Scott Sheffield, the former CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, has remained silent since the FTC's administrative complaint against him earlier this month.

However, in a detailed submission to the regulator on Tuesday, his legal team urged the commission to retract its charges and criticized what they characterized as a "groundless personal assault" that infringed upon First Amendment rights.

"The FTC is mistaken in insinuating that I ever participated in, endorsed, or even hinted at any type of anti-competitive conduct," Sheffield stated.

Following the FTC's recent administrative complaint against Scott Sheffield, former CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, the industry has widely criticized the decision as an unjust and misplaced attack on a respected leader and advocate in the sector. This move has raised concerns about how communication unearthed in antitrust probes could be analyzed and has heightened fears of a broader crackdown on the industry ahead of the upcoming presidential election.

The FTC's complaint referenced communications between Sheffield and fellow industry figures, as well as public statements made by Sheffield himself, to allege that he had engaged in efforts to collude with OPEC and other domestic producers to limit production and support oil prices.

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