Justice Department staff had urged rejection of Sprint-T-Mobile merger

Justice Department staff members who’ve have been reviewing the proposed merger of T-Mobile and Sprint had recommended that the US government sue to block the $26 billion deal, fearing the combination of the country’s third- and fourth-largest wireless carriers could threaten competition. The recommendation came before the two companies offered new concessions meant to appease regulators, including pledges to divest certain lines of business and cap prices for consumers. Despite the recommendation, a decision to bring such a case has not been made. That authority rests with the DOJ’s top antitrust official, Makan Delrahim.