Live Nation Entertainment Inc. has disclosed that President Donald Trump briefly attended a White House meeting where the company and federal officials finalized an agreement to settle a major antitrust lawsuit, adding new details about the administration’s involvement in a deal that has drawn scrutiny from state regulators.
The disclosure appeared in an amended court filing submitted Wednesday, Oct. 21, according to Bloomberg News, which reported the development Friday.
Live Nation said Trump was present for part of a March 5 meeting at which representatives of the company and the Justice Department finalized settlement terms. The company maintained that the president did not take part in substantive negotiations.
The filing also provided additional information about a February telephone conversation between Trump and Live Nation Chief Executive Officer Michael Rapino. During that call, Trump inquired about the status of the government’s antitrust case, but the two did not discuss specific settlement provisions, according to Bloomberg’s account of the company’s disclosure.
The new information expands on Live Nation’s previous description of its contacts with federal officials before the Justice Department unexpectedly agreed to settle its lawsuit against the concert promoter and Ticketmaster parent.
The agreement was reached roughly one week after the start of a trial involving allegations that Live Nation used its control over concert promotion, ticketing and venues to restrict competition and increase costs for consumers.
The Justice Department withdrew from the litigation following the settlement, while a coalition of state attorneys general continued pursuing claims against the company.
In April, a federal jury found that Live Nation had maintained unlawful monopolies in portions of the live entertainment industry and had overcharged concertgoers, according to Bloomberg’s reporting on the proceedings.
Live Nation disputes the findings and intends to appeal.
White House Contacts Face Additional Scrutiny
The revised disclosure comes as the federal court overseeing the case considers whether the proposed settlement meets legal requirements designed to protect competition and the public interest.
Under the Tunney Act, companies entering certain federal antitrust settlements must disclose relevant communications with government officials. The law also requires judicial review before a proposed consent judgment can take effect.
Live Nation said it submitted the additional information as a precaution and to clarify its account of communications surrounding the agreement.
According to an Oct. 23 report by Bloomberg News, the company’s filing amended an earlier description of the interactions that preceded the settlement.
Related: Live Nation Pushes Back on States’ Renewed Bid for DOJ Settlement Records
The company has maintained that its initial disclosure complied with applicable requirements.
The revised account also identifies additional senior Justice Department offices involved in discussions, including the Office of the Associate Attorney General, according to reporting by TicketNews on the amended filing.
We’d love to be your preferred source for news.
Please add us to your preferred sources list so our news, data and interviews show up in your feed. Thanks!
The disclosure does not establish that Trump directed the settlement or participated in negotiating its terms. Live Nation has denied that political interference influenced the agreement.
Still, the president’s attendance at the meeting adds another dimension to questions about how the federal government resolved a case that initially sought major changes to the company’s business practices.
States Continue Push for Structural Changes
The settlement would allow Live Nation and Ticketmaster to remain under common ownership while imposing restrictions intended to increase competition in ticketing and venue operations.
Among the proposed measures are limits on certain exclusive ticketing arrangements and requirements intended to give competing ticketing providers greater access to the market, according to Bloomberg’s reporting on the agreement.
State attorneys general who rejected the federal settlement argue that those measures do not adequately address the competitive problems identified during the trial.
They are seeking more extensive remedies, potentially including the separation of Ticketmaster from Live Nation and divestitures of certain concert venues.
Live Nation argues that the live entertainment business remains competitive and that its operations across concert promotion, venues and ticketing help support artists and investment in the industry.
The company has also challenged the jury’s findings.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who is overseeing the case in Manhattan, has not yet ruled on the proposed federal settlement or resolved the company’s effort to overturn the jury verdict, according to Bloomberg’s reporting.
Those decisions could determine whether Live Nation faces operational restrictions under the Justice Department agreement or more substantial structural changes sought by state regulators.
Source: Bloomberg News
Add as Preferred Source