AT&T Lawyers Investigating Trump Role in Hindering Merger AT&T says it is investigating whether or not the White House wielded improper influence over the Justice Department's investigation of the company's planned $86 billion merger with Time Warner. Reports leaked last week that the DOJ wants AT&T to sell either Turner Broadcasting or DirecTV if it wants to get the deal approved. AT&T has stated it plans to do neither, and intends to see the government in court if it plans to block the deal. AT&T now says it plans to ask a court for communications between the DOJ and White House on the subject, a clear indication that AT&T feels something fishy is afoot.

Given the Trump administration's rubber stamping of every industry whim (killing net neutrality , killing broadband privacy rules , gutting media consolidation rules almost solely for Sinclair Broadcasting ), many analysts believed the administration would have no problem with the deal. After all, the negative impact from vertical integration is a far cry from the negative impact the Trump administration's other anti-consumer policies will have. Trump DOJ antitrust boss Makan Delrahim was also previously on record stating he saw no problems with the deal, a position that only changed recently. That raises the question: what shifted the DOJ's thinking? There's two current theories. One, Trump is simply being vindictive due to the negative coverage of his Presidency by Turner-owned CNN. An anonymous administration official told the New York Times back in July that using the deal as leverage to hamstring CNN was something Trump and friends had been considering. The Trump administration has repeatedly denied this, arguing it's simply worried about one company becoming too powerful (all while Trump's FCC helps demolish media consolidation rules). But another possible motive has emerged in recent months. Back in January, reports indicated that News Corporation boss Rupert Murdoch had been trying to convince Trump to block the deal, since it would create a more formidable competitor to Murdoch's own media empire. And late last week, Reuters reported that Murdoch had approached AT&T at least twice about selling CNN. Ironically, blocking the deal is a good idea from a consumer perspective, given that critics worry AT&T will use its greater size and leverage to make it harder for streaming licenses they'll need to compete with AT&T. But it's anything but clear if the Trump administration is actually thinking about consumers here. And if AT&T lawyers discover that the administration is simply engaged in cronyism with Rupert Murdoch, things could get notably...interesting. Ironically, blocking the deal is a good idea from a consumer perspective, given that critics worry AT&T will use its greater size and leverage to make it harder for streaming licenses they'll need to compete with AT&T. But it's anything but clear if the Trump administration is actually thinking about consumers here. And if AT&T lawyers discover that the administration is simply engaged in cronyism with Rupert Murdoch, things could get notably...







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Most recommended from 58 comments

Ostracus

join:2011-09-05

Henderson, KY 17 recommendations Ostracus Member For the love of money... But...but...corporations are suppose to LOVE Trump. What happened, someones check bounced?

Anona28f0

@2600:1005.x 4 recommendations Anona28f0 Anon History For those of us who do not like CNN, letting at&t buy them would be the death knell for cnn. Perhaps the problem is not President Trump but real problems with allowing a company with "business" practices like at&t to grow anymore powerful or influential.



Let's see, if they own the first responder networks and a news outlets, do they send a duplicate feed to their own "news" team before the first responders so their folks get on scene first? Couldn't happen right? at&t is too honest? Have any proof?

supernac

join:2003-03-26

Springfield, MO 3 recommendations supernac Member Anti-Consumer If record employment rates, GDP growth, stock market values and consumer confidence is anti-consumer, then I am anti-consumer.

nycnetwork

join:2000-11-12

Brooklyn, NY 2 recommendations nycnetwork Member Umm... How about the fact that the Corporate interests have been directly controlling the politics for a while now, and that they clearly have issue with the way he's running the office?



No matter how clueless or ignorant he appears to be, maybe this is an indication that he could be trying to do something in the interests of the average consumer. Obviously, the dominant corporate owned mainstream media will never suggest that as a possibility.