AG Nominee Barr Pledges to Recuse Himself From AT&T/TW, Klobuchar Says

Senate Antitrust Subcommittee ranking member Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said Friday Attorney General nominee William Barr agreed in a Thursday meeting to recuse himself from DOJ's review of AT&T's buy of Time Warner if he's confirmed. A three-judge U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit panel is reviewing DOJ's appeal of a district court ruling that let AT&T/TW proceed (see 1812060015). Barr, a former Time Warner board member, attended a November 2017 meeting with Antitrust Division head Makan Delrahim and Time Warner General Counsel Paul Cappuccio (see 1812070056). “It is critically important that [DOJ] is able to complete an unbiased review” here, Klobuchar said. “Given Mr. Barr’s ties to Time Warner, this commitment from Mr. Barr to recuse himself from the Department’s review is necessary.” The Senate Judiciary Committee set a Tuesday hearing on Barr's nomination, 9:30 a.m. in Hart 216. DOJ and AT&T didn't comment.