Makan Delrahim’s bad timing

Posted by Bloomberg

Makan Delrahim’s bad timing

By Liz Crampton

President Donald Trump’s antitrust pick has been waiting for confirmation for more than five months, and there’s no indication he’ll get to set up his office in the Justice Department anytime soon.

Makan Delrahim has faced some bumps on the confirmation road. First, it was missing paperwork that delayed his Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Then the committee’s vote was held over for one week, a customary procedure for first-time nominees. He eventually was approved 19-1.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) then wanted a meeting with him to discuss potential political interference in the proposed tie up of AT&T Inc. and Time Warner Inc.

Senate Democrats were also slow to allow action on any of Trump’s nominees until the health care debate ended and they then agreed to confirm a large block of nominees in early August. But the bad luck persisted. Delrahim missed that boat, too.

Continue Reading…