Amazon accused of destroying evidence in COVID price-gouging suit

Amazon is facing a motion for sanctions after plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit alleged the company destroyed an “untold number” of documents relevant to COVID-19 price-gouging claims. The filing argues that Amazon failed to issue a litigation hold for months after the 2020 complaint was filed, resulting in the permanent deletion of critical pricing records and employee communications. U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik previously noted the retailer waited nearly six months to notify employees of the preservation requirement, a delay that plaintiffs claim gives Amazon an unfair evidentiary advantage. The underlying suit alleges the company illegally raised prices on essential goods by more than 1,000% during the early days of the pandemic.