Here's an antitrust concern that I filed with the Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department Antitrust Division about our Florida Mosquito Control Association, Inc. and FMC Corporation.
Donnie Powers, FMC Corporation's malathion marketer, an Alabama resident, is the conflicted President of the Florida Mosquito Control Association, which supposedly represents independent mosquito control districts like ours in St. Johns County.
More to come.
-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Slavin <easlavin@aol.com>
To: antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov <antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov>; antitrust.atr@usdoj.gov <antitrust.atr@usdoj.gov>; antitrust@ftc.gov <antitrust@ftc.gov>; corruption@usdoj.gov <corruption@usdoj.gov>
Sent: Thu, Sep 3, 2020 10:34 pm
Subject: Antitrust concern re: FMC Corporation and Florida Mosquito Control Association, Inc.
From: Ed Slavin <easlavin@aol.com>
To: antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov <antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov>; antitrust.atr@usdoj.gov <antitrust.atr@usdoj.gov>; antitrust@ftc.gov <antitrust@ftc.gov>; corruption@usdoj.gov <corruption@usdoj.gov>
Sent: Thu, Sep 3, 2020 10:34 pm
Subject: Antitrust concern re: FMC Corporation and Florida Mosquito Control Association, Inc.
Dear Chairman Simons and General Delrahim:
1. The Florida Mosquito Control Association, Inc. (FMCA) does not give an antitrust statement at the commencement of each of its meetings. FMCA's President is a seller of mosquito control chemicals, employed by FMC Corporation.
2. I am a new FMCA member, and a candidate for a set on our local mosquito control district board here in St. Johns County.
3. The current President of FMCA is Mr. Donnie Powers. Mr. Powers is an FMC Corporation chemical sales representative, or "Market Specialist." FMC Corporation is an oligopolistic distributor of malathion, an organophosphate pesticide poison, sometimes still used in mosquito control. Mr. Donnie Powers apparently receives a large income stream from sales commissions from selling malathion to Florida mosquito control districts, whose interests FMCA supposedly represents in Florida's legislature and before the governor and cabinet.
4. While he serves as Florida Mosquito Control Association President, FMC Corporation "Market Specialist" Mr. Donnie Powers lives in central Alabama. Mr. Powers may be served with process at 971 County Road 216, Thornsby, AL 35171-7219. FMCA may be served with process through its registered agent, Integrum Consulting, LLC, 11853 104th Lane North, Largo, Florida 33773.
5. FMC Corporation may be served with process in care of its EVP, Secretary and General Counsel, Mr. Michael Finian Reilly, Esquire at FMC TOWER, 2929 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104.
6. FMCA's conflicted lawyer-lobbyists may be served via Mr. Martin Christopher Lyon, at Lewis, Longman & Walker, P.A. 315 South Calhoun Street, Suite 830, Tallahassee, Florida 32301-1872. The President of Lewis Longman & Walker is Ms. Michelle Diffenderfer, Esquire, who may be served with process at Lewis, Longman & Walker, P.A., 515 North Flagler Drive, Suite 1500, West Palm Beach, FL 33401-4327.
7. FMC Corporation has considerable market power and sells products and services to FMCA members. Mr. Powers receives lucrative commissions from sales of malathion to mosquito control districts that are FMCA members.
8. FMCA includes both industry and government members, with equal voting rights.
9. It appears to be a deviation from the standard of care for a statewide mosquito control trade or professional association like FMCA not to include any antitrust statement at the commencement of every one of its meetings.
10. In 2013, I was an eyewitness who reported to FTC and DOJ Antitrust Division another Florida-based trade association, which I witnessed discussed pricing in a meeting at World Golf Village, and which failed to include such an antitrust statement in any of its meetings. Thanks to the work of your two good offices at FTC and DOJ, our St. Johns County, Florida County Visitor and Convention Bureau (VCB) now routinely includes an antitrust statement at every meeting,
11. Thank you to you, and your respective staffs, for your efforts to detect, deter and prosecute antitrust violations.
12. Please investigate FMC Corporation, Mr. Donnie Powers and the nature of their relationships with the Florida Mosquito Control Association, Inc. and its Florida Mosquito Control Foundation, and FMCA members. Please obtain malathion marketing, pricing and discount information. Please consider any appropriate civil, criminal or administrative investigations under our antitrust laws and under Section 5 of the FTC Act, prohibiting unfair and deceptive practices.
Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
Box 3084
St. Augustine, Florida 32085-3084
904-377-4998
www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com
www.edslavin.com