The Oregon attorney general’s office has asked a judge to grant a 60-day delay on the closing of the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, as it continues to investigate whether the deal violates antitrust law.
Judge Eric Dahlin, of Multnomah County Superior Court, will hold a hearing on the motion on Monday. Lawyers for Paramount Skydance have informed the court that they do not intend to close the Warner Bros. deal before July 22.
Though the Department of Justice gave its blessing to the merger last month, a coalition of states — including California and New York — continue to investigate whether it violates antitrust law. The DOJ issued an unusual statement explaining why it chose not to try to block the merger, which argued that the deal will “increase competition across the media and entertainment ecosystem, with benefits for American consumers and workers.”
The states had previously been told that the deal would not close before July 16, setting up a de facto deadline for the states to seek an injunction.
Dan Rayfield, the state’s A.G., has asked Paramount Skydance to turn over records related to its lobbying of the White House and the DOJ, suggesting in a court filing that the approval may have been “the product of a corrupt bargain.”
