07:36 AM EST, 01/07/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) filed a lawsuit against California Attorney General Robert Bonta and several environmental groups on Monday, claiming that they defamed and disparaged the company's plastics recycling initiatives, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday, citing the complaint.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in Beaumont, Texas, names environmental groups as defendants, including Baykeeper, Heal the Bay, Intergenerational Environment Justice Fund, Surfrider Foundation, and Sierra Club.

Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) accuses defendants of making "false accusations" about its advanced recycling process, which the company claims has damaged its relationship with customers, media outlets reported.

Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) is reportedly seeking undisclosed damages and a retraction of the alleged defamatory statements.

A spokesperson for the California Department of Justice described the energy giant's lawsuit as an attempt "to deflect attention from its own unlawful deception," Reuters reported.

Exxon Mobil ( XOM ), the California Attorney General, Baykeeper, Heal the Bay, Intergenerational Environment Justice Fund, Surfrider Foundation, and Sierra Club did not immediately respond to requests for comment from MT Newswires.