DoJ Antitrust Suit Against Google Is Imminent: Report

The U.S. Justice Department plans to file an antitrust suit against Google within weeks — possibly as soon as this month — according to New York Times sources.

“Justice Department officials told lawyers involved in the antitrust inquiry into Alphabet, the parent company of Google and YouTube, to wrap up their work by the end of September, according to three of the people,” writes the Times. “Most of the 40-odd lawyers who had been working on the investigation opposed the deadline. Some said they would not sign the complaint, and several of them left the case this summer.”

Some of the lawyers argued that they could make a strong case, given more time, and some said they were concerned that Attorney General William Barr may be pushing to announce the case soon in order to bolster Donald Trump’s reelection push by associating Trump with tough action against one of the tech giants.

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While a coalition of 50 states and territories support an antitrust action against Google, the politics surrounding the effort are complicated, notes the Times.

State AGs differ on when to file, and while Democrats accuse Republicans of rushing so as to help Trump, Republicans accuse Democrats of trying to delay a filing in the hope that it can occur during a Joe Biden presidency.

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