US justice department investigates TV networks over Trump pool coverage

US justice department investigates TV networks over Trump pool coverage

The US justice department (DoJ) says it is investigating several television networks over whether they broke federal competition laws when they recently suspended pool coverage of President Donald Trump.

The agency has asked ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News to hand over communications related to the White House TV pool, a system where networks switch off covering the president and providing the footage to other publications.

The networks temporarily suspended this system last month for several days after the president blocked CNN, MS Now and Politico from the White House.

Members of the pool share their material – pictures and descriptions of the president’s movements – with the wider media.

“Group boycotts among commercial competitors ​can violate the Sherman Act,” a DoJ spokesperson said, referring to the federal law that bars companies from engaging in monopolistic business practices.

“The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these ​news organisations have violated the antitrust laws.”

Trump blocked CNN, MS Now and Politico from the White House last month after accusing the organisations of writing “fiction or lies” about his team.

The White House later reinstated their access after a ruling from a judge. The three outlets had sued the Trump administration, arguing the restricted access violated their First Amendment rights.