General Motors has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review its racketeering lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
In August, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a federal judge’s decision to throw out the lawsuit but The General won’t go down without a fight.
The automaker first sued Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2019 and claimed that former FCA chief executive Sergio Marchionne led a multimillion-dollar racketeering conspiracy. General Motors asserts that its rival bribed United Auto Workers (UAW) union officials to support labor talks to its advantage, ultimately costing GM billions of dollars.
“We are seeking Supreme Court review of the Sixth Circuit’s decision that would allow FCA to escape liability under the federal racketeering statute for the harm it inflicted on GM through its admitted corruption,” GM spokesperson Maria Raynal told The Detroit News.
GM contends that FCA’s actions meant it “would consistently be denied concessions the UAW gave to FCA,” and that GM had to “shoulder more than $1 billion in labor costs above what it would have expended absent of FCA’s racketeering.” It also contends that FCA used these tactics to try and strong-arm a merger with GM.
Read: Appeals Court Rejects GM’s Attempt To Overturn FCA Racketeering Lawsuit Ruling
This isn’t the first roadblock that GM has faced with the lawsuit. In mid-2020, a federal judge ordered General Motors chief executive Mary Barra and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles chief executive Mike Manly to meet and resolve the lawsuit.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, now Stellantis NV, has denied GM’s claims.
“As we have said from the date this lawsuit was filed, it is meritless and we will continue to defend ourselves vigorously and pursue all available remedies in response to this groundless lawsuit,” Stellantis spokesperson Shawn Morgan said.
