Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal called on Pam Bondi to recuse herself from the review of the Warner Bros. Discovery deal.
The senators are asking for the attorney general to step aside from the review of Netflix and Paramount’s attempts to purchase WBD because both companies had been clients of Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm where Bondi was previously employed.
“The corruption concerns related to this deal extend to your office because both Netflix and Paramount Skydance have invested heavily in lobbying the Trump Administration to gain approval of any deal, and both companies have hired Ballard Partners (Ballard) – your previous employer – even as the DOJ already faces allegations that Ballard has inappropriately influenced the Trump Administration’s antitrust enforcement decisions,” the letter read.
It added: “The direct involvement of President Trump and the politicization of this decision has ‘triggered a race to bolster [Netflix and Paramount Skydance’s] stable of lobbyists with people who can shape the narrative inside and outside the White House.’ We are particularly concerned about the involvement of Ballard Partners. Ballard has been hired by both Paramount-Skydance and Netflix, and Ballard also represents the Motion Picture Association, of which both entertainment giants – along with Warner Bros. – are members. Both Paramount and Netflix remained listed in Ballard Partner’s third quarter disclosure reports.”
Also included in the letter is a cited ethics agreement that Bondi signed before becoming attorney general. It stated that, for a year following her resignation from Ballard, she pledged not to participate “in any particular matter involving specific parties in which [she knew] Ballard Partners [was] a party or represents a party.” That ethics agreement does not expire until Feb. 4, 2026.
“DOJ must guarantee that any review of a potential Warner Bros. transaction is decided based upon the law, not perverted by political favoritism and cronyism – particularly given the stakes of this case for consumers,” the letter continued. “Regardless of which of these two giant media conglomerates wins the bid for Warner Bros., a takeover will further consolidate the media market – risking higher prices and less variety for consumers.”
Both Netflix and Paramount have been pursuing the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. WBD agreed to sell its studio and streaming assets to Netflix, which prompted Paramount to launch a hostile offer themselves.
A representative for the DOJ did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
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