United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division
U.S. Government: Agencies/Departments/Divisions | Federal Agencies
Recent News About United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division
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An executive of a steel distributor in Carolina, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty today to conspiring with competitors to fix prices for sales of reinforcing bar, or rebar.
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The Justice Department, Department of Labor (DOL), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) have signed an interagency memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance communication and coordination between the agencies. This initiative aims to protect American workers and promote fair competition in labor markets.
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A Michigan company was sentenced today to pay a criminal fine of $6.5 million for its role in conspiracies to rig bids for asphalt paving services contracts in the State of Michigan.
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A federal grand jury in Oklahoma City returned an indictment, which was unsealed today, charging Sioux Erosion Control, Inc. (Sioux), its vice president, and another employee with a price-fixing conspiracy targeting over $100 million in publicly-funded transportation construction contracts across Oklahoma.
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The Justice Department issued statements from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division regarding the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia’s decision in United States v. Google.
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The Justice Department today filed a civil lawsuit and announced a proposed settlement with Legends Hospitality Parent Holdings LLC (Legends) for an alleged violation of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act (HSR Act).
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The Justice Department has released a statement from Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Kades of the Antitrust Division following International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. (IAG)'s decision to abandon its proposed acquisition of sole control of Air Europa Holding S.L. (Air Europa).
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The Justice Department (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) virtually co-hosted the first public meeting of the Strike Force on Unfair and Illegal Pricing (Strike Force) to discuss enforcement actions aimed at reducing prices for Americans.
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UnitedHealth Group has decided to abandon its proposed acquisitions of Stewardship Health Inc. and a related company after facing scrutiny from the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter commented on the matter, emphasizing the importance of affordable and accessible healthcare for Americans.
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Today, the Justice Department filed a proposed consent decree to prohibit the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from enforcing the Transfer Eligibility Rule and the Rule of Restitution in connection with it. The decree also aims to prevent the implementation of similar restrictions between Division I colleges and universities.
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EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A former Aldi executive and a general contractor from Breese, Illinois, have admitted guilt to federal fraud offenses involving rigging the bid system for construction projects of grocery stores throughout southern Illinois and Missouri.
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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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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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"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 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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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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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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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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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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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...