US: Warren is blocking Trumps nominee for antitrust chief

According to a report by Bloomberg, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren put a “hold” on the confirmation President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Justice Department’s antitrust division, Makan Delrahim. This hold delays the vote until at least September.

Makan Delrahim was nominated for the post in March and approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in a 19-1 vote in June. Warren, however has placed a hold on the nomination that could delay a final vote until September at the earliest.

The antitrust division has been tasked with reviewing the US$85 billion merger between AT&T and Time Warner, which has invited criticism from many Democrats and even Trump, who railed against the deal on the campaign trail.

Warren has described the nomination of Delrahim, a former lobbyist for Anthem and other companies pursuing mergers, as an indication that Trump’s administration will “put the interests of giant corporations ahead of the American people,” according to an April 3 post on her Facebook page.

Seven months into the Trump administration, there are still no permanent antitrust chiefs in place. In addition to the delay on Delrahim, Trump has yet to name a permanent chairman to the US Federal Trade Commission, which shares antitrust enforcement authority with the Justice Department.

Full Content: Bloomberg

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