Haslam, the former vice president of Pilot, is currently the mayor of Knoxville, Tenn.
"When you have that many employees, there are bound to be occasional issues," Haslam said in a statement obtained by the newspaper. "The company's commitment always has been to deal with those issues quickly and in the best interests of its customers. I'm sure that's what is happening this time."
Haslam said he is "proud to be a part of a Tennessee family business that employs almost 14,000 Americans in 40 states--over 1,800 of them in Tennessee."
Earlier, Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester slammed Haslam in a statement saying Cooper "helped consumers strike back against corporate greed."
The settlement with Pilot and other companies and individuals came in the wake of complaints and findings that 27 gas stations in East and Middle Tennessee illegally raised retail gasoline prices after Hurricane Ike in 2008.
"In the wake of a natural disaster, oil companies made a huge profit at the expense of drivers all over the country," Forrester said. "I'm happy that Tennesseans are finally getting their money back." He added that in "2010, we will need a governor who will look out for the Tennesseans who are struggling to keep their jobs and provide for their families. I just hope that Bill Haslam doesn't treat the voters of Tennessee like his family's company treated drivers in Powell."
A Pilot station in Powell, Tenn., was one of the four Pilot stations cited by Cooper over allegations they engaged in unlawful price hikes as defined under the Tennessee Price Gouging Act of 2002 and the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act, said the report.
Asked by reporters about Pilot earlier in the day, Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey (R), who is actively exploring a gubernatorial bid, said, "I don't want to bring that up--yet. The fact that's the third state that's happened in, I wasn't going to point that out."
Pilot settled similar claims of price gouging in Georgia and Kentucky, according to the report.
Democratic candidate Ward Cammack issued a statement, obtained by the Free Press, saying, "government should never allow unscrupulous businesses to take advantage of consumers during times of crisis. As governor, my administration will build on Governor Bredesen's vigilance in cracking down on such indefensible actions."
Upon a request made by the newspaper, Cooper's office provided figures showing Pilot Corp. and Pilot Travel Centers paid $23,334.80 in restitution, civil penalties of $12,000 and attorneys fees of $1,000.
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