Tesoro loses bid to limit state probe

by The Associated Press

The Alaska Supreme Court has ruled against Tesoro Petroleum Corp. in its attempt to limit the scope of the state attorney general’s gasoline price-fixing investigation.

The high court, with the justices split 3-1, affirmed Superior Court Judge Peter Michalski’s ruling that the state wasn’t seeking an “unreasonable and oppressive” stack of records. The majority also found that the law firm of Hosie, Frost & Large qualified as an “authorized employee” of the state and therefore may see the documents from the investigation. Ron Noel, general counsel for Tesoro in Alaska, said April 24 that the Supreme Court ruling was mainly moot, as the company already had turned over all requested records to the state by the middle of last year. The company firmly denies it has conspired with other companies to limit competition and keep fuel prices high in Alaska, he said.