After Live Nation Reveals Trump Role in DOJ Settlement, Ranking Member Raskin Introduces Bill to Crack Down on Corruption in DOJ and FTC Merger Approvals

Bill Increases Scrutiny of Settlements That Let Corporate Giants Crush Competition and Keep Prices High for American Families

Washington, D.C. (October 29, 2026)—Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced the Antitrust Accountability and Transparency Act, legislation to strengthen judicial scrutiny of federal antitrust settlements and protect Americans from backroom deals that favor powerful corporations over consumers, workers and small businesses.

The legislation comes after Live Nation disclosed in a court filing that President Trump appeared at a White House meeting where the company and federal officials finalized the terms of a settlement in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) antitrust case against Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The deal allowed Live Nation to keep Ticketmaster, despite DOJ’s original effort to break up the companies.

The Live Nation-Ticketmaster deal is one of several troubling antitrust settlements reached by Trump’s DOJ, including an agreement allowing Hewlett Packard Enterprise to acquire Juniper Networks. Former senior Trump antitrust official Roger Alford has raised concerns about political influence in both cases. After DOJ settled with Live Nation-Ticketmaster, a bipartisan group of state attorneys general continued to trial, where a unanimous jury found the companies liable on every count.

“The Antitrust Accountability and Transparency Act restores the idea that antitrust enforcement must serve the people—not conglomerates and special interests with Beltway lobbyists. When evaluating mergers and settlements, the Trump Administration has sidelined independent expertise and legal analysis to cut backroom deals that will hurt consumers, workers, and small businesses. This bill helps guarantee that antitrust settlements will advance the core mission of our laws: to promote healthy competition, reduce prices, foster innovation and support American workers and our democracy. I’m proud to lead this legislation with Senator Klobuchar to renew integrity, transparency, and public trust and purpose in the enforcement of our antitrust laws” said Ranking Member Raskin.

The legislation strengthens the Tunney Act, the post-Watergate law intended to prevent improper influence over antitrust settlements. The bill would:

• Expanding judicial review to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) settlements. The legislation would require federal courts to review proposed FTC settlements, in addition to DOJ settlements.
• Increasing public disclosure and transparency. The legislation would require the government to explain settlements and disclose settlement offers, related commitments and additional information about communications with government officials, including at the White House.
• Keeping merging companies’ assets separate during review. The legislation would give courts time to review public comments and the government’s response before companies fully combine their assets and a merger becomes too difficult to undo.
• Strengthening standards for court review. The legislation would require courts toensure that settlements do not allow conduct that creates a material risk of violating antitrust laws and are tailored to address the alleged violations.
• Empowering state attorneys general. The legislation would give state attorneys general a chance to take over federal antitrust cases that DOJ or the FTC proposes todismiss and a greater role in court review of settlements.

Senator Amy Klobuchar introduced companion legislation in the Senate. The bill has the support of former federal antitrust enforcers from both parties: Jonathan Kanter, William Baer and William Kovacic, as well as the American Economic Liberties Project, Open Markets Institute, Progressive Policy Institute and Public Knowledge.

Original cosponsors of the House legislation include Reps. Jerrold Nadler, Hank Johnson, Pramila Jayapal, Deborah Ross, Becca Balint, Jesús “Chuy” García, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Dan Goldman, and Summer Lee.

Bill text is available here.