vision that Peter and I shared for the team will continue,” she said in a statement after filing her initial complaint on Jan. 6.

The suit also alleges that Robert’s wife made multiple “racist, profane and hateful communications directed at Sheel—a woman of Indian descent—in communications,” and that the two brothers are trying to “wrest control” of the ball club to prevent “an Indian-American woman” from taking what they “saw as their family business and ancestral right.”

METS GREAT DAVID WRIGHT OFFERS ADVICE TO PETE ALONSO AS THE FIRST BASEMAN REMAINS UNSIGNED IN FREE AGENCY

Peter Seidler speaks during the pregame ceremonies honoring Joe Musgrove, #44 of the San Diego Padres, and his recent no-hitter before facing the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 16, 2021 at Petco Park in San Diego. (Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images)

Peter died in November 2023 at the age of 63. He had been ill for months, though it has not been disclosed what exactly he was dealing with. Seidler is a cancer survivor who had health issues for quite some time.

The Padres are currently owned by Peter’s estate, while John Seidler, Peter’s oldest brother, has been named as the interim control person for the team. However, John cannot be officially designated until three-quarters of Major League Baseball’s owners approve.

In addition to claiming the widow’s lawsuit prevented the team from signing Sasaki, Matthew’s response claimed that Peter never indicated he wanted Sheel to have control of the team after his passing.

“Peter could have chosen to (a) give Sheel the right to be, designate, or approve the individual that controls the Padres, (b) give Sheel direct ownership or control over the Trust’s interest in the Padres, (c) give Sheel the right to approve or veto any transactions by the Trustees, or (d) require the Trustee to make any principal distribution that Sheel demands,” the response read.

The response claims Peter amended his trust at least seven times after their marriage and never named Sheel a successor trustee in any version and that she was precluded from “ever serving as a successor trustee under any circumstance.”

The response also claims that Peter said during his life that he wanted his siblings and niece to take control of the team after his death.

“Peter had numerous conversations with his siblings and others about successor Control Persons and consistently identified five Seidler family members as candidates: Bob, Matt, John, his brother Tom (who has a 30+ year career in baseball, including 12 years with the Padres), and his niece, Monica,” it read.

“In none of these conversations did Peter ever suggest or even imply that he wanted Sheel to run the Padres. As Peter told people close to him, he moved his family to Texas in 2021 in significant part because he wanted to ‘take pressure off Sheel and the kids’ and to ‘get Sheel out of the limelight.’ Peter knew all too well the potential effects of media attention, as well as the other pressures, stresses, and demands that come with owning a sports franchise.”

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Roki Sasaki and Sheel Seidler. (Getty Images)

In a separate response provided to Fox News Digital, Sheel’s representatives expressed confidence that she will win in court.

“The response, for all of its bravado, is especially thin in responding to the very specific and serious allegations of Matt and Robert Seidler’s breaches of fiduciary duty. It’s ironic that they accuse Sheel — Peter’s wife of two decades and the mother of his three children — of misusing his assets, while at the same time they have reaped the benefits of Peter’s generosity for decades. The fact is, we will win in court because the defendants have shown they have no case. In short, their response is a total strike out.”

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

January 29, 2025
Padres owner puts blame for not signing star pitcher Roki Sasaki on lawsuit by widow of deceased former owner

San Diego Padres owners Matthew and Robert Seidler, the brother of deceased former owner Peter Seidler, has responded to a lawsuit filed by Peter’s widow, Sheel Kamal Seidler, who is suing for ownership of the team.

Matthew and Robert’s attorney provided the response to Fox News Digital, and it suggests blame on Sheel’s lawsuit for the team’ inability to sign Japanese star pitcher Roki Sasaki this offseason. Sasaki signed with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers after reportedly engaging in heavy discussions with the Padres for weeks.

“During a crucial time when Padres management was in late negotiation stages with a star pitcher, Sheel’s lawsuit recklessly suggested that Matt and his brothers were plotting to relocate the Padres elsewhere,” the response, which was filed in the Texas Probate Court on Monday, read.

Sasaki himself said that one of the reason he chose to sign with the Dodgers was because of the organization’s stability, at his introductory press conference last week.

“The No. 1 thing that stood out [about the Dodgers] was the stability of the front office,” the pitcher said via a translator.

