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DOJ Drops Investigation Against Four Automakers That Formed Emissions Pact With California

Feds determined the agreement on emissions standards violated no federal laws.

The Justice Department has dropped an antitrust probe against four automakers that formed an agreement with California to set stricter vehicle pollution standards than those proposed by President Trump. The feds ultimately found that the automakers—Ford Motor Company, Volkswagen of America, Honda, and BMW—did not violate federal law by forming the emissions pact, a move that the White House has called a “P.R. stunt,” The New York Times reported. “These trumped-up charges were always a sham—a blatant attempt by the Trump administration to prevent more automakers from joining California and agreeing to stronger emissions standards,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement, adding that the decision is “a victory for anyone who cares about the rule of law and clean air.”