Blanche grilled on DOJ merger call, dinner with Ellison
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- Todd Blanche confirmed he was part of the DOJ decision to close the antitrust investigation into the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, despite reports that career attorneys were leaning toward a legal challenge.
- Cory Booker pressed Blanche on whether he was aware of career staff opposition to closing the investigation, asking, 'You were in charge of that department, yet you have no idea?'
- DOJ raised no objections to the merger on June 12, clearing a major regulatory hurdle, though The Wall Street Journal later reported that career antitrust attorneys had been moving toward a challenge.
- David Ellison hosted a dinner in April honoring the president, attended by Blanche, on the same day Paramount shareholders voted to approve the merger, while the DOJ probe was still open.
- Blanche denied discussing the merger with Ellison or anyone from the acquiring company during the dinner, saying all his appearances are cleared by ethics officials.
- Booker called Blanche’s attendance at the dinner an 'appearance of impropriety,' arguing that such events allow the powerful to gain access while investigations are ongoing.
Why it matters: The DOJ’s reversal on the merger—overruling career staff—paired with Blanche’s presence at a dinner hosted by the deal’s beneficiary—creates a material conflict-of-interest concern. A top antitrust regulator participated in a decision directly benefiting a company whose CEO hosted an event honoring his administration the same day, while internal dissent was reportedly silenced.
