Penalty Amount
$1,000,000
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, along with the FTC and attorneys general of Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, settled an antitrust lawsuit against John Deere. The settlement requires Deere to provide farmers and independent repair providers with the same repair resources previously only available to authorized dealers for 10 years, and to pay $1 million in legal costs.
Deere must make repair resources available to farmers and independent repair providers equivalent to those provided to authorized dealers, including reading/clearing fault codes, reprogramming components, restarting emissions-related shutdowns, and providing technical manuals. Deere must also instruct dealers to promote these resources, provide notices to customers and the public, submit compliance reports every 60 days initially then annually, and pay $1 million total to the plaintiff states.
In-house legal teams should review vendor agreements with equipment manufacturers, particularly those involving repair and maintenance services. Key clauses to examine include: (1) any restrictions on the use of diagnostic software or tools, (2) provisions limiting repair to authorized dealers, (3) data sharing or licensing terms for repair-related software, (4) obligations to provide technical documentation and manuals, and (5) any non-compete or exclusivity clauses that could be challenged as anticompetitive. Additionally, customer agreements should be checked for clauses that waive the right to repair or mandate use of specific repair providers.
Entity
Deere & Company
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/07/08_John-Deere.asp
50017 JohnDeere Order
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/docs/50017_JohnDeere_Order.pdf
15 Deere.asp
https://ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2025/01/15_Deere.asp
Deere Complaint
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2025/docs/Deere_Complaint.pdf
Minnesota Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/
"Deere & Company"
"Pay $1 million total to Minnesota and the other plaintiff states for their legal costs and fees."
"antitrust lawsuit"
"Deere’s unlawful practices throttled the ability of farmers and independent repair providers to repair Deere equipment"
"Make repair resources available to farmers and independent repair providers that are equivalent to those Deere has made available only to authorized Deere dealers."
"Attorney General Ellison reached with the Federal Trade Commission and the attorneys general of Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin"
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison issued a consumer alert explaining how veterans, their families, and others who believe Trajector Holdings owes them money can file claims in the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The release announces no privacy violation, enforcement penalty, or remedy against the company.
Minnesota and 39 other attorneys general filed a notice in Character Technologies, Inc.’s bankruptcy proceedings raising concerns about the company’s safety and privacy practices and the sensitive information it holds, including children’s private chatbot conversations. The states seek protections for consumers in any sale or transfer of the business or assets; the filing does not impose a penalty or establish a final remedy.
The Minnesota Attorney General filed an Assurance of Discontinuance requiring Auto Tech Donations, Inc. to dissolve after finding that its solicitations and governance did not comply with state requirements. Its president was banned from forming or serving as an officer or director of nonprofits and must provide restitution to donors whose vehicles he resold for personal benefit.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and a coalition of 26 states, counties, and cities filed a lawsuit challenging NHTSA’s rule weakening fuel-economy standards for new cars and light trucks. The coalition alleges the rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Energy Policy and Conservation Act; the press release describes a lawsuit filing, not a monetary penalty or final judgment.
$35.0M
Minnesota, the FTC, and a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general reached a proposed settlement with Corteva over alleged loyalty programs that restricted pesticide distributors from buying lower-cost generic products. Corteva must end the challenged practices, comply with restrictions for 10 years, and pay $35 million to the state plaintiffs, including $1.25 million to Minnesota.
A federal court granted summary judgment to Minnesota AG Keith Ellison and a coalition of 22 attorneys general in their lawsuit challenging the CFPB Acting Director’s decision not to seek funding. The court held the refusal unlawful and required the current Acting Director to request necessary funding so the CFPB can continue operating.