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AG Ellison cites John Deere, AgriStats and Google suits as antitrust priorities
Summary
The attorney general told the committee Minnesota is pursuing antitrust enforcement in agriculture and technology, including lawsuits against John Deere over repair practices, an AgriStats information‑exchange case, and coordinated litigation against Google.
Attorney General Keith Ellison told the House Commerce and Finance Policy Committee on March 11 that antitrust enforcement is a central part of the office’s consumer mission, with agriculture and technology singled out as enforcement priorities.
Ellison said the office recently sued Deere & Company (John Deere) alleging practices that raise repair costs and limit farmers’ ability to perform timely equipment repairs on tractors and other critical machinery. He also said Minnesota led a bipartisan coalition in a 2023 lawsuit against AgriStats alleging coordinated information exchanges among broiler, pork and turkey processors that increased consumer prices.
Ellison described participation with a 38‑state coalition and the federal government in litigation against Google. He told the committee a federal judge agreed with the coalition that Google is a monopoly, and said the office will continue to use antitrust and consumer‑protection laws to lower prices and increase market competitiveness for Minnesotans.
Why it matters: Antitrust cases can reshape market behavior in critical sectors—Ellison highlighted agriculture and tech as examples where state enforcement can protect consumers, workers and farmers.
Ellison said the office seeks remedies that restore competition and limit conduct that raises costs for end users; the AG asked small businesses and farmers to submit complaints if they believe anticompetitive conduct is occurring.
