Congressman García Leads Illinois Colleagues in Letter to Attorney General Raoul Opposing Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) led a letter to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul expressing grave concerns about the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and supporting any involvement by the Attorney General’s office in the investigation and potential litigation to block the merger.

The letter explains why the deal would harm Illinois’ workers, consumers, and small businesses, and may violate longstanding antitrust precedent, arguing that “[i]n an already concentrated industry, this deal would combine two of the few vertically integrated movie studios into a new dominant studio and media conglomerate, eliminating head-to-head competition in a highly concentrated market and leading to reduced output, higher prices for consumers, and diminished diversity in American storytelling and newsgathering.”

 “The stakes are even higher now that the U.S. Department of Justice has failed to adequately protect Illinois residents by rubber-stamping this mega-merger before career staff who were leaning toward recommending a lawsuit had an opportunity to object. With significant opposition from key stakeholders and questions of political corruption and foreign ownership looming over this proposed merger, there is a dire need for an objective and independent review,” the letter adds.

 The letter concludes, “we hope you lend whatever support you can provide to this investigation and potential challenge if you determine the deal is illegal, consistent with your critical efforts on other antitrust and consumer protection issues.”

 The letter was also signed by Representatives Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09).

A copy of the full letter can be found here.

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