Live Nation has confirmed that President Donald Trump briefly attended a meeting where its federal antitrust deal took shape. The new court filing says Trump was present but took no active role in talks about the terms. Ticketmaster could remain part of the company if a judge backs the agreement.
The update came through a five-page document sent to a federal court in New York. Officials from the Justice Department, White House legal staff, and both firms attended the session. A written deal outline got signed at that meeting.
Here's the catch. Live Nation had filed an earlier account of its talks with federal officials, yet Trump's presence was absent from it. The firm says its first disclosure met legal rules and that the new details serve as an extra precaution.
The company also gave a clearer account of a call between Trump and CEO Michael Rapino. According to the revised version, Trump reached out to talk about the Kennedy Center and asked where the antitrust case stood. Live Nation maintains that neither discussed actual deal terms.
Richard Grenell has a role in the paper trail as well. A Trump appointee who led the Kennedy Center, Grenell later took a seat on Live Nation's board. Both versions of the filing name him among those involved in contact with federal officials.
Other changes add more names to the talks. Mike Davis and William Levi helped seek contact with antitrust leaders, while Ticketmaster executives Devon Cavanagh and Taggart Matthiesen appear in the revised list. Some state officials also took part, though the document does not name those states.
Live Nation's account covers an initial proposal, a later formal written offer, and a Justice Department counteroffer. The revised filing also names the office of the Associate Attorney General as part of the federal talks.
Why add all this detail? A separate case involving Hewlett Packard Enterprise gave Live Nation a reason to be more careful. Judge P. Casey Pitts found gaps in HPE's account of lobbying contacts but still cleared its $14 billion deal to buy Juniper Networks.
The proposed Live Nation deal has some major conditions. It would remove exclusive booking contracts at 13 amphitheaters and limit Ticketmaster fees at those sites to 15% of ticket face value. Another $280 million would be set aside for state claims.
Court oversight would also run for eight more years under rules tied to the firms' original merger. Judge Arun Subramanian must decide whether the pact serves the public under the Tunney Act before it can take effect.
But the state case has taken a different path. A group of 33 states and the District of Columbia kept fighting after federal officials agreed to settle. Jurors later found illegal monopoly conduct in major concert ticket sales and large amphitheaters.
Those states want Ticketmaster sold off. Live Nation, meanwhile, seeks to have that verdict tossed or the case heard again. That dispute is separate from the federal deal, which would leave the two firms together.
Colorado also helped lead a push by 21 states to inspect how the deal came about. Their concern was that people outside the Justice Department might have shaped the outcome for reasons beyond fair competition.
Subramanian rejected the first broad request but left room for more focused demands. The states tried again, and Live Nation objected. Rivals AEG and SeatGeek have also asked the court not to approve the deal.
One account had claimed Trump directed federal officials to settle after meeting Rapino. The Justice Department disputed that version, and the new Live Nation filing does not confirm such an order. Dan Wall, a senior company executive, defended efforts to reach top officials after months without progress with antitrust staff.
For the moment, neither legal issue has a final ruling. Subramanian still has to weigh the federal pact and Live Nation's attempt to undo the jury result. The company expects the state case to finish with terms close to those in its federal agreement.
The update came through a five-page document sent to a federal court in New York. Officials from the Justice Department, White House legal staff, and both firms attended the session. A written deal outline got signed at that meeting.
Here's the catch. Live Nation had filed an earlier account of its talks with federal officials, yet Trump's presence was absent from it. The firm says its first disclosure met legal rules and that the new details serve as an extra precaution.
The company also gave a clearer account of a call between Trump and CEO Michael Rapino. According to the revised version, Trump reached out to talk about the Kennedy Center and asked where the antitrust case stood. Live Nation maintains that neither discussed actual deal terms.
Richard Grenell has a role in the paper trail as well. A Trump appointee who led the Kennedy Center, Grenell later took a seat on Live Nation's board. Both versions of the filing name him among those involved in contact with federal officials.
Other changes add more names to the talks. Mike Davis and William Levi helped seek contact with antitrust leaders, while Ticketmaster executives Devon Cavanagh and Taggart Matthiesen appear in the revised list. Some state officials also took part, though the document does not name those states.
Live Nation's account covers an initial proposal, a later formal written offer, and a Justice Department counteroffer. The revised filing also names the office of the Associate Attorney General as part of the federal talks.
Why add all this detail? A separate case involving Hewlett Packard Enterprise gave Live Nation a reason to be more careful. Judge P. Casey Pitts found gaps in HPE's account of lobbying contacts but still cleared its $14 billion deal to buy Juniper Networks.
The proposed Live Nation deal has some major conditions. It would remove exclusive booking contracts at 13 amphitheaters and limit Ticketmaster fees at those sites to 15% of ticket face value. Another $280 million would be set aside for state claims.
Court oversight would also run for eight more years under rules tied to the firms' original merger. Judge Arun Subramanian must decide whether the pact serves the public under the Tunney Act before it can take effect.
But the state case has taken a different path. A group of 33 states and the District of Columbia kept fighting after federal officials agreed to settle. Jurors later found illegal monopoly conduct in major concert ticket sales and large amphitheaters.
Those states want Ticketmaster sold off. Live Nation, meanwhile, seeks to have that verdict tossed or the case heard again. That dispute is separate from the federal deal, which would leave the two firms together.
Colorado also helped lead a push by 21 states to inspect how the deal came about. Their concern was that people outside the Justice Department might have shaped the outcome for reasons beyond fair competition.
Subramanian rejected the first broad request but left room for more focused demands. The states tried again, and Live Nation objected. Rivals AEG and SeatGeek have also asked the court not to approve the deal.
One account had claimed Trump directed federal officials to settle after meeting Rapino. The Justice Department disputed that version, and the new Live Nation filing does not confirm such an order. Dan Wall, a senior company executive, defended efforts to reach top officials after months without progress with antitrust staff.
For the moment, neither legal issue has a final ruling. Subramanian still has to weigh the federal pact and Live Nation's attempt to undo the jury result. The company expects the state case to finish with terms close to those in its federal agreement.
