The Department of Justice on Monday filed a lawsuit to block AT&T’s merger with Time Warner, the parent company of President Donald Trump’s longtime cable network enemy CNN.
Makan Delrahim, who leads the antitrust division at the Department of Justice, said in a statement that the merger “would greatly harm American consumers.”
“AT&T/DirecTV’s combination with Time Warner is unlawful,” Delrahim said. “Absent an adequate remedy that would fully prevent the harms this merger would cause, the only appropriate action for the Department of Justice is to seek an injunction from a federal judge blocking the entire transaction.”
Politico first reported Monday afternoon, citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter, that the Justice Department planned to file a lawsuit blocking the merger. CNN also reported the potential lawsuit, citing an unnamed source, as did the Associated Press.
According to CNN, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said last week that the company would seek an expedited hearing if the Justice Department legally challenged the merger.
The Financial Times and Politico reported earlier in November that the Justice Department told AT&T that it would need to sell off CNN or make other concessions in order to obtain the department’s approval for the merger.
Trump has directed his ire at CNN since he was a candidate, in the early days before he expanded the definition of “fake news” beyond the one network to encompass others he also dislikes.
Read the Justice Department’s filing:
This post has been updated.
I’m with Josh on this one. Lots of reasons to block this merger, but the one that’s really driving this–Trump’s antipathy to CNN–is completely improper.
Politicizing the DOJ to chill a news organization’s First Amendment rights in opposition to tradition, simple justice and the god-damn Constitution and rule of law. This is America, you traitorous fuck. This is America, not some mid-sized contractor you can stiff out of its pay. The opposition you’ve already seen is a mother’s forehead kiss compared to what’s coming.
Completely inappropriate. But how to stop it?
I don’t like mega mergers in any event. Especially mergers involving media giants. There is far too much media concentration as it is. That said I doubt this lawsuit is based on solid antitrust principles. Trump is trying to stop CNN criticism. He will probably be successful.
Jesus, talk about “right thing for the wrong reason.” Things don’t get much righter and reasons much wronger than this.