DPCC Chair Cicilline: We Need to Protect the Rule of Law
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman David Cicilline, Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), appeared on Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter on CNN to discuss President Trump's potential interference in the AT&T-Time Warner merger. Cicilline highlighted that any effort to use antitrust laws to undermine the press is a threat to the First Amendment and to our democracy. Congressman Cicilline and House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler requested information from the White House and the Justice Department regarding the merger last week. Below are excerpts from the interview. Click here to watch the video.
"We should remember when this was first reported some time ago, I asked Attorney General Sessions directly before the Judiciary Committee whether the White House or anyone on the President's behalf had reached out to him in connection with the AT&T Time Warner proposed merger. He refused to answer my question. The Chairman of the Committee at the time, Mr. Goodlatte, refused to require him to that do that. This has been a longstanding request. We then made requests for documents from the administration with respect to any contacts between the White House and the Department of Justice. Mr. Nadler and I have renewed that request with a new letter based on Jane Mayer's reporting, again asking for any documents that relate to any conversations between the White House, the administration and the Department of Justice with respect to this. This is very disturbing. Anti-trust enforcement is law enforcement. In the same way it would be completely inappropriate for the administration to interfere in a criminal prosecution either to charge someone or not charge someone and urging the Department of Justice to do one or the other. It ought not in any way be attempting to influence this merger review and the anti-trust division of the Department of Justice."
"We certainly have a responsibility to look at it. I raised my own concerns about the merger. Setting aside the merits of this, it's clear the President cannot interfere or attempt to interfere to either reward his friends or punish his perceived enemies. This is reminiscent of the Nixon days with the ITT case. We have a responsibility to call in witnesses, to make document requests, to get at the truth. we need to protect the rule of law and make sure people have confidence that this is being done in the appropriate way and pursuant to the appropriate guidelines of the Department of Justice in this sort of quasi-judicial proceeding and free from any political interference. We requested documents. If we're compelled to, we'll issue subpoenas and certainly bring witnesses in. We'll get to the bottom of this and make sure we can ensure the American people we're not permitting political interference by the President or members of his administration to punish people he perceives as enemies and to reward friends. It's inappropriate."
"This was a proposed merger where the DOJ had a particular function but I think you're right. There's been a persistent attack on the rule of law, on the free press, on important democratic institutions, and we're going to look at all these issues."