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Swanson Sues Volkswagen Over 'Diselgate', Seeks Civil Penalties

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson announced Thursday that she's suing the carmaker Volkswagen over the "dieselgate" emissions scandal.

Swanson filed the lawsuit in Hennepin County Court, seeking civil penalties against the German car giant for installing emission control systems in diesel cars that would turn on only when under testing but spewed harmful pollutants while on the road.

"This was a brazen scheme to deceive regulators and consumers to believe that these were clean, low emission vehicles, when they actually emitted nitrogen oxide at up to 35 times the legal limit," Swanson wrote in a press release. "This deceived consumers and was unfair to competitors that followed the rules."

Volkswagen sold or leased more than 11,500 tampered cars in Minnesota, Swanson said. The models were diesel versions of the Jetta, Jetta Sportwagen, Golf, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, and Touareg.

Audi and Porsche diesel models also had the suspect software.

The lawsuit filed Thursday is separate from others settled with Minnesota, the federal government and other states, Swanson said.

In June, Minnesota settled consumer fraud claims against Volkswagen for $11.5 million, and the state is also eligible to receive an additional $43 million under a federally-negotiated settlement.

Swanson says federal officials continue to investigate additional consumer, environmental and criminal claims against the German automaker.

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