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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) speaks during an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)

Sheel filed her lawsuit against her brothers-in-law in early January in attempt to seize control of the team from them for her children.

The widow alleged in her complaint that Peter, before his death, revealed his dying wish was for her to take control of the Padres, followed by their children, and that her children hold the largest stake in ownership. She adds that Peter’s two brothers, Matt and Bob, “are trying to erase Peter’s vision and legacy, as well as falsely cast themselves as Peter’s true heirs.”

The suit also alleges that Bob’s wife made multiple “racist, profane and hateful communications directed at Sheel—a woman of Indian descent—in communications.”

Matt and Robert’s response, they claim that Peter never designated Sheel as the successor to the team during his life.

“Peter could have chosen to (a) give Sheel the right to be, designate, or approve the individual that controls the Padres, (b) give Sheel direct ownership or control over the Trust’s interest in the Padres, (c) give Sheel the right to approve or veto any transactions by the Trustees, or (d) require the Trustee to make any principal distribution that Sheel demands,” the response read.

The response claims Peter amended his trust at least seven times after their marriage and never named Sheel a successor trustee in any version and that she was precluded from “ever serving as a successor trustee under any circumstance.”

The response also claims that Peter said during his life that he wanted his siblings and niece to take control of the team after his death.

METS GREAT DAVID WRIGHT OFFERS ADVICE TO PETE ALONSO AS THE FIRST BASEMAN REMAINS UNSIGNED IN FREE AGENCY

The San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler looks on prior to the MLB World Tour Mexico City Series between the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants at Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium on April 29, 2023 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

“Peter had numerous conversations with his siblings and others about successor Control Persons and consistently identified five Seidler family members as candidates: Bob, Matt, John, his brother Tom (who has a 30+ year career in baseball, including 12 years with the Padres), and his niece, Monica,” it read.

“In none of these conversations did Peter ever suggest or even imply that he wanted Sheel to run the Padres. As Peter told people close to him, he moved his family to Texas in 2021 in significant part because he wanted to ‘take pressure off Sheel and the kids’ and to ‘get Sheel out of the limelight.’ Peter knew all too well the potential effects of media attention, as well as the other pressures, stresses, and demands that come with owning a sports franchise.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Sheel for comment but has not received a response at the time of publication.

Peter died in November 2023 at the age of 63. He had been ill for months, though it has not been disclosed what exactly he’d been dealing with. Seidler is a cancer survivor who had health issues for quite some time.

He said in July 2023 that the Padres would stay within his family for generations after he passed away.

Peter was the founder of Seidler Equity Partners, which was a key piece of the group that purchased the Padres in 2012. Seidler’s uncle, also named Peter, and Ron Fowler were a part of the group, too.

The name of the group derives from Seidler’s grandfather, Walter O’Malley, who owned the Dodgers from 1950, when they first relocated from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, until 1979. Fowler transferred the role of chairman to Seidler in 2020, and then Seidler purchased part of Fowler’s stake in the organization to become the team’s largest stakeholder.

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A general view during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 27, 2022 at Petco Park in San Diego, California. (Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images)

Prior to his death, he dealt out a series of high-cost contracts to superstar players in an effort to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West division and win a World Series.

These contracts include Manny Machado’s $350 million deal, Fernando Tatis Jr.’s $340 million deal, Xander Bogaertz $280 million deal, and Yu Darvish’s $108 million deal.

The team was never able to reach the World Series, but they did defeat the rival Dodgers in playoff series in 2021 and 2022.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

January 28, 2025
NJ files lawsuit seeking to stymie Hochul’s NYC driving tax after asking Trump for help

New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy announced the Garden State updated its lawsuit against the federal government over the Biden-era approval of New York’s “congestion pricing” that the Democrat claims is burdening working-class residents.

The news comes days after Murphy wrote a letter to President Donald Trump seeking assistance and “common ground” on an issue the Republican also railed against.

Approved in the waning days of the Biden administration, a $9 fee is charged for vehicles traversing below Central Park, or 60th Street, by the state-owned MTA.

