The department is probing whether the media boycott of White House press coverage violated the Sherman Act.
The Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating five major media outlets that suspended White House press coverage after President Trump revoked press access to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico last month. As a result of the boycott, no major television network aired President Trump hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House.
The Justice Department probe is determining whether the boycott in which ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News engaged violated the Sherman Act, which “prohibits certain agreements between businesses that unlawfully restrain competition.“
“Members of the television press pool have boycotted covering White House events. Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act,“ Justice Department Spokeswoman Emily Covington said. “The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Attorney General Blanche to receive God’s wisdom as he heads the Justice Department and efforts to uphold federal laws.
- For officials in the Antitrust Division to be prudent in their investigation into the potential violation of the Sherman Act by major news outlets.
Sources: NBC News, Daily Mail, Breitbart, NY Times
