Minnesota sues Volkswagen over emissions cheating scandal

Volkswagen
In this Oct. 5, 2015, file photo, the VW sign of Germany's Volkswagen car company is displayed at the building of a company's retailer in Berlin.
Markus Schreiber | AP 2015

Minnesota's attorney general is suing Volkswagen, saying the German automaker violated state laws when it sold diesel vehicles in the state with special systems designed to defeat emissions tests.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Hennepin County District Court, says Volkswagen sold or leased more than 11,500 of the diesel vehicles in Minnesota from 2008 through 2015. It alleges they violated state anti-tampering laws and environmental regulations.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified penalties.

It's separate from previous state and federal settlements with Volkswagen. Minnesota settled its consumer fraud claims against the automaker for $11.5 million in June and is eligible for another $43 million under a federally negotiated settlement of certain environmental claims. But Minnesota reserved the right to press its tampering claims under state law.

Volkswagen says it's committed to a fair resolution of remaining federal and state claims in the U.S.