Antitrust hearing involving tech CEOs like Tim Cook likely to be delayed

Antitrust hearing featuring CEOs from tech giants, including Apple’s Tim Cook, was supposed to start Monday, but will probably be delayed, two unnamed “people familiar with the matter” told CNBC.

The service for the late Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., seems like it will likely conflict with the current date, the people said. The House Judiciary Committee and the Antitrust Subcommittee, which is set to host the hearing, haven’t yet confirmed the move.

“Since last June, the Subcommittee has been investigating the dominance of a small number of digital platforms and the adequacy of existing antitrust laws and enforcement,” the Committee said in the announcement. “Given the central role these corporations play in the lives of the American people, it is critical that their CEOs are forthcoming. As we have said from the start, their testimony is essential for us to complete this investigation.”

Last month the U.S. House Judiciary Committee sent letters to Apple, Alphabet, Amazon and Facebook asking whether their CEOs plan to participate in a series of antitrust hearings slated for July. The letters raise the prospect of subpoenas to force testimony and document production if the companies don’t comply voluntarily.

“These are documents that are essential to complete our ongoing, bipartisan investigation of the digital marketplace,” antitrust subcommittee chairman David Cicilline said in a statement obtained by  Axios. “This is the appropriate process to secure their production.”

 Documents the lawmakers are after include materials the companies have produced in response to other competition probes and internal communications. They also pose a range of questions to each company on issues related to possible competitive harms. 

 House Judiciary Committee leaders from both parties want the companies to fork offer reams of documents including executive communications and financial statements as well as information about competitors, market share, mergers and key business decisions.