OLYMPIA, Wash.-Over 400,000 households in Washington will be getting checks as part of an antitrust lawsuit brought by State Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Office against tuna and chicken producers for price fixing.
$40.6 million in restitution will be sent to household whose income is at or below 175% of the federal poverty level. 402,200 households across Washington will get checks, according to the AG’s Office.
“When powerful interests break the law and harm Washingtonians, my office holds them accountable, and prioritizes getting money back to those who were most impacted,” Ferguson said.
The first round of checks were mailed on Dec. 5 and all checks should be mailed by the end of December, with single-person households receiving a $50 check and multi-person households getting a $120 check, according to the AG’s Office.
Anyone who thinks they may be eligible for a check or who has any questions about the claims process should call (866) 601-1516 or send an email to refundcheck@atg.wa.gov.
The restitution is a result of a 2021 price-fixing lawsuit in which the AG’s Office reached settlements with 15 of 19 broiler chicken producers named.
Broiler chicken refers to virtually all chicken produced for consumption, according to the AG’s Office, including everything from chicken breasts consumers purchase at the grocery store, to chicken nuggets and chicken sandwiches bought at fast food restaurants.
The lawsuit brought by the AG’s office asserted that chicken producers have been driving up their prices since at least 2008, which caused consumers to overpay.
According to a press release from the AG’s Office, the lawsuit alleged a conspiracy to manipulate prices, rig bids and coordinate supply reductions to increase profits.
Trials against the three remaining chicken producers that haven’t reached settlements are scheduled to begin in October, 2024.
StarKist Tuna, Chicken of the Sea and the former CEO of Bumble Bee Tuna also reached settlements with the AG’s Office following the anti-trust lawsuit, with $5.1 million of the total restitution coming from the tuna industry.
According to the AG’s Office, executives of the three tuna companies exchanged internal company policies and data.
“Washington families were cheated by corporate price-fixing conspiracies they knew nothing about – and now those who felt this gouging most severely are receiving checks from my office,” Attorney General Ferguson said. “The holiday season puts a financial strain on families, and we hope Washingtonians are helped by these checks.”
