The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division is being criticized for taking credit for the recent Live Nation ruling, widely viewed as a win for music fans. After a seven-week trial, a jury held Live Nation and Ticketmaster liable on all counts for monopolizing ticketing and for live entertainment events.
The DOJ wrote on social media: “Congratulations to all on this historic liability finding. The DOJ was proud to lead a settlement in this matter that brings the American people instant relief and also applauds the remaining states on today’s liability finding. This is a win for everyone in our country besides Live Nation.”
North Carolina’s Attorney General Jeff Jackson, one of 33 Attorneys General who fought Live Nation in court, replied to the DOJ account: “Huh? You bailed in the middle of trial after cutting a sweetheart deal with Live Nation, tried to pressure the rest of us to accept it, but we pressed on and won the trial without you. Congrats to consumers, not to you.”
Huh?
You bailed in the middle of trial after cutting a sweetheart deal with Live Nation, tried to pressure the rest of us to accept it, but we pressed on and won the trial without you.
Congrats to consumers, not to you. https://t.co/aUmBx1NKYJ
— Jeff Jackson (@JeffJacksonNC) April 16, 2026
Jackson said in a statement: “This was one of the biggest antitrust cases in years. When the United States Department of Justice announced in March that it had cut a deal with Live Nation and Ticketmaster behind the backs of the attorneys general, I rejected their secret deal because it failed to address sky-high ticket prices for concertgoers. We wanted the jury to hear the evidence and see what consumers have known for years.”
A Community Note has been added to the DOJ Antitrust Division post on X: “The DOJ settled separately with Live Nation in March 2026 on limited terms—no breakup, no liability admission, and reforms criticized as insufficient. States rejected the deal, continued the trial alone, and won liability on all claims April 15.”
[NOTE: Abigail Slater resigned as Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ Antitrust Division in February. According to an article written by law firm Proskauer, the exit was “widely reported as a forced ouster after the White House requested her resignation. Her departure is significant because it comes at a moment when antitrust enforcement is both high-stakes and politically salient. The Division is weeks away from trial in Live Nation/Ticketmaster, where reported settlement discussions in the days before her resignation highlighted divisions between the Antitrust Division and senior DOJ officials.”]