US: Anthem lobbyist is contender for top antitrust job

One of the Trump administration’s contenders for a top antitrust job is a lobbyist who’s worked for health insurer Anthem on its proposed megamerger with Cigna, a deal that regulators sued to block under former President Barack Obama last year.

Makan Delrahim became a registered lobbyist for Anthem starting in July 2015. According to documents filed with the Senate, he lobbied Congress on antitrust issues associated with the Anthem-Cigna transaction. He deregistered as a lobbyist for the insurer in December.

The new head of the antitrust division of the Justice Department could have sway over the $48 billion deal. Although the transaction was blocked by a federal judge this month on the grounds that it would harm competition in the market for health insurance plans sold to large companies, Anthem is appealing and has vowed to keep the merger alive. Under the ethics rules that President Donald Trump issued on Jan. 28, though, Delrahim would be required to recuse himself from any matters involving his former client for two years.

Delrahim is among those considered for the antitrust job, along with Joshua Wright, a conservative law professor who headed Trump’s transition team for the Federal Trade Commission.

Full Content: International Business Times

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