Trump Appoints One of His Lawyers to Review Mergers -
By CECILIA KANGMARCH 27, 2017
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Monday named Makan Delrahim, a former government antitrust enforcer
and corporate lobbyist, to lead the Justice Department’s review of mergers and acquisitions.
Mr. Delrahim, who serves as legal counsel to the president, will be quickly tested in his new
position by AT&T’s $85 billion bid for Time Warner, which is set to be reviewed this year.
The Obama administration had blocked dozens of blockbuster deals over the past eight years, including
AT&T’s bid for T-Mobile in 2011 and Comcast’s merger with Time Warner Cable in 2015.
The review of AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner has drawn speculation because of promises Mr. Trump made on the campaign trail to block the deal.
A version of this article appears in print on March 28, 2017, on Page B6 of the New
York edition with the headline: President Taps an Insider to Review Mergers.
Mr. Trump’s disdain for news coverage by CNN, which is owned by Time Warner, has
raised questions over whether the president may try to influence the deal.