SEATTLE — Mar-Jac Poultry agreed to pay the Washington Attorney General’s Office $725,000 to settle claims that it conspired to inflate and manipulate chicken prices.
As part of the resolution, the attorney general said Mar-Jac Poultry agreed to cooperate to produce information and documentation relevant to the case against other companies accused in the lawsuit.
Bob Ferguson, attorney general for Washington, filed a lawsuit in October 2021 against 19 chicken producers on the same charges.
Mar-Jac Poultry agreed to cooperate with the Attorney General’s Office to produce information and documentation relevant to the case against the other co-conspirators. The poultry producer also entered into a legally binding agreement to conduct internal training and to certify that it has corporate policies that ensure the company follows state and federal antitrust law.
With the consent decree, the Attorney’s General Office can go to court and seek civil penalties if Mar-Jac Poultry engages in anticompetitive behavior in the next five years.
The $725,000 recovery will be directed into the state Antitrust Revolving Account.
The other companies named in the ongoing lawsuit with Washington are Tyson Foods Inc., Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., Sanderson Farms Inc., Perdue Farms Inc., Koch Foods Inc., Foster Farms LLC, Mountaire Farms Inc., Wayne Farms LLC, Amick Farms LLC, George’s Inc., Peco Foods Inc., House of Raeford Inc., Fieldale Farms Corp., Case Foods Inc., Claxton Poultry Farms, Simmons Foods Inc., O.K. Foods Inc. and Harrison Poultry Inc.
