The Trump administration is formally taking its campaign against high gasoline prices to the states. Following President Donald Trump's order for the Justice Department to investigate possible price gouging at the pump, federal antitrust regulators have officially asked state attorneys general to join the effort, warning that oil market volatility is no excuse for anticompetitive behavior.
In a letter seen by CBS News, the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission stated they are actively monitoring oil markets for evidence of price-fixing or monopolization. The letter encourages states to determine whether fuel retailers or suppliers have violated their own consumer protection laws.
“Recent volatility in crude oil prices does not suspend either the antitrust laws or state consumer protection laws, and it does not authorize companies to manipulate retail prices or collude with their competitors,” the agencies wrote.
