Iowa, Wisconsin Ethanol Plants Sue ADM Six Ethanol Companies File New Anti-Trust Lawsuit Against Archer Daniels Midland
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Add six more ethanol companies to the list of plaintiffs suing Archer Daniels Midland, alleging one of the nation’s largest ethanol producers manipulated the market. Wisconsin producers United Wisconsin Grain Producers, Didion Ethanol, Ace Ethanol, Fox River Valley Ethanol, Badger State Ethanol and Iowa producer Pine Lake Corn, filed a new lawsuit on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois.
There are three other similar lawsuits pending in the same court, including a complaint filed by Omaha-based Green Plains Inc. Earlier this week a federal judge in Nebraska issued an order for a change of venue in the Green Plains case to the Illinois court.
ADM also has been sued by Wisconsin ethanol producer Midwest Renewable Energy as well as AOT Holdings, a Swiss company that owns an energy-trading subsidiary.
The new lawsuit alleges ADM violated a number of state and federal laws, including monopoly provisions of the Sherman Act, and violations of the Illinois Anti-Trust Act, the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, the Wisconsin Deceptive Practices Act, tortious interference with contractual relations under Wisconsin and Iowa law. READ MORE