Price Gouging Complaints
Hurricane Katrina
Florida Regulators Subpoenaed 19 Oil Companies With State Terminals To Determine If They Were Price Gouging After Hurricane Katrina. According to the St. Petersburg Times, “As statewide complaints about surging gas prices continued to pour in by the hundreds Tuesday, Florida officials expanded a probe into price gouging and state lawmakers called for a cut in gas taxes. […] In the price gouging probe, Florida regulators turned their attention further up the supply chain, issuing subpoenas to 19 oil companies with terminals in the state. ‘While we’ve been looking at service stations, we need to look at the companies that supply the fuel to stations to determine whether price gouging is occurring at that level,’ said Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson, whose office oversees gas station pricing. The subpoenas seek records on what the companies paid for fuel and what they sold it for. Bronson’s office said the information will shed light on whether the businesses were price gouging or merely passing on the increased costs from refineries.” [St. Petersburg Times, 9/7/05]
In Florida, It Was Illegal To Price Gouge On Gasoline During An Emergency. According to the St. Petersburg Times, “Under Florida law, it is illegal to charge an exorbitant mark-up for essential items, such as gasoline, during an emergency. Violators face fines up to $1,000 per violation or up to $25,000 a day.” [St. Petersburg Times, 9/7/05]
As Attorney General, Crist Issued Two Subpoenas For Two Oil Distributors In His Price Gouging Investigation. According to the St. Petersburg Times, “Attorney General Charlie Crist, who has the authority to investigate price gouging, issued subpoenas last week for two petroleum distributors.” [St. Petersburg Times, 9/7/05]
Flint Hills Resources Was Subpoenaed In A Price Gouging Investigation After Katrina. According to the St. Petersburg Times, “The oil companies Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson has subpoenaed in his price-gouging investigation: + Transmontaigne Product Services Inc. + Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC + Murphy Oil USA Inc. + Citgo East Coast Oil Corp. + Apex Oil Co. of Missouri Inc. + Exxon Mobil Corp. + Amerada Hess Corp. + Motiva Enterprises LLC + Flint Hills Resources LP + Valero Marketing and Supply Co. + Placid Refining Co. + Colonial Oil Industries Inc. + Hunt Refining Co. + Premcor Refining Group Inc. + Sunoco Inc. + Chevron USA Inc. + BP Corp. North America Inc. + ConocoPhillips Co. + Citgo Petroleum Corp.” [St. Petersburg Times, 9/7/05]