US DOJ antitrust nominee grilled over comments on Muslims, FCC actions

By Jody Godoy

Aug 5 (Reuters) - U.S. ‌senators grilled President ​Donald ​Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Justice's antitrust division on Wednesday over an article he wrote calling Muslim immigrants "prone to terrorism" ‌and his views on political speech.

Adam Candeub, currently general counsel at ⁠the Federal Communications Commission, appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The panel will vote on whether ‌to send his nomination to ‌the full Senate.

Trump has tapped Candeub to run the DOJ's work policing anticompetitive business activity and reviewing mergers and acquisitions.

Democratic senators at the hearing focused ​on Candeub's past statements on gender and religion, including: "Muslim immigrants and their children seem prone not only to terrorism, but to cultural separatism."

"I wrote those ⁠articles in defense of Donald Trump's travel ban, which protects against terrorism. And I thought that terrorism continues ​to be a tremendous threat to all Americans," Candeub said when asked if he stood by the statement.

U.S. Senator John Kennedy, ​a Republican from Louisiana, questioned Candeub over ‌the FCC's stance toward political speech.

The FCC has drawn criticism for its decision to order an early license review of Disney's ⁠eight company-owned ABC stations after Trump repeatedly pressured the agency to pull the licenses over ABC content decisions. The agency has said the move stemmed from a year-long investigation ⁠into whether Disney's diversity policies amounted to unlawful discrimination, an allegation the company denies.

"Explain to me ​like you're talking to a tenth grader, what business it is of the FCC if a television network criticizes a political figure?" Kennedy asked.

Candeub said the FCC has the authority ‌to regulate broadcasters in the public interest, a standard he said the agency determines based on law and past precedent.

"Doesn't ‌that scare you?" said Kennedy, adding, "What if the FCC is in the hands of ⁠someone whose politics you disagree with?"

On ‌antitrust, Candeub said that "free ​markets generally have the answer," and that "the evidence must be strong" in order to bring a case.

(Reporting by Jody Godoy; Editing by ‌Edmund Klamann)

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