Trump regulators signal new antitrust approach with AT&T merger

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The Trump administration’s antitrust enforcers have fired a warning shot to AT&T and other companies hoping to pull off massive mergers.

Makan Delrahim, the Justice Department’s antitrust chief, is reportedly expected to take AT&T to court over its proposed $85 billion deal with Time Warner.

Earlier this month, in an unusually public spat, it was reported that Department of Justice (DOJ) officials had demanded that AT&T sell off CNN’s parent company, Turner Broadcasting, from Time Warner if it wanted the deal approved. DOJ sources told The Hill and other outlets that AT&T had offered to follow through with divesting from CNN.

AT&T has denied both accounts, saying it did not and would not make such an offer.

Signs that the merger was facing trouble came as a shock to many observers who had predicted that the deal would easily pass regulatory scrutiny since it involved two companies that do not directly compete with one another, known as a vertical merger.

[contentcards url=”http://thehill.com/policy/technology/360972-trump-regulators-signal-new-antitrust-approach” target=”_blank”]
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