Chang Suk C.S. Chung, Price Fixing, New York 2023

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Price-Fixing Cartels Under Fire

The Antitrust Division is cracking down on price-fixing cartels that cheat American consumers, workers, and taxpayers out of the benefits of free and fair competition. In a statement, Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard A. Powers commended whistleblowers for their courage in exposing illegal activity.

“We acknowledge whistleblowers’ courage and conviction in the face of adversity — their protection has been critical in exposing illegal activity,” Powers said. “This year marks another milestone for these protections with the passage of the Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act, a law that will further our efforts to root out antitrust crimes that undermine our economy and cheat American consumers, workers, and taxpayers of the benefits of free and fair competition.”

The Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act (CAARA) provides legal protections for employees who blow the whistle on criminal antitrust violations by prohibiting employers from taking punitive actions against whistleblowers for reporting these violations to their employer or assisting a federal government investigation into a criminal antitrust violation.

CAARA protects employees, contractors, subcontractors, and agents of the employer. Detecting antitrust violations can prevent or reduce harm to victims of antitrust crimes. For example, eliminating bid rigging could reduce government procurement costs by 20% – a significant sum when the budget for discretionary spending on public procurement is more than $580 billion, as it was in 2019.

The Antitrust Division will continue to work in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor to effectively implement CAARA’s whistleblower protections. To report antitrust concerns, visit the Whistleblower Protection Program. The Antitrust Division also maintains a Citizen Complaint Center to report antitrust concerns via email, mail or phone.

By working together, we can root out price-fixing cartels and promote fair competition in the American economy. The Procurement Collusion Strike Force encourages citizens to report complaints about antitrust and other crimes that affect government procurement at all levels – federal, state, and local.

This year marks the 243rd anniversary of the United States’ first whistleblower law, and the Antitrust Division is committed to protecting those who come forward to report crimes. With CAARA in place, we can ensure that employees feel safe reporting antitrust violations without fear of retaliation.

As President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy emphasizes, promoting competition is essential for the health of our economy. The Antitrust Division will continue to work tirelessly to enforce antitrust laws and protect consumers, workers, and taxpayers.