A Maine federal judge on Monday refused to dismiss criminal antitrust charges alleging four business managers of home healthcare agencies conspired to restrict workers’ pay and job mobility, notching a win for the US Justice Department in a closely watched prosecution.
US District Judge John Woodcock Jr’s ruling means the Justice Department can head to trial next month in Portland federal court, marking the latest in a series of cases that have tested the reach of criminal antitrust provisions to labor and employment practices.
Woodcock wrote in his order that the indictment, filed in January, “plausibly alleges a per se illegal conspiracy to fix wages and allocate employees.” The four defendants, he wrote, will have a chance to challenge whether there was an agreement and to argue their conduct had a pro-competitive purpose.
Lawyers for the defendants did not immediately return messages seeking comment on Tuesday. A Justice Department spokesman also did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Defense lawyers told the court that none of the defendants ever fixed any wages or followed a “no poach” rule.
Prosecutors have alleged the indicted business managers unlawfully coordinated in 2020 to try to eliminate competition for personal support specialist workers. The government pointed to text messages among defendants to bolster the allegation of a conspiracy to artificially keep wages at a certain level.
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
UK Probes Lindab’s Acquisition of HAS-Vent Amid Fears of Market Monopoly
Apr 28, 2024 by
CPI
Shein Faces EU Regulations Over User Data
Apr 28, 2024 by
CPI
Google Fights Back Against US Antitrust Lawsuit
Apr 28, 2024 by
CPI
US Homeland Security Establishes Blue-Ribbon Board with Tech CEOs to Advise on AI
Apr 28, 2024 by
CPI
FTC Accuses Amazon Executives of Using Disappearing Messaging Apps to Conceal Evidence
Apr 28, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Economics of Criminal Antitrust
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Navigating Economic Expert Work in Criminal Antitrust Litigation
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
The Increased Importance of Economics in Cartel Cases
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
A Law and Economics Analysis of the Antitrust Treatment of Physician Collective Price Agreements
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Information Exchange In Criminal Antitrust Cases: How Economic Testimony Can Tip The Scales
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI