Golden State Today

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued a reminder to residents who purchased gasoline in Southern California between February 20, 2015, and November 10, 2015. These individuals are encouraged to submit claims for payments under the state's antitrust settlement with gas trading firms. The deadline for submitting claims is January 8, 2025, and eligible Californians can file their claims online at www.CalGasLitigation.com.

"California, don’t forget to claim your money! When companies conspire to unlawfully raise prices for consumers, my office steps in, just as we did with our litigation and settlement against two gas trading firms," stated Attorney General Bonta. "As part of this settlement, I am proud to deliver money back to Californians who may have been impacted by gas price manipulation. I urge eligible drivers to submit a claim by January 8, 2025."

In July 2024, Bonta announced a $50 million settlement with Vitol Inc., SK Energy Americas Inc., and its parent company SK Trading International. This resolved allegations that these firms collaborated secretly to manipulate spot market prices for California gasoline. Residents of Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Kern, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo or Imperial counties during the specified period may be eligible for compensation.

This state-level agreement complements a private class action lawsuit settled in federal court.

For further information on rights and options related to the settlement or answers to frequently asked questions about the process of filing claims can be found at www.CalGasLitigation.com.

The enforcement of antitrust laws plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy economy by ensuring fair pricing and competition among businesses. In line with this commitment to uphold antitrust regulations, the California Department of Justice has introduced a new Antitrust Complaint Form available for reporting potentially illegal competitive practices.