Today, the New York Young Republican Club joined the Bull Moose Project in sending a coalition letter supporting the Department of Justice’s antitrust suit against LiveNation Ticketmaster. The letter was addressed to Attorney General Garland, Deputy Attorney General Monaco, and Assistant Attorney General Kanter.
The letter reads, in part:
We write to you as a coalition of conservative organizations committed to enforcing the rule of law, including as it pertains to illegal monopolists. For generations, lawmakers and business leaders have recognized that antitrust law enforcement is crucial to maintaining America’s free market system. But in recent decades, monopolistic corporations have managed to subvert antitrust enforcement, harming small businesses and America’s national interest in the process. In April, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to file an antitrust suit against Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation,1 whose monopolistic behavior has drawn the ire of lawmakers of both parties.2 Since the Obama administration permitted Ticketmaster and Live Nation to merge in 2010, the company has restricted consumer choice, retaliated against venues and rivals, and generally degraded the experience of American concertgoers. With the suit being officially filed, we support the DOJ Antitrust Division taking this overdue step to rein in Ticketmaster’s monopoly and break with the failed approach of the prior Democratic administration…
Upon filing suit against Live Nation, the DOJ antitrust division took the opportunity to reject the failed approach of Obama-era antitrust enforcers, who stood by as monopolistic corporations harmed competitors and consumers alike. This suit is imperative to prevent further abuses by Ticketmaster and other monopolists.
Read the full letter here.