U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal today wrote to the Department of Justice demanding it open an antitrust investigation into the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA)’s interference with Connecticut’s efforts to keep the Connecticut Sun based in the state.
Call for the Department of Justice to open an antitrust investigation into the WNBA's interference with the sale of the Connecticut Sun.
Occurrences
U.S. Sen Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is looking to “investigate” the sale of the Sun further and requested the U.S. Department of Justice to “formally launch an antitrust investigation into the WNBA’s role” in the sale, according to P.R. Lockhart of the CT MIRROR.
Connecticut’s senior senator called for an antitrust investigation into the sale of the Connecticut Sun to the owner of the Houston Rockets. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said the sale of the team demands Department of Justice scrutiny.
On Monday, the senator said he requested that the U.S. Department of Justice formally launch an antitrust investigation into the WNBA’s role in the Connecticut Sun sale.
US Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote to the Department of Justice to ask that it open an antitrust investigation into the Women’s National Basketball Association’s alleged interference with Connecticut’s efforts to keep the Connecticut Sun basketball team based in the state.
Evidence
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote to the Department of Justice demanding it open an antitrust investigation into the WNBA's interference with Connecticut's efforts to keep the Connecticut Sun based in the state.
On Monday, the senator said he requested that the U.S. Department of Justice formally launch an antitrust investigation into the WNBA's role in the Connecticut Sun sale.
U.S. Sen Richard Blumenthal is looking to investigate the sale of the Sun further and requested the U.S. Department of Justice to formally launch an antitrust investigation into the WNBA's role in the sale.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal said the sale of the team demands Department of Justice scrutiny.
US Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote to the Department of Justice to ask that it open an antitrust investigation into the Women's National Basketball Association's alleged interference with Connecticut's efforts to keep the Connecticut Sun basketball team based in the state.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal in a public letter addressed to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert argued forcefully in favor of keeping the Sun in Connecticut and criticized the league for what he said could be an 'unreasonable restraint of trade and interference with the market that would violate federal antitrust laws.'
Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he wrote a letter to the WNBA following reports that the league interfered with the Mohegan Tribe's negotiations with competing bidders for ownership of the Connecticut Sun.
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal sent a letter to the WNBA warning the league to stay out of negotiations between the Mohegan tribe and prospective new ownership groups for the Connecticut Sun, and that 'any attempts by the WNBA to block efforts to keep the Sun in Connecticut could violate federal antitrust laws.'
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal said he wrote to the Department of Justice demanding it open an antitrust investigation into the WNBA's interference with Connecticut's efforts to keep the Connecticut Sun based in the state.
Assessments
The promised action was to call for DOJ to open an antitrust investigation, not necessarily to secure DOJ's launch of one. The evidence shows that while serving as U.S. Senator, Blumenthal formally wrote to the Department of Justice demanding an antitrust investigation into the WNBA's alleged interference with the Connecticut Sun sale. That directly satisfies the promised oversight action in the same federal term.
Multiple credible sources confirm that Senator Richard Blumenthal publicly called for, and formally requested, the Department of Justice to open an antitrust investigation into the WNBA's alleged interference with the sale of the Connecticut Sun. He issued formal written requests, public statements, and letters both to the DOJ and the WNBA, specifically citing antitrust concerns. These actions fulfill the promise to 'call for the Department of Justice to open an antitrust investigation.' The fulfillment occurred within the same term as the promise was made.
Multiple pieces of evidence show that Senator Blumenthal actively called for and formally requested that the Department of Justice open an antitrust investigation into the WNBA's interference with the sale of the Connecticut Sun. Sources confirm he sent letters to both the DOJ and the WNBA, issued public statements, and communicated warnings, all matching the specificity and intent of the original promise. There is no evidence the claim was not pursued as described.