Tyson to pay WA $10.5 million
By Terry Murry on Tuesday, October 25th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
SEATTLE – Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced Monday that Tyson Foods will pay $10.5 million because of his office’s lawsuit over price fixing on chicken products. The lawsuit continues against 16 co-conspirators. Two other defendants in the suit have already settled.
Ferguson’s office asserts Tyson Foods and the other chicken producers drove up the price of chicken since at least 2008, causing consumers to overpay millions of dollars. Furthermore, the lawsuit claims a widespread illegal conspiracy to inflate and manipulate prices, rig contract bids, illegally exchange information and coordinate industry supply reductions to maximize profits.
As part of the court order, Tyson Foods will cooperate with Ferguson’s office to produce information and documentation relevant to the case against the other co-conspirators. Tyson Foods also entered into a legally binding agreement to conduct internal training and certify that is has corporate policies that ensure the company follows state and federal antitrust laws.
Under the terms of the consent decree, if Tyson Foods engages in price-fixing or other anticompetitive conduct in the next five years, the Washington State Attorney General’s Office can go to court to seek further civil penalties.
