Trump appointees are overruling DOJ lawyers scrutinizing corporate mergers

Source: ms.now/news


Justice leaders are blocking the enforcement of laws meant to protect consumers
from price gouging, sources say.

Jul. 9, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT By Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian

President Donald Trump’s Justice Department is moving to scuttle lawsuits and investigations for a string of proposed corporate mergers, which experts fear could raise prices for consumers for years to come, according to three people briefed on the plans.

Trump administration appointees have overruled moves by career attorneys who had proposed suits or launched reviews to assess how the company mergers and acquisitions might lead to unfair price gouging for both consumers and taxpayers, according to the three people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal DOJ processes.

The veteran DOJ staff attorneys in the antitrust division were considering suing one aerospace parts company and requiring other firms proposing mergers to make standard moves to protect consumers — including selling parts of their businesses, the people said.

The division’s goal, part of its mission since it was formed in the Great Depression, has been to reduce companies’ monopoly hold on their industry sectors before allowing them to finalize their deals.

But Trump Justice officials are instead pushing to give the government’s stamp of approval for the mergers without those full reviews and without any legal action. .............

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Read more: https://www.ms.now/news/trump-appointees-are-overruling-doj-lawyers-scrutinizing-corporate-mergers

Antitrust experts told MS NOW that they predict the #Trump administration’s abdication of consumer laws in these cases will likely lead to even higher prices for gas and for airline travel to Mexico.

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