New York Attorney General maintains opposition to T-Mobile/Sprint merger

The T-Mobile/Sprint merger might have received official backing from government agencies, but New York Attorney General Letitia James is not giving up on her case to block it.

The backdrop to this recommitment to the cause is a slightly unusual one. The press conference itself was focused on a lawsuit which was filed against Juul, an e-cigarette company James is looking to have banned, but the floor was opened-up to ‘any other business’.

“Our case against T-Mobile is an antitrust violation, obviously we’re concerned with anti-competitive behaviour,” said James. “Providing public benefits are good but they do not address the antitrust violation.”

In announcing John Legere will step-down from the top job at T-Mobile US, and outlining the succession plan, T-Mobile US is clearly confident the deal will now pass without complication. However, James is a very interesting opponent.

James comes across as an incredibly ambitious individual, and it might not surprise that many if she decides to run for alternative public office positions. It is too late for James to throw her hat into the ring for next years’ elections, though there will plenty of opportunity for this lawyer to climb the greasy pole of politics.

This is what should worry any of the firms James has cast her eye on. Politicians love a war story, a scalp to display in front of the voting public. Campaign speeches are full of rhetoric of how that individual has selflessly fought for the general public and won. Next time a US politician takes the stage at a campaign rally, note the number of times the following phase (or variant of) is used;

When I was [insert previous position] I fought for the people of [insert place] to [insert social equality example].

If James has grander political ambitions, she will need plenty of war stories. It is a tool in the popularity contest which is politics and fighting against the T-Mobile US/Sprint merger could be a perfect example. The Juul case is another, while James has been pretty vocal in pursuit of President Trump’s tax filings.

James has decided the T-Mobile US and Sprint merger is anticompetitive. The position is relatively simple; more service providers means more competition, which is only good for the consumer. There are of course pros and cons to both sides of the telco consolidation argument, but James has set her position, and this will not be changed. With the trial set to begin on December 9, this saga might come to a close soon.