California AG Releases Unredacted Filing in Lawsuit Accusing Amazon of Pressuring Brands on Pricing

California Attorney General Rob Bonta released a largely unredacted court filing on Monday, containing internal emails that allege Amazon pressured brands including Levi Strauss and Hanes to raise prices at rivals like Walmart and Target. The filing, a 19-page memorandum in support of a preliminary injunction, was submitted in San Francisco Superior Court.

@zerohedge reported these details, highlighting Amazon's alleged use of threats involving lost Buy Box placement, suppressed search visibility and order suspensions.

In one email exchange, Amazon flagged styles of concern to Levi’s, specifically Easy Khaki Classic pants listed cheaper at Walmart. 99.

Similar price-raising patterns occurred with Hanes, which pressured Target and Walmart to increase prices. Walmart raised prices for Allergan eye drops after Amazon suppressed the listing. Price coordination also took place for pet treats with Chewy and for furniture sold through Home Depot.

Vendors contacted rival retailers at Amazon’s direction to fix or resolve lower prices. Amazon employed internal enforcement mechanisms, including CRaP flags, Guaranteed Minimum Margin demands and instructions to discuss pricing by phone. These tactics formed part of what California describes as a Retail Price Fixing Scheme.

The case, titled The People of the State of California v. com Inc. with case number CGC-22-601826, dates back to September 2022. Bonta filed the preliminary injunction request in February. A hearing for the preliminary injunction is scheduled for July 23, 2026, and the full trial begins on January 19, 2027.

' The spokesperson described the release as 'a transparent attempt to distract from the weakness of its case' and noted that the evidence is years old. 66 trillion. Separately, the Federal Trade Commission and 17 states sued Amazon in 2023, accusing the company of illegally maintaining a monopoly in online retail by squeezing merchants and prioritizing its own products.

That FTC lawsuit includes allegations of algorithmic pricing tactics known as Project Nessie. In September, the FTC agreed to settle a lawsuit against Amazon regarding difficulties in canceling Prime subscriptions. 5 billion, including $1 billion in penalties and additional payouts to consumers.

Amazon did not admit or deny wrongdoing in the September settlement.