It was inevitable that it would come to this; it was just a matter of which side would make the request first. Yesterday, the Dept. of Justice filed a petition for a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the nine robed ones to review the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. [More]
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AT&T Seeking "Prompt Trial" In T-Mobile Case
By 9.22.11
Yesterday was the first hearing in the Justice Department’s lawsuit to block AT&T’s purchase of T-Mobile USA. And even though the judge had reportedly told both parties to be prepared to discuss settlement at yesterday’s first hearing in the matter, it looks like no such terms were discussed, as AT&T is hoping to bring the case to trial sooner than later. [More]
Seven States Join DOJ Lawsuit To Block AT&T/T-Mobile Deal
By 9.16.11
So it’s not just Sprint and the Justice Dept. that think the sale of T-Mobile USA to AT&T is a bad idea and should be stopped. Today, attorneys general for seven different states joined the DOJ’s suit to block the deal. [More]
What Will Become Of T-Mobile If AT&T Deal Falls Through?
By 9.9.11
With the Justice Department suing to block AT&T’s $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile USA, some have begun wondering what would happen to the country’s fourth-largest wireless provider should the deal fall through. That includes T-Mobile’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom, which is reportedly looking at options for its American business. [More]
Judge Tells AT&T And DOJ To Be Prepared To Discuss Settlement On T-Mobile Deal
By 9.7.11
The judge in the Justice Dept. lawsuit to block AT&T’s purchase of T-Mobile USA has not only set a date for the first hearing in the case, she’s also advised both sides to start thinking about settlement terms. [More]
Sprint Sues To Block AT&T From Buying T-Mobile
By 9.6.11
Less than one week after the Justice Dept. filed a lawsuit to block AT&T’s pending $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile USA, Sprint has filed a lawsuit of its own (but related to the DOJ suit), seeking to have the deal called off. [More]
DOJ Gives Thumbs Up To Southwest's Purchase Of AirTran
By 4.27.11
Seems like it was just seven months ago that we first wrote about the proposed sale of AirTran to Southwest Airlines for $1.4 billion. Now that deal is all but done after it passed the Justice Department’s antitrust review yesterday. [More]
Worst Company Winner BP Commits Up To $1 Billion To Speed Up Gulf Restoration
By 4.21.11
A day after the one-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, which killed 11 offshore rig workers, released millions of barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, and earned BP the title of Worst Company In America, the Golden Poo winners announced that it has reached an agreement to pony up another $1 billion toward Gulf restoration efforts. [More]
Johnson & Johnson Settles With SEC & DOJ For $70 Million For Bribing Doctors Overseas, Paying Kickbacks To Iraq
By 4.8.11
Johnson & Johnson may have been eliminated from the Worst Company In America tournament, but the company’s craptastic year continues, as J&J has settled with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Dept. of Justice over allegations that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by illegally bribing doctors in Europe and paying kickbacks to Iraq… At least it wasn’t another product recall. [More]
Al Franken Asks Justice Dept. To Investigate Comcast
By 11.23.10
Minnesota senator Al Franken is doing what he can to throw a wrench into the merger between cable giant Comcast and NBC, the network he once called home during his years on Saturday Night Live. Yesterday, he asked the Justice Department to investigate whether or not Comcast violated anti-trust laws when it announced who would fill the top positions in the acquired company, even though the deal has yet to get DOJ approval. [More]
Justice Dept. Goes After Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Michigan
By 10.18.10
Crimefighters at the Justice Department put on their antitrust capes today, filing a lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. The DOJ alleges the insurance company violated antitrust laws by asking hospitals to sign contracts that precluded other insurers from offering a better discount. [More]
Speak Out Against Ticketmaster-Live Nation Merger At TicketDisaster.org
By 12.17.09
Yesterday a bunch of consumer advocates and anti-trust people held a press conference on Capitol Hill and asked the Department of Justice to block the Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger. If you, too, feel that this spells nothing but trouble for consumers–that a Ticketmaster-Live Nation monopoly would ruin competition and increase ticket prices–then check out the website TicketDisaster.org. From there, you can contact the DOJ to voice your opinion about the proposed merger, read up on reasons why the merger sucks for consumers and for the concert industry, and sign up for updates. (Thanks to JammingEcono!)
The Federal Government Has Had Enough With Cell Phone Exclusivity
By 7.7.09
Annoyed by cell phone exclusivity deals? The federal government may agree with you. The FCC and Department of Justice are both looking into the issue, concerned about limitations on consumer choice and good old-fashioned competition.
Department of Justice Says No To Net Neutrality
By 9.7.07
The U.S. Department of Justice officially spoke out against net neutrality this week, in a filing with the FCC that says such regulations would “prevent, rather than promote, optimal investment and innovation in the Internet, with significant negative effects for the economy and consumers.” The department says the free market has done just fine so far, and that “precluding broadband providers from charging [content providers] directly for faster or more reliable service” could shift the burden of cost directly onto consumers.
FBI Broke Law In Domestic Spying, DOJ Finds
By 3.9.07
The FBI broke the law in obtaining information about private citizens after 9/11, a Department of Justice audit concluded today. From the AP:
DoJ Files To Dismiss AT&T Lawsuit… It’s Top Secret!
By 5.15.06
Bad news for those of us who don’t want the long-distance sex calls we made to our Canadian girlfriends shouted mockingly at us when we’re tied to a chair with a burlap sack over our face in between a knee-thwacking with a length of hose. The Department of Justice has filed a motion to dismiss a class-action lawsuit by the EFF against AT&T for illegally complying with NSA wire-tapping of citizens’ lines.
