President Donald Trump's surprise pardon of former Oak View Group (OVG) CEO Tim Leiweke has thrown a wrench into the Department of Justice's (DOJ) live Nation antitrust case. The DOJ had spent over a year investigating Leiweke's involvement in a bid-rigging scheme related to the construction of a new arena in Austin and was hoping to force him to testify in the government's antitrust case.
According to sources, Trump's pardon came after a friendly round of golf between the president and former Republican Congressman Trey Gowdy, who Leiweke hired to lobby on his behalf in the criminal case. Gowdy argued that Leiweke had been unfairly targeted by the DOJ and that he was not guilty of any wrongdoing.
The DOJ's antitrust division has been investigating OVG's relationship with Live Nation for months, alleging that Leiweke protected Live Nation's dominance in the concert promotion business and steered buildings managed by OVG towards signing exclusive ticketing agreements with Ticketmaster. The company collected millions of dollars in fees in the process.
Following Trump's pardon, Leiweke sat down for a previously scheduled deposition with the DOJ to discuss its separate antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation. However, Leiweke invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refused to answer questions from the government during the deposition.
The DOJ is now considering whether to ask a judge to force Leiweke to testify in the case, which would prolong a legal fight over Leiweke's participation in the Live Nation antitrust case. The company has long been seen as a key player in the Department of Justice's investigation into Live Nation's practices.
In July, attorneys from the DOJ's antitrust division unsealed an indictment against Leiweke for allegedly restraining trade in his effort to win the right to build and manage the Moody Center arena for the University of Texas. However, Trump's pardon has effectively ended that case, as Leiweke is no longer facing charges.
The DOJ will now have to decide whether to seek a second shot at deposing Leiweke or request that the company be granted criminal immunity to force him to testify. If neither option works out, it may have to abandon its efforts to bring Live Nation to justice over its alleged anticompetitive practices.
Cohen argued that Leiweke is "a very important fact witness" and that his deposition could provide critical information about OVG's relationship with Live Nation. However, if Leiweke invokes his Fifth Amendment right again, the DOJ may not be able to compel him to testify.
The case highlights the challenges that the DOJ faces in enforcing antitrust laws against large corporations, particularly when those companies have significant influence over politicians and policymakers. It also raises questions about the role of pardons in the administration of justice and the limits of presidential power.
According to sources, Trump's pardon came after a friendly round of golf between the president and former Republican Congressman Trey Gowdy, who Leiweke hired to lobby on his behalf in the criminal case. Gowdy argued that Leiweke had been unfairly targeted by the DOJ and that he was not guilty of any wrongdoing.
The DOJ's antitrust division has been investigating OVG's relationship with Live Nation for months, alleging that Leiweke protected Live Nation's dominance in the concert promotion business and steered buildings managed by OVG towards signing exclusive ticketing agreements with Ticketmaster. The company collected millions of dollars in fees in the process.
Following Trump's pardon, Leiweke sat down for a previously scheduled deposition with the DOJ to discuss its separate antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation. However, Leiweke invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refused to answer questions from the government during the deposition.
The DOJ is now considering whether to ask a judge to force Leiweke to testify in the case, which would prolong a legal fight over Leiweke's participation in the Live Nation antitrust case. The company has long been seen as a key player in the Department of Justice's investigation into Live Nation's practices.
In July, attorneys from the DOJ's antitrust division unsealed an indictment against Leiweke for allegedly restraining trade in his effort to win the right to build and manage the Moody Center arena for the University of Texas. However, Trump's pardon has effectively ended that case, as Leiweke is no longer facing charges.
The DOJ will now have to decide whether to seek a second shot at deposing Leiweke or request that the company be granted criminal immunity to force him to testify. If neither option works out, it may have to abandon its efforts to bring Live Nation to justice over its alleged anticompetitive practices.
Cohen argued that Leiweke is "a very important fact witness" and that his deposition could provide critical information about OVG's relationship with Live Nation. However, if Leiweke invokes his Fifth Amendment right again, the DOJ may not be able to compel him to testify.
The case highlights the challenges that the DOJ faces in enforcing antitrust laws against large corporations, particularly when those companies have significant influence over politicians and policymakers. It also raises questions about the role of pardons in the administration of justice and the limits of presidential power.
. i mean, DOJ had him cornered on antitrust case and now he's all free and clear thanks to gowdy's lobbying skills. but the question is, what really went down in austin and why did trump intervene so late in the game? 
. I mean, what even is the point of having an antitrust division if they can't even force someone to testify? 
. This whole thing is super fishy, and I'm not buying it 
. One thing for sure, it's gonna be interesting to see how this plays out in court 
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. I think this is a worrying trend, where politicians start to use their influence to protect friends instead of upholding justice. It's not exactly clear-cut, but the fact that Trump was swayed by Trey Gowdy's lobbying makes you wonder what other connections there are at play. Leiweke got off scot-free after a round of golf with the president 
... it just doesn't sit right. The DOJ needs to tread carefully now, or risk weakening their case against Live Nation. This pardon raises some big questions about power and influence 
. I mean, it's not like the DOJ was really pushing hard to get Leiweke to testify anyway... and now they're all like "oh no what do we do"? 
It's actually kind of refreshing that someone is standing up for him and arguing that he wasn't unfairly targeted 
This whole thing stinks to high heaven and I'm not holding my breath for the DOJ to come out on top in this one 
anyway, this pardon is going to throw a huge wrench into the antitrust case against live nation and its crazy how much clout leiweke has with trump already. i'm low-key impressed by trey gowdy tho, who knew golf could be such a powerful lobbying tool? 
i mean like who needs a normal coffee when u can have one with a hint of green tea magic? anyway back to trump pardon thingy... i think its wild how power can affect ppl lives, like if he were in our shoes would we be protected or would we be the ones facing charges? idk, maybe that's just me being dramatic 
. but on a lighter note, has anyone tried that new vegan bakery downtown? 
. Trey Gowdy's defense of Leiweke seems weak if you ask me, I mean who needs a congressman with ties to a lobbying firm like that? 
This is so frustrating... I mean, I get it, politics is all about negotiations and favors for friends, but this pardon feels like a huge slap in the face to the DOJ and the people who have been waiting for justice for over a year. It's like Trump is basically saying that he knows something shady went down with Live Nation and OVG, and instead of letting Leiweke face the music, he just decided to give him a free pass 
. I'm sure Trey Gowdy was totally sincere in his arguments, but it's hard not to think that there's more to this story than what we're being told