A group of Democratic US House lawmakers is urging the Justice Department to investigate possible antitrust violations among US oil producers and OPEC.
Democratic US House Lawmakers Say Oil Companies Conspire to Maintain High Fuel Prices
According to Reuters, the call, led by Jerrold Nadler of the House Judiciary Committee, highlighted concerns over an alleged conspiracy to keep fuel prices high.
Nine House Democrats cited a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaint in May in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland. The complaint alleged that the former CEO of Pioneer Resources engaged in a "scheme" to coordinate pricing between US oil companies and foreign oil producers.
The legislators pointed to the substantial profits Exxon Mobil and Chevron earned last year, suggesting that the two largest US oil companies might be working together to maintain high prices.
"Major oil producers appear to be colluding with each other and foreign cartels to keep prices high, padding their profits at the expense of American consumers," the lawmakers said in the letter.
They asked Garland to use the department's full authority to investigate and, if necessary, "prosecute" this anti-competitive practice.
Exxon Mobil Denies FTC's Allegations
Exxon Mobil has denied the FTC's allegations, which the company said do not reflect its business practices. The FTC approved Exxon's $60 billion acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources last month but prohibited former Pioneer CEO Scott Sheffield from joining Exxon's board.
The agency cited Sheffield's alleged attempts to collude with OPEC to increase oil prices.
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