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Kansas Recovers Nearly $1 Million From Natural Gas Lawsuit

 

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced yesterday that the state has recovered nearly $1 million in state funds after several companies were held responsible for illegally inflating the price of natural gas in the early 2000s.

 

"Our successful defense of state antitrust law made this recovery possible," Schmidt said. "We are gratified by this outcome and are determined to continue defending the public treasury from those who unlawfully lay claim to taxpayer funds."

 

In 2014, Schmidt filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court claiming that federal law does not preempt the authority of states to enforce state antitrust laws against price-fixing of natural gas in retail transactions. The Court would eventually agree with the Kansas position, allowing the plantiffs in the case to proceed with their lawsuits against the companies in question.

 

The attorney general's office filed claims in 2017 to recover funds due to the overinflated prices. Last week, the state received reimbursement of $957,451.02 to cover the overcharges. The money will be returned to the State General Fund.

 

 

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