New York attorney general probes oil giants for signs of price gouging amid Ukraine war

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico

NEW YORK — State Attorney General Tish James is launching an investigation into whether oil companies are taking advantage of inflation and the Russian invasion in Ukraine to jack up prices.

With midterms coming up, Democrats have gone on the offensive in recent weeks to address voters’ concerns about rising gas prices. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is facing a June primary, made reducing the gas tax a core part of her first state budget, despite opposition over the impact on funding mass transit.

Now James is weighing whether legal action is an option.

“Soaring gas prices are forcing working New Yorkers and low-income families to make difficult decisions on whether to pay bills or put food on the table,” James said Wednesday in a statement to POLITICO. “Price gouging is unfair and illegal and my office is determined to make sure it doesn’t happen in our state,” she said.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/14/new-york-attorney-general-probes-oil-giants-for-signs-of-price-gouging-amid-ukraine-war-00025087