U.S. Justice Official Says Lawyer Vowed 'Personal Attacks' Over AT&T Deal

According to Reuters, the U.S. Justice Department’s top antitrust lawyer said Time Warner’s general counsel threatened to “employ personal attacks” if the agency tried to block the company’s $85.4 billion merger with AT&T. The merger, which includes CNN, was announced in October 2016, and was opposed by President Donald Trump, who frequently targets the news station. In the court filing, the antitrust lawyer denied that the government’s lawsuit was motivated by hostility toward CNN.