US: The fate of AT&T’s US$85.4 billion bid for Time Warner is unknown- NYT

The Justice Department has been reviewing the case for eight months now, with executives deposed, rivals questioned and documents demanded.

But the nomination for the department’s antitrust chief, Makan Delrahim, has been held up in a logjam in the Senate.

And then there is President Trump, who has been vocal about his opposition to the deal. Last week, The New York Times reported that members of the White House were discussing how they might use their perch over the merger review as leverage over CNN, which is owned by Time Warner.

The bid is still expected to be approved, and CNBC is reporting that the deal, which is expected to close by year end, could do so within 60 days.

It’s not just the companies involved that are in limbo — the rest of the business world is watching the regulatory process with intense interest to see how this Justice Department deals with antitrust matters — although the wait hasn’t stopped Verizon, for one, keeping an eye out for opportunities.

Full Content: New York Times

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