Nebraska Panhandle News

Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), alongside Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) and other colleagues, has called for an investigation into alleged media leaks at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The senators claim these leaks have led to negative coverage of the Biden-Harris administration's antitrust targets.

In a letter addressed to DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz and FTC Inspector General Andrew Katsaros, the senators stated: "These leaks result in negative headlines about the administration’s targets while the targeted companies have no way to respond, as they haven’t yet seen the potential lawsuits." They argue that such actions potentially violate ethics rules that prohibit leaking civil cases before they are filed.

The letter, signed by Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), along with Ricketts and Cotton, urges an inquiry into whether officials at the DOJ and FTC systematically leaked information to Bloomberg News. Since 2023, Bloomberg has reportedly disclosed details about impending legal actions in twelve instances before any official lawsuit was filed. According to the letter, this pattern suggests intentional publicity of legal actions by certain officials.

The senators express concern over these leaks stating they are not only unethical but also detrimental to employees, shareholders, and others associated with the targeted companies. They further criticize what they perceive as a trend of weaponizing administrative bodies against political opponents.

The full text of the letter is publicly available.