The Blubber

The Attorney General's office, led by Bob Ferguson, is taking decisive action following successful antitrust lawsuits against major chicken and tuna corporations found guilty of price-fixing. A sum of $40.6 million has been earmarked for financial restitution to assist low-income households across Washington.

These lawsuits, which have resulted in financial penalties for the implicated corporations, are set to benefit approximately 402,200 households in Washington, encompassing over 1.2 million residents. The distribution of checks began on December 5, with completion anticipated by December 31. The restitution specifically targets households with incomes at or below 175% of the federal poverty level.

Attorney General Ferguson emphasized the commitment to holding powerful interests accountable when they break the law, stating, "When powerful interests break the law and harm Washingtonians, my office holds them accountable." He highlighted that Washington families were adversely affected by corporate price-fixing conspiracies, leading to financial restitution for those most severely impacted.

The financial relief, aimed at alleviating strains, especially during the holiday season, will provide $50 checks to single-person households and $120 for multi-person households. Eligible individuals who do not receive a check by the year's end but believe they qualify can visit refundcheck.atg.wa.gov within six months to claim their share of the funds.

Approximately 134,100 single-person households will receive $50, and 268,100 multi-person households will receive $120. A portion of $1.7 million is reserved for qualifying households that may not initially receive checks.

The restitution payments focus on assisting those least equipped to handle the aftermath of price-fixing schemes. The $40.6 million is a result of successful lawsuits against broiler chicken and tuna corporations, with $35.5 million recovered from 15 of the 19 broiler chicken producers named in a 2021 lawsuit.

Ferguson's lawsuit alleges that these chicken producers, constituting 95% of broiler chickens sold nationwide, participated in a conspiracy to inflate prices since at least 2008, violating state antitrust laws. Legal proceedings are ongoing against the remaining three co-conspirators.

In addition to the funds from broiler chicken cases, over $5.1 million has been obtained from cases against major tuna companies, including resolutions with StarKist, Chicken of the Sea, and former Bumble Bee Tuna CEO Christopher Lischewski.

Executives from these companies were found to have engaged in clandestine communications and meetings to exchange internal company policies and data, resulting in artificial price increases on canned tuna. Cases are actively being handled by Assistant Attorneys General and supporting staff from Ferguson's Antitrust Division for Washington.