NJ RESIDENTS HIT WITH DOUBLED BILLS AS LAWMAKERS FUME AT MURPHY’S ‘ENERGY DISASTER PLAN’, DEMAND HEARINGS

Murphy said the Federal Highway Administration [FHWA] wrongly “fast-tracked” approval of the tolling plan that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said would reduce gridlock, improve the environment and erase red ink on the New York City transit ledger.

“The decision by the federal government and the MTA to fast-track a proposal that solely benefits New York’s transportation system at the expense of hardworking New Jerseyites must be reevaluated and rescinded,” Murphy said in a statement, adding the “scheme” is causing “financial strain” on his constituents.

Murphy, New York City and Trump (Getty)

New Jersey officials said the tolls are affecting commuters both financially and geographically.

While drivers entering Manhattan via the Holland and Lincoln tunnels receive a small “rebate” on the driving tax, those who cut through Staten Island or cross the George Washington Bridge (GWB) receive no benefit.

In its amended complaint, New Jersey alleged the FHWA appeared to miss the effects that added traffic at the world’s busiest bridge would have on urban Bergen County communities already facing unfavorable air quality.

“Fort Lee has pre-existing pollution and chronic disease burdens at the 90th percentile. Under the congestion pricing scheme, Fort Lee is one of the communities with the ‘highest propensity for truck diversion if the proposed action is implemented,’” the lawsuit said, describing the city on the Jersey side of the GWB.

Murphy said the feds cannot “continue to turn a blind eye to the significant environmental impacts that congestion pricing will have on New Jersey, favoring New York at the expense of its neighbors.”

As Hochul and Lieber continue full steam ahead with the tax, suburban drivers have expressed outrage, including those from Long Island, who, because of the placement of toll gantries, cannot leave Manhattan without paying even if they do not intend to drive into the business district.

NJ GOV SAYS HE’LL ‘FIGHT TO THE DEATH’ AGAINST TRUMP ACTIONS CONTRARY TO ‘VALUES’

The tax is compounded by the $17 charged by the Port Authority to leave New Jersey eastward across water.

Last week, Murphy demanded that the bi-state agency’s chairman — Chris Christie appointee Kevin O’Toole — provide monthly data on revenue from changes in driving patterns for those trying to avoid New York’s new fees.

“The statistical information we are requesting will help us advocate for our commuters and the broader region as we fight this unfair policy,” Murphy said.

While Murphy previously pledged to “fight to the death” against White House attacks on New Jersey “values” and communities, he also said he would work with the administration when finding common ground.

In a letter to Trump, Murphy noted the president pledged to “terminate congestion pricing in [his] first week in office” as a “massive business-killer” and had knocked Hochul for devising the “worst plan in the history of womankind.”

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“I am open to congestion pricing in concept, but New York’s scheme has never been well-designed or adequately studied,” Murphy wrote, asking Trump for assistance and noting Hochul’s “indefinite pause” on the program only lasted until it was clear former Vice President Kamala Harris would not win the election last November.

N.J. Assembly Transportation Committee member Christopher DePhillips offered bipartisan support for Murphy’s position, telling Fox News Digital that while he backs the governor’s goal of ending the “scheme,” it will take Trump to “kill it.”

“I would also like [Murphy] to apply the same effort he puts forth to stop the congestion pricing to help the mass transit riders at home. Drivers shouldn’t have to pay more to cross into Manhattan, and [NJ Transit riders] shouldn’t have to pay 15% higher fares,” said DePhillips, R-Wyckoff.

Hochul recently said she has tried to work with New Jersey to avoid ongoing litigation.

She said Albany offered a “generous” nine-figure settlement that Trenton rejected.

MTA Chairman Janno Lieber and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (Getty)

“We’ve made multiple offers to settle this lawsuit. I wish I could describe them to you because you would say they’re generous. I’m not at liberty to do that,” she told New York Streetsblog.

Members of Congress from Big Apple suburbs called for Lieber’s ouster after he held a ceremony to unveil tolling signs on Broadway.

“Imagine being such an a–hole as to celebrate screwing New Yorkers out of their hard-earned money just for the privilege to drive to work,” Rep. Michael Lawler, R-Nyack, said.

MTA executive John McCarthy said in response that Lieber has overseen better service and on-time performance and that “out-of-touch politicians” are simply “bloviating.”

The FHWA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].

January 28, 2025