DOJ probes TV networks over possible antitrust breach in White House pool suspension
The Justice Department has requested communications from major broadcasters to determine whether their temporary halt of the White House press pool violated federal competition law.
The U.S. Justice Department announced it is examining whether several television networks breached antitrust rules when they paused participation in the White House press pool last month. Officials have asked ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News to produce any communications related to the pool, a system in which broadcasters share video and photographic material of the president with other media outlets.
The suspension followed President Donald Trump's decision to bar CNN, MSNBC and Politico from White House coverage after he accused the outlets of publishing inaccurate reports. A federal judge later ordered the administration to restore their access, after the three outlets sued on First Amendment grounds.
A Department of Justice spokesperson said that “group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act,” referencing the law that prohibits monopolistic practices. The investigation will focus on whether the coordinated pause constituted an unlawful concerted action.
The White House had earlier taken control of the press pool, a practice that had been overseen for more than a century by the White House Correspondents' Association. In related actions, the administration has also sought to limit Associated Press access over terminology disputes, a case that remains pending in court.