DETROIT — General Motors on Friday asked a U.S. appeals court to allow it to continue pursuing its civil racketeering suit against rival Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, rejecting a lower court judge’s belittling of the complaint.
The automaker’s filing with the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals comes less than a week after U.S. District Court Judge Paul Borman called GM’s suit against Fiat Chrysler a “waste of time and resources” at a time when both automakers should be focused on surviving the coronavirus pandemic.
Borman ordered GM CEO Mary Barra and Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley to meet by July 1 to negotiate a resolution.
In its motion Friday, GM asked the appeals court to throw out Borman’s order and reassign the case to a different district court judge. GM in its petition called Borman’s order “unprecedented” and “a profound abuse” of judicial power.
“As we have said from the date this lawsuit was filed, it is meritless,” FCA said on Friday.
“FCA will continue to defend itself vigorously and pursue all available remedies in response to GM’s groundless lawsuit. We stand ready to comply with Judge Borman’s order,” it added.
