Sessions dodges questions about AT&T buying Time Warner

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, during questioning at a congressional hearing Tuesday, sidestepped questions about whether President Donald Trump’s vitriol toward CNN was factoring into the Justice Department’s review of AT&T’s attempt to buy Time Warner for $85 billion.

Time Warner owns CNN, HBO, TNT, Cartoon Network and the Warner Bros. movie and television studio — for $85 billion. Justice Department antitrust division officials met last week with AT&T executives to discuss their concerns about the purchase.

The division, led by Makan Delrahim, has suggested that it might sue to block the transaction. Sources familiar with the matter have told various news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, that the Justice Department has suggested that AT&T sell either Turner Broadcasting, which includes CNN, or its El Segundo-based satellite TV unit, DirecTV, to win the government’s approval of the deal.

Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., wanted to know whether the Justice Department had ordered AT&T to sell CNN, noting that Trump’s anger toward the news network is well documented.