United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division
Recent News About United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division
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Sports equipment sales professional pleads guilty to bid rigging schemes
A former sales employee of a sports equipment manufacturer and distributor pleaded guilty today for his involvement in three separate conspiracies. These included two bid-rigging schemes violating the Sherman Act and one conspiracy to commit wire fraud, all targeting schools located in Mississippi and other locations. The conspiracies victimized at least 100 schools.
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Justice Department announces task force on health care monopolies
The U.S. Justice Department has announced the establishment of the Antitrust Division’s Task Force on Health Care Monopolies and Collusion (HCMC). The HCMC is set to guide the division's enforcement strategy and policy approach in health care, including facilitating policy advocacy, investigations, and civil and criminal enforcement in health care markets when necessary.
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Executive pleads guilty to conspiring in wildfire services bid rigging and territories allocation
"The former owner of contractor companies that provided fuel truck services to the U.S. Forest Service’s wildfire fighters pleaded guilty today to conspiring to monopolize, rigging bids and allocating territories in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. The plea follows a judicially authorized wiretap investigation that led to the indictment of two executives in December 2023.According to a plea agreement and superseding information filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, Ike Tomlinson, 60, conspired with co-defendant Kris Bird, 61,...
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TopBuild Abandons Proposed Acquisition of SPI After Antitrust Division Concerns
TopBuild Corp. announced its decision today to abandon its proposed $960 million acquisition of its rival, SPI Parent Holding Company (SPI). This decision came after concerns raised by the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department.Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Antitrust Division highlighted the potential negative impact of the proposed acquisition on competition in the United States. Kanter stated, "TopBuild’s proposed acquisition of SPI would have harmed competition across the United States by combining two of the largest providers of important...
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Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force Welcomes Four New National Law Enforcement Partners
The Justice Department's Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) has announced the addition of four new national partners, bringing the total to 38 agencies and offices dedicated to combating antitrust crimes and related schemes in government procurement, grants, and program funding.Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter highlighted the PCSF's commitment, stating, "Since 2019, the Procurement Collusion Strike Force has aggressively investigated and prosecuted crimes that undermine and distort the competitive process in taxpayer-funded procurements."U.S. Attorney...
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Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, and European Commission Strengthen Cooperation in Technology Competition
Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division, FTC Chair Lina M. Khan, and European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager convened in Washington, D.C., for the fourth U.S.-EU Joint Technology Competition Policy Dialogue (TCPD) on Apr 11, 2024.During the meeting, Kanter emphasized the challenges posed by data monopolies and artificial intelligence, stating, "The growth of data monopolies and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence expand the competitive threats we face from dominant digital gatekeepers."...
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U.S. Court of Appeals Upholds Justice Department's Authority to Investigate National Association of Realtors
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has confirmed the Justice Department's authority to investigate potentially anticompetitive conduct by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). The decision, announced on April 5, 2024, overturns restrictions that had previously hindered the Department's ability to probe into NAR's practices.Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division expressed the importance of this ruling, stating, “Real-estate commissions in the United States greatly exceed those in any other...
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Two Warner Bros. Discovery Directors Resign after Justice Department Expresses Antitrust Concerns
The Justice Department announced today that two directors of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. (WBD) have resigned from the WBD board after the Antitrust Division expressed concerns that their positions on both the WBD and Charter Communications Inc. boards violated Section 8 of the Clayton Act (Section 8)."In enacting Section 8 of the Clayton Act, Congress was concerned that competitors who shared directors would compete less vigorously to provide better services and lower prices. We will continue to vigorously enforce the antitrust laws when necessary to address overreach by...
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Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Address Hotel Room Algorithmic Price-Fixing
The Justice Department joined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a statement of interest in a case concerning hotel room algorithmic price-fixing. The case, Cornish-Adebiyi v. Caesars Entertainment, brings to light the issue of collusion in pricing through the use of algorithms.According to the statement, competitors in the hotel industry cannot collude on room pricing, whether through direct communication or by utilizing algorithms that facilitate anti-competitive practices. The Agencies emphasize that the use of algorithms that recommend prices to multiple...
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Fresh Express Abandons Acquisition of Dole’s Packaged Salad Business in Response to Antitrust Concerns
Fresh Express Acquisition LLC’s, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chiquita Holdings Limited (Chiquita), has decided to abandon its proposed $308 million acquisition of Dole plc’s Fresh Vegetables division. The decision to abandon the acquisition was made in response to concerns raised by the Antitrust Division.Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Antitrust Division emphasized the impact of this decision on consumers, stating, "At a time when food companies are already overcharging Americans for groceries, today’s abandonment preserves lower prices and...
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Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force Addresses Collusion and Fraud Schemes in Atlanta Summit
The Justice Department, in collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), recently organized a summit in Atlanta. The event aimed to raise awareness about collusion, corruption, and fraud schemes targeting government spending in the Atlanta metropolitan area.U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan and PCSF Director Daniel W. Glad led the discussions during the summit, highlighting the growth and success of the PCSF since its establishment in 2019. Buchanan and Glad emphasized the department's...
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DOJ files complaint decree against poultry processor George's for actions that 'damage competition and the competitive process'
The U.S. DOJ filed an amended complaint and consent decree with George’s to resolve claims that they conspired with other poultry processors to suppress workers’ wages.
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Kanter: 'Criminals who corrupt the competitive-bidding process will face stern consequences'
A California construction-company owner who participated in a bid-rigging and bribery conspiracy involving contracts for California Department of Transportation projects was given a 78-month prison term and required to pay nearly $1 million.
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Owner of California construction company receives 78 months in prison for charges of defrauding U.S. government and bribery
The owner of a construction company has been sentenced to 78 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $1 million in restitution for defrauding the U.S. government.
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Pharmaceutical company agrees to pay $765,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations: 'Customs and Border Protection takes the marking laws very seriously'
New York-based Danco Laboratories, LLC, which was accused of breaking the False Claims Act by failing to pay certain customs duties on imported pharmaceutical products that failed to identify their country of origin, has agreed to pay $765,000 to the U.S. Justice Department.
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Texas woman charged with warranty, bank fraud
A Texas woman has reportedly been accused of fraud charges related to Cisco Systems Inc. and the U.S. government's Payroll Protection Program, a Feb. 10 U.S. Department of Justice news release said.
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Department of Justice Announces Initiative to Protect Americans from Collusive Schemes Amid Supply Chain Disruptions
In the wake of persistent price increases initially stemming from supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Antitrust Division and the FBI announced an initiative today to deter, detect and prosecute those who would exploit supply chain disruptions to engage in collusive conduct.
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Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Seek to Strengthen Enforcement Against Illegal Mergers
Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched a joint public inquiry aimed at strengthening enforcement against illegal mergers.
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Justice Department and Agriculture Department Issue Shared Principles and Commitments to Protect Against Unfair and Anticompetitive Practices
Speaking at a White House event focused on competition in agriculture, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack expressed their shared commitment to effectively enforcing federal competition laws that protect farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural producers and growers from unfair and anticompetitive practices, including the antitrust laws and the Packers and Stockyards Act.
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Biglari Holdings Inc. to Pay Civil Penalty for Repeat Violation of Antitrust Pre-Transaction Notification Requirements
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, at the request of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today in the U.S.