The U.S. Justice Department (DoJ) has announced it is investigating ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News over whether they breached federal competition laws after suspending shared coverage of President Donald Trump.
The networks halted pool coverage last month in response to the Trump administration revoking credentials for CNN, MS NOW and Politico. The DoJ asked the broadcasters to hand over communications related to the pool, stating the boycott could violate the Sherman Act, which bars monopolistic business practices.
Pool members normally share their material with the wider media. A DoJ spokesperson said the Antitrust Division’s investigation aims to determine whether the news organizations violated antitrust laws.
The networks have not yet commented on the inquiry. Meanwhile, the White House has taken several legal actions against news outlets, including a recent ruling that reinstated access for the three suspended pages after a judge found the ban violated First Amendment rights.
This development underscores an ongoing clash between the Trump administration and the press over access and coverage freedom, adding new legal scrutiny over the recent decision to control the press pool that has historically been managed by the White House Correspondents’ Association.
