Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer delivered remarks at the first public Strike Force on Unfair and Illegal Pricing meeting on August 1, 2024. In his address, Mizer highlighted the Department of Justice's (DOJ) efforts to combat unfair and illegal pricing practices across various industries.
Mizer was joined by Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton. "You will hear more from them in a minute about specific actions their divisions are taking to combat unfair and illegal practices that cause Americans to pay higher prices," he stated.
He outlined the DOJ's broad approach, noting that both the Antitrust Division and Civil Division are integral to these efforts. "We are addressing these practices across a broad range of industries using every legal tool at our disposal," Mizer said.
The DOJ has applied antitrust laws to prevent unlawful behavior affecting consumer prices. Investigations have led to the abandonment of mergers that would increase grocery store prices and lawsuits against companies sharing competitively sensitive information among meat processors, which raises prices for chicken, turkey, and pork.
In transportation, the DOJ successfully challenged an airline merger that would have increased ticket prices. The Consumer Protection Branch and U.S. Attorneys' Offices prosecuted individuals who manipulated used car prices by rolling back odometer readings and falsifying vehicle titles. Additionally, the Commercial Litigation Branch sued companies forcing car buyers into costly insurance plans.
In healthcare, pharmaceutical companies were held accountable for limiting affordable access to prescription drugs. The DOJ also took action against telehealth providers misusing patient information and imposing burdensome cancellation processes on consumers.
The DOJ is also tackling fraudulent schemes inflating government contract costs through its False Claims Act work and Procurement Collusion Strike Force. These efforts span industries from defense to healthcare, resulting in billions of dollars recovered in settlements and judgments for public funds.
"This is just a snapshot of the work DOJ is doing to address unfair and illegal conduct that affects prices," Mizer concluded before turning over the floor to Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter.