[U.S. Antitrust Agencies: Closely Monitoring Oil Market for Price Manipulation] According to a report by Golden Finance on July 3, citing CBS News, U.S. antitrust regulators stated on Friday that they are closely monitoring the oil market for potential price manipulation or market monopolization and have urged state attorneys general to assist in investigating illegal activities. "Recent fluctuations in crude oil prices do not justify ignoring antitrust laws or state consumer protection laws, nor should companies be allowed to manipulate retail prices or collude with competitors," officials from the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission said in a letter to the states. They added, "Companies must not use market volatility as a cover to engage in anti-competitive behavior, fraud, or any other illegal activities that harm the interests of the American public." In the letter, Stanley Woodward, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, and Andrew Ferguson, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, also suggested that states could assist in combating price gouging practices.