Oregon Legislature approves 16 new positions to investigate corporate mergers and monopoly-related cases

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - The Oregon Legislature’s Emergency Board on Wednesday approved a request from Attorney General Dan Rayfield to add 16 positions to the Oregon Department of Justice’s antitrust division, expanding the agency’s capacity to investigate corporate mergers and monopoly-related cases.

The new positions include five assistant attorneys general, four paralegals, six legal secretaries and administrative staff members, and one economist.

According to the Department of Justice, the additions will double the number of attorneys and triple the division’s overall staffing capacity.

Rayfield said the positions will allow the state to take a larger role in antitrust enforcement as federal agencies reduce staffing and change enforcement priorities.

The approval comes amid changes at federal antitrust agencies. The Federal Trade Commission has undergone leadership changes, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division has seen personnel departures in recent months.

The Oregon Department of Justice said it has received numerous questions from residents concerned about corporate mergers and their effects on consumer prices and market competition.

Oregon has participated in several recent antitrust cases. The state co-led litigation that challenged the proposed merger between grocery chains Kroger and Albertsons. Oregon is also part of a multistate lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster. In addition, the the state is challenging Nexstar Media Group’s proposed acquisition of TEGNA, a transaction that would combine ownership of several television stations including KOIN and KGW in Portland.

State officials said the 16 new positions will not be funded through Oregon’s general fund. Under state law, Oregon may recover attorney fees in certain cases when it wins lawsuits.