Rep Cicilline, Sen Klobuchar and Others Express Serious Concerns over Reports that DOJ Official Urged Dish Executive to Lobby Sens to Influence FCC Regulatory Process

House Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David Cicilline (D-RI) and Senate Antitrust Subcommittee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) sent a letter with members of their respective subcommittees, expressing serious concerns over the Justice Department’s handling of the proposed T-Mobile/Sprint merger. The letter, also signed by Sens Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Reps Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Val Demings (D-FL), and Lucy McBath (D-GA), called on Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Makan Delrahim to address reports that he encouraged Dish Network Corporation’s (Dish) Chairman to urge members of the Senate to contact the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission during its review of the proposed T-Mobile/Sprint Merger. The letter also requests written answers to a list of questions, as well as the submission of relevant Justice Department documents and communications. “Law enforcement and regulatory decisions must be based on an objective assessment of the law and the facts, not on political pressure applied by one federal agency against another by way of private sector proxies,” the lawmakers wrote. “The Antitrust Division should focus on vigorous antitrust enforcement, not providing lobbying advice to private parties to influence the regulatory processes of other federal agencies.”