FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: December 9, 2011
Contact: Jenn Ettinger, 202-265-1490 x 35

WASHINGTON – On Friday at a status hearing, the Department of Justice discussed the possibility of postponing its legal challenge against the AT&T/T-Mobile merger. The Department of Justice may seek to delay the trial until AT&T refiles its request for approval of the merger with the Federal Communications Commission.

Free Press Policy Director Matt Wood made the following statement:

"Judge Huvelle and the Justice Department saw right through AT&T’s desperate attempt to game the system with its procedural ploy at the FCC. AT&T should heed the judge's warning to not waste the court’s time with any future Hail Mary attempts to restructure this unfixable deal. There is simply no way AT&T can overcome the mountain of facts proving its takeover of T-Mobile would reduce investment, destroy competition, raise prices and kill jobs."

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