President Donald Trump, who vowed on the campaign trail to stop AT&T’s takeover of Time Warner, hasn’t weighed in on the deal with the antitrust lawyer he’s picked to lead the government’s investigation of the merger.
That’s the assessment of Makan Delrahim, Trump’s nominee to run the Justice Department’s antitrust division. Delrahim had “no conversations” with the president about the Time Warner deal, he said in written responses to questions from senators following his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“I was not asked, nor have I provided, any commitments or assurances regarding any potential enforcement actions or pending matters before the antitrust division,” Delrahim said in a document posted Monday afternoon on the committee’s website.
AT&T’s $85 billion deal for Time Warner is among several high-profile antitrust investigations that Delrahim will take over if confirmed by the full Senate. Trump’s pre-election comments about the merger, as well as meetings he had as president-elect with chief executives pursuing deals, have raised questions about whether Trump may interfere with the Justice Department’s reviews.
Full Content: Bloomberg
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