T-Mobile Executives Repeatedly Stay at Trump International Hotel in DC

On January 16, 2019, the Washington Post published a story reporting that T-Mobile CEO John Legere and other eight company executives have repeatedly stayed at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC after T-Mobile announced its $26 billion merger with Sprint in April 2018. The story raises questions about if the hotel visits are an attempt to influence public policy considering that the merger requires approval from the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission.

Free State Foundation President Randolph May tweeted his reaction to the story:

I've long argued that the "public interest" doctrine under which the @FCC reviews proposed mergers has been abused because of its vagueness. But I've never imagined it to be so indeterminate as to encompass @FCC considering which hotels applicants' CEOs stayed in! Wow! @b_fung pic.twitter.com/tbPPEn0vLT

— Free State Foundation (@FSFthinktank) January 17, 2019