Justice Department Investigates TV Networks Over White House Pool Boycott

The United States Department of Justice is investigating whether ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News violated the Sherman Act by collectively suspending their pooled coverage of President Donald Trump. The investigation follows a period last month when the networks halted shared footage after the president barred CNN journalists from White House grounds on September 18, an action that prevented CNN from participating in the pool system.

Justice Department officials contacted the networks on Friday, demanding communications and materials related to the White House TV pool. The agency is seeking to determine if the coordinated suspension of coverage constituted an illegal group boycott among commercial competitors.

This legal action is part of a wider conflict between the administration and the press corps. The president has banned CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from the White House, arguing that access to the grounds is a privilege. While the affected news organizations have filed lawsuits on First Amendment grounds, a federal judge has issued a temporary block on the ban that expires this Tuesday.