FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo's price gouging case seeking $89 million in damages from Marathon Oil Corp. is moving through state court. Franklin Circuit Court Judge Tom Wingate earlier this week entered an Agreed Order directing Marathon to answer outstanding discovery requests by November 19, 2007.
The judge is moving us closer to our day in court, when we will ask a jury to say whether Marathon's pricing was grossly excessive as America weathered hurricanes and turmoil, Stumbo said. This is the very reason that the price [image-nocss] gouging law was enacted, and my Office of Consumer Protection will see that it protects all Kentuckians from predatory oil pricing.
Attorney General Greg Stumbo filed litigation in Franklin Circuit Court in May 2007 against Marathon Oil Corp., Marathon Petroleum Co. LLC and Speedway SuperAmerica LLC charging the corporations with profiteering during the time of emergency following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
"We too look forward to resolving these issues," Marathon spokesperson Angelica Graves told CSP Daily News. "We are proud of our responses to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that made petroleum products available for our Kentucky customers at a time when supply was limited due to the loss of refining capacity and crude oil production in our nation. Speedway and Marathon focus on continuously providing quality products to our customers at competitive prices."
She added, "The Order referred to in the article was a mutually agreed-upon Order."
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