Investigation launched after five broadcasters last month ceased presidential coverage after CNN, MS Now and Politico were barred from White HouseThe US Department of Justice is investigating whether the decision of the White House television press pool to halt coverage of the US president, Donald Trump, last month violated antitrust law, an agency spokesperson said Saturday.A spokesperson for the department said group boycotts among business competitors might violate US law. The Justice Department said it is investigating five major TV broadcast networks for potentially violating federal antitrust laws after the networks temporarily declined to provide pool coverage of President Donald Trump, a department spokesperson said. Key points and original sources are listed below.

• Investigation launched after five broadcasters last month ceased presidential coverage after CNN, MS Now and Politico were barred from White HouseThe US Department of Justice is investigating whether the decision of the White House television press pool to hal...S1

• The Justice Department said it is investigating five major TV broadcast networks for potentially violating federal antitrust laws after the networks temporarily declined to provide pool coverage of President Donald Trump, a department spokesperson said.S2

• The Justice Department is investigating whether the major TV networks violated antitrust laws after they briefly suspended the TV press pool system in response to President Trump's decision to ban three news organizations from the White House.S3

• "Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act," a DOJ spokesperson tells THR.S4

• The antitrust probe of the outlets — Fox News, CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC — marks a sharp escalation in the Trump administration’s use of its powers against perceived enemies in the press.S5

• The White House had blocked access for CNN, MS Now and Politico, leading them to restrict pool coverage.S6

• The department is investigating whether five networks violated federal antitrust laws over their decision to temporarily boycott covering the White HouseS7

• Justice Department probes TV networks over Trump pool coverageS8