California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced an unredacted version of his motion for a preliminary injunction against Amazon.
In 2022, the Office of the Attorney General announced a lawsuit against the company for “stifling competition and causing increased prices.” Earlier this year, Bonta filed a preliminary injunction to immediately stop Amazon from engaging in what the attorney general called illegal price fixing.
During a livestream announcement Monday, Bonta said Amazon has “strong-armed vendors” into raising prices elsewhere or pulling products from competing retailers altogether so that Amazon can protect its profit margins.
“That’s not competition,” said Bonta. “It’s price fixing, and under California law, it’s illegal.”
The Center Square reached out Monday to Amazon, which is based in Seattle, and other retailers mentioned by Bonta, but did not get a response by press time.
According to Bonta, the newly announced version of his filing paints a clear and disturbing picture.
“Amazon has been coordinating with vendors and major retailers, including Target, Walmart, Chewy, Best Buy and Home Depot, to raise prices across the market,” said Bonta. “This is about protecting Californians from paying more than they should for everyday products, especially at a time when affordability feels farther out of reach. It’s about making sure prices are set by real competition, not behind-the-scenes pressure from Amazon.”
Bonta stressed that the prices were not suggestions from Amazon, rather “directives often backed by threats of penalties” if vendors failed to comply.
