State AGs play antitrust cops

State attorneys general are moving aggressively to sue corporate giants in an attempt to fill a void they argue is being left by federal antitrust regulators. More than two dozen Republican and Democratic state attorneys general on Monday filed a motion for a mistrial in the federal antitrust lawsuit that sought to break up Live Nation/Ticketmaster. They are looking to continue their lawsuit after the Justice Department said it settled the case for $280 million. The settlement quickly drew outrage from consumer groups and activists, who argue the Trump administration let the firm off the hook. A group of 40 states formed a bipartisan coalition in 2024 to sue to break up the company alongside the Justice Department. Not all states initially involved in the DOJ's lawsuit filed a motion to continue to sue the company, but most did.