9th Circuit Upholds Ruling in Favor of Oil Companies in Antitrust Lawsuit

A U.S. appeals court on Monday sided with several oil companies in a lawsuit alleging they colluded with then-President Donald Trump to negotiate with Russia and Saudi Arabia to cut oil production. The lawsuit was filed by 24 consumers in March 2022, alleging that the oil giants colluded with the Trump administration to negotiate with Russia and Saudi Arabia to end their price war in 2020, which was triggered by the countries’ increased oil production that exceeded demand during the pandemic. In a ruling on Sept, 16, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s dismissal of the lawsuit, ruling that it involved issues beyond the court’s jurisdiction because of the political question doctrine and the act of state doctrine....