U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division
U.S. Government: Agencies/Departments/Divisions | Federal Agencies
Recent News About U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division
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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...
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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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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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Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division issued a statement following Adobe Inc.'s decision to abandon its proposed acquisition of Figma Inc.
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The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have jointly issued the 2023 Merger Guidelines, outlining factors and frameworks used in reviewing mergers and acquisitions. This release marks the end of a nearly two-year process involving public engagement and reflects current market conditions, advancements in economics and law, as well as experiences from diverse market participants.
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Following a court-authorized wiretap investigation, a federal grand jury in Boise, Idaho, returned an indictment this week charging two executives of competing companies with conspiring to rig bids and allocate territories in violation of the Sherman Act, conspiring to commit wire fraud, and committing wire fraud.
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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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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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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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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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Two businessmen, Vladislav Osipov and Richard Masters, face charges in the United States for their roles in a sanctions evasion and money laundering scheme involving a $90 million yacht owned by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg.
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Tijuana resident Alexis Castillo Padilla has entered a guilty plea in federal court to charges related to a scheme aimed at defrauding interstate carriers and brokers within the trucking industry.
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BC Flynn Contracting Corp. and Axion Specialty Contracting LLC have entered guilty pleas in a federal court in Connecticut, admitting to their involvement in a conspiracy to rig bids on insulation contracts.
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Vanessa Roberts Avery, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, has announced the sentencing of William Sacco, a former project manager for a Massachusetts-based mechanical contractor.