Concerns are being expressed by some in the Justice Department that the government isn’t ready to bring an antitrust lawsuit against Alphabet Inc.'s Google.
The Wall Street Journal, in a Monday report, said some government lawyers involved in a the yearlong probe believe additional time is needed to determine whether the millions of pages of documents in the case contain the information needed to win a potential case.
The newspaper noted the department has been moving toward filing a lawsuit as early as this summer. The Journal attributed its information to people familiar with the case.
And at least some attorneys, who are looking at Google’s online advertising efforts, aren’t ready to move forward because they are still untangling the complex issues raised by that part of the company’s business, according to the Journal.
Google controls a third of the world's online ad spending but 90% of the market for some ad tech tools.
“Things are moving along to my satisfaction in terms of the timing. I’m hoping to make a decision by the end of the summer,” Attorney General Bill Barr said when asked about Google.
Some staffers also are expressing concerns that top officials overseeing the probe might be feeling pressure to file a lawsuit before the election, the people said.
But in the end, it will be up to Barr and his top lieutenants to make the final decision if and when a suit should be filed.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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