Texas’ next AG vows ‘tremendous scrutiny’ of Tesla-SpaceX deal

Texas Attorney General-elect Nathan Johnson vowed to take a close look at any potential merger between Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Tesla Inc., warning of the perils of corporate concentration as the state’s two most valuable companies weigh a tie-up. “Any merger of companies of that consequence warrants tremendous scrutiny,” Johnson said in an interview at Bloomberg’s Dallas office on Thursday, nine days after he and his fellow Democrats swept to power in a state Republicans have controlled since the 1990s. kAm|FD<[ E96 H@C=5’D C:496DE A6CD@?[ 92D 4@?46?EC2E65 >F49 @7 9:D 6>A:C6 :? %6I2D[ H96C6 96 D@F89E 2 >@C6 3FD:?6DD\7C:6?5=J C68F=2E@CJ 6?G:C@?>6?E F?56C E96 DE2E6’D #6AF3=:42? =6256CD9:A] w6 2=D@ DA6?E 9F?5C65D @7 >:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD E@ DFAA@CE E96 v~! :? %6I2D 2?5 24C@DD E96 &]$] :? E96 >:5E6C> 6=64E:@?D] %6I2D s6>@4C2ED :?4=F5:?8 y@9?D@?[ v@G6C?@C\6=64E v:?2 w:?@;@D2 2?5 &]$] $6?2E@C\6=64E y2>6D %2=2C:4@ 92G6 G@H65 E@ AFE 2 4964< @? 9:D A@H6C]k^Am kAm“x E9:?< 96’D C646:G65 2 8C62E 562= @7 5676C6?46 5F6 E@ 9:D 2=:8?>6?E H:E9 E96 #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ 2?5 E96 E@?D @7 >@?6J 96 DA6?E 7@C E96 #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ[” y@9?D@? D2:5] “x 92G6 ?@ BF2=>D 23@FE 6I2>:?:?8 9:D C6=2E:@?D9:AD E@ E96 DE2E6]”k^Am kAmy@9?D@? 564=:?65 E@ 5:D4FDD E96 DA64:7:4D @7 2?J $A246)\%6D=2 4@>3:?2E:@?[ H9:49 H@F=5 36 E96 3:886DE\6G6C 562=] |6C86C E2=36C8 C6A@CE65 E9:D H66<[ 2?5 E96 C6DF=E:?8 6?E:EJ H@F=5 9@FD6 6=64EC:4 G69:4=6D[ 6?6C8J DE@C286 32EE6C:6D[ C@4<6ED 2?5 D2E6==:E6D]k^Am kAm“x 5@?’E H2?E 2?J3@5J E@ 92G6 DF49 4@?EC@= @7 E96 AF3=:4 D64E@C E92E E96J 42? 36?5 AF3=:4 A@H6C E@ E96:C AC:G2E6 82:?[” y@9?D@? D2:5 @7 |FD<] “x E9:?< 9:D 6>A:C6 :D 2E 8C62E C:D< @7 4C@DD:?8 E92E =:?6]”k^Am kAm$A246) 2?5 %6D=2 5:5?’E :>>65:2E6=J C6DA@?5 E@ C6BF6DED 7@C 4@>>6?E]k^Am kAmy@9?D@? D2:5 96 2?5 9:D EC2?D:E:@? E62> 92G6?’E 366? :? E@F49 H:E9 |FD<[ 255:?8 E92E “:7 t=@? H2?ED E@ E2=<[ H6 42? E2=<]”k^Am kAm%96 ?6IE %6I2D 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2= H:== E2<6 @77:46 :? y2?F2CJ[ 2?5 96 92D AC@>:D65 2 C6EFC? E@ 2 7@4FD @? E96 “?FED 2?5 3@=ED” :? 2C62D DF49 2D 4@?DF>6C AC@E64E:@? 2?5 2?E:ECFDE =:E:82E:@?] |@DE :>A@CE2?E=J[ y@9?D@? D2:5[ 96 A=2?D E@ >@G6 E96 @77:46 2H2J 7C@> E96 4F=EFC6\H2C :DDF6D 492>A:@?65 3J z6? !2IE@?[ E96 @FE8@:?8 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2=]k^Am k9bm$F:?8 E96 AC6D:56?Ek^9bm kAm!2IE@?[ H9@ H2D EC@F?465 3J %2=2C:4@ :? E96 DE2E6’D &]$] $6?2E6 C246[ 3642>6 2 v~! 96C@ 3J AFCDF:?8 2 4@?D6CG2E:G6 286?52 2D 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2=[ 7:=:?8 >@C6 E92? 2 9F?5C65 =2HDF:ED 282:?DE E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E 5FC:?8 E96 q:56? 25>:?:DEC2E:@?]k^Am kAmy@9?D@? D2:5 96 H@F=5 C2E96C 56G@E6 9:D @77:46’D C6D@FC46D E@ @E96C AFCDF:ED 36D:56D DF:?8 E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@?] qFE 96 25565 E92E 96 H@?’E D9C:?< 7C@> 2 7:89E :7 96 E9:? 2== E96 E:>6[” y@9?D@? D2:5] “x 5@?’E C62==J E9:?< 2?J3@5J D9@F=5 36 3C288:?8 23@FE 9@H >2?J E:>6D E96J DF6 E96 AC6D:56?E] qFE x 5@ 92G6 2 ;@3 E@ 5@[ 2?5 :7 E96 AC6D:56?E :D 42FD:?8 FD 92C>[ x’> 8@:?8 E@ DF6 9:>]”k^Am kAm(9:=6 96’D A=2??:?8 2 D9:7E 7C@> !2IE@?’D AC:@C:E:6D[ y@9?D@? AC2:D65 E96 4FCC6?E 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2= 2D 2 “?2E:@?2= =6256C” :? 2?E:ECFDE 2?5 4@?DF>6C AC@E64E:@? 42D6D] w6 D2:5 96 A=2?D E@ C6E2:? D6G6C2= =2HJ6CD H9@ DA64:2=:K65 :? E9@D6 2C62D F?56C !2IE@?]k^Am kAm~?6 2?E:ECFDE 42D6 E92E !2IE@? 92D AC:@C:E:K65 :D 2 =682= 492==6?86 244FD:?8 q=24<#@4< x?4] 2?5 $E2E6 $EC66E r@CA] @7 4@==F5:?8 E@ C65F46 4@2= @FEAFE] y@9?D@? D2:5 96 92D J6E E@ >2<6 2?J 56E6C>:?2E:@?D 23@FE H96E96C E@ 4@?E:?F6 AFCDF:?8 E96 42D6]k^Am kAm“x’> :? 2 A@D:E:@? ?@H @7 ?@E ;FDE D9@@E:?8 >J >@FE9 @77 — x’> :? 2 A@D:E:@? @7 A@H6C[” 96 D2:5] “x :?E6?5 E@ 36 G6CJ 5:D4:A=:?65 :? 6I2>:?:?8 E92E 42D6]”k^Am kAmW(:E9 2DD:DE2?46 7C@> y@6 {@G:?86C 2?5 yF=:6 u:?6]Xk^Am