Court Rules
All enforcement actions
SettlementMedium RiskMultistate

Colorado AG settles with egg producers for price-fixing scheme

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.June 30, 2026Colorado Attorney General

Penalty Amount

$3,300,000

Summary

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, along with a bipartisan multistate coalition and the U.S. Department of Justice, settled with Cal-Maine Foods, Versova/Centrum, and Hickman's Egg Ranch for colluding to manipulate egg prices. The companies secretly coordinated bidding activity to influence the Urner Barry price index, artificially inflating egg prices for consumers and retailers nationwide. The settlement requires the companies to pay $3.3 million, donate 53 million eggs to food banks, and implement compliance measures.

Remedy

The companies must end illegal price coordination, adopt compliance measures, designate antitrust compliance officers, cooperate with oversight, donate 53 million eggs to food banks, and pay a combined $3.3 million to the states.

Monetary PenaltyInjunctionCompliance ProgramReporting Requirements

Contract Impact

In-house legal teams should review all supply and procurement contracts, particularly those tied to benchmark pricing indices like Urner Barry. Key clauses to examine include pricing mechanisms, benchmarking provisions, and any terms that allow for coordinated bidding or information sharing among competitors. Vendor agreements with agricultural cooperatives or large producers should be audited for antitrust compliance, and contracts should include explicit prohibitions against collusion and price manipulation. Additionally, compliance program requirements and antitrust training clauses should be strengthened to prevent future violations.

Contract Search Terms

price fixingbenchmark pricingsupply contractbidding coordinationantitrust complianceprice index manipulationUrner Barrycollusion clausecompliance officercooperative agreement

Laws Cited

Sherman Antitrust Act
15 U.S.C. § 1

Violation Types

Entity Details

Entity

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.

Industry

Food Delivery

Multistate Coalition

Official Sources

Source Evidence

Entity Name
"Cal-Maine Foods, Versova/Centrum, and Hickman’s Egg Ranch"
Fine Amount
"The companies will also pay a combined $3.3 million to the states."
Laws Cited
"Sherman Antitrust Act"
Violation Types
"illegally coordinated for years to influence a daily price index for eggs, which artificially increased prices for retailers and consumers throughout the country."
Is Multistate
"A bipartisan multistate investigation with the U.S. Department of Justice"
Remedy Types
"end their illegal coordination to manipulate prices, adopt compliance measures to prevent future violations, and fully cooperate with oversight by the states."

Related Enforcement Actions

MN

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.

$3.3M

Attorney General Ellison secured a settlement with Cal-Maine Foods, Versova/Centrum, and Hickman's Egg Ranch for illegally coordinating to manipulate egg prices. The companies secretly communicated to influence a daily price index, artificially raising costs for consumers. The settlement includes 53 million donated eggs, $3.3 million in payments, and compliance measures.

CO

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Attorney General Weiser joined a coalition of attorneys general in suing to block new unlawful conditions on Title X funding imposed by HHS, which would penalize states and providers that refuse to abandon nondiscrimination initiatives or conform to the administration's ideological vision of family planning. The lawsuit argues the conditions conflict with federal law, violate the Administrative Procedure Act, and are unconstitutionally vague.

CO

Cobblestone Denver Opco, LLC

$1.4M

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser announced a settlement with Cobblestone Denver Opco, LLC (Cobblestone Car Wash) over allegations that the company used unfair automatic renewal practices for monthly membership fees. The company failed to provide proper disclosures, notices, terms, and cancellation options, locking over 70,000 consumers into auto-renewal contracts. Cobblestone will pay $1,353,465 in restitution, has already refunded $253,406 to consumers, and must comply with the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, including providing easy-to-access cancellation options and 25-day advance notice of price increases.

CO

U.S. Department of Transportation

Attorney General Phil Weiser joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general and Pennsylvania in filing two lawsuits against the Trump administration for demanding a database of state-owned records containing sensitive personal information of 17 million commercial drivers. The lawsuits allege violations of federal privacy laws and the Administrative Procedure Act, and seek an emergency order to prevent the data from being turned over by the August 17 deadline.

CO

Home Defense Solutions

Colorado contractor Rocco Roberts was criminally charged for defrauding a Boulder family during an asbestos remediation project. He allegedly misrepresented his licensing, performed the abatement improperly, exposed the home to asbestos, and provided a fraudulent clearance test. Roberts collected $8,400 for the work and faces felony charges including hazardous substance incident, forgery, and theft.

CO

Sandoz Inc.

$400.0M

Attorney General Phil Weiser joined a coalition of 43 states and territories announcing a $400 million settlement in principle with Sandoz Inc. to resolve allegations that the generic drug manufacturer engaged in conspiracies to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition, and unreasonably restrain trade. Sandoz will pay approximately $469 million including previous settlements and agreed to meaningful reforms to ensure fair competition and compliance with antitrust laws.