Blog•Mar 6, 2026
How Trump's Antitrust Enforcer Andrew Ferguson May Be Pushing Up Oil Prices
The FTC under new chair Andrew Ferguson quickly overturned Lina Khan’s condition that barred Scott Sheffield from Exxon’s board after the agency’s 2024 investigation into alleged price‑fixing between U.S. shale producers and OPEC. The reversal came just as a Middle‑East war pushed crude above $90 a barrel, reigniting political scrutiny of oil prices. Evidence suggests shale executives coordinated with OPEC to curb drilling, inflating profits while raising consumer costs. Ferguson’s move signals a shift toward lenient antitrust enforcement that could sustain higher energy prices.
