THE LOOP (WBBM Newsradio) -- Illinois' attorney general said a proposed settlement that would end a federal lawsuit over the cost of tickets for concerts is striking a sour note with him and others, and he's rejected it.
The settlement presented by the Justice Department during a hearing Monday morning at U.S. District Court in Manhattan would if accepted end a nearly two-year-long legal fight targeting executives for Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster.
The lawsuit filed in 2024 by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland and 40 states including Illinois accused the entertainment company of illegally controlling the live performance market in the U.S., through long-term contracts and various other threats designed to preserve a monopoly controlling everything from venues to ticketing.
Under the settlement, Live Nation would agree to open up its ticketing network to other companies, sell at least 13 performance venues across the country, and pay $280 million to the states.
"We don't agree with the settlement reached by this Department of Justice," said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul before an appearance Monday afternoon with political leaders in Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St. "There's much more to litigate."
Raoul suggests the Justice Department under Attorney General Pam Bondi -- an appointee of President Trump -- has been "rushing" to settle past anti-trust cases as a benefit to big business.
The Associated Press reports that at least 24 states and the District Of Columbia have said they will not accept the settlement and plan to continue their case in court.
Live Nation has maintained that artists and teams set prices and decide how tickets are sold.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.