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Judge dismisses Michigan antitrust case against Big Oil
The ruling said antitrust law did not offer a remedy for claims about blocking alternative energy, and rejected an overcharge theory for lacking a proximate link to any alleged conspiracy.
A district judge in Grand Rapids dismissed a lawsuit filed by Michigan Attorney General Dan Nessel accusing Exxon, Chevron, Shell, BP and the American Petroleum Institute of conspiring to interfere with competition in alternative energy and electric cars, OilPrice reports.
According to Judge Jane Beckering, antitrust legislation does not provide a remedy for that type of grievance, except for claims that Big Oil overcharged Michigan residents, the outlet said.
The judge also dismissed the overcharge allegation, finding the alleged conspiracy was too far removed from any overcharges for it to be considered the proximate cause, OilPrice reports.
An attorney for Chevron characterized the case as baseless and pointed to multiple related court dismissals, Reuters noted in the underlying coverage cited by OilPrice.