New York, June 14 (RHC)-- A U.S. federal judge has approved AT&T’s $85 billion merger with Time Warner after ruling the Justice Department failed to prove the merger violates anti-trust laws.  The far-reaching deal is expected to reshape the media industry and will give AT&T control over Warner Bros. film and television studios, along with CNN, TNT, HBO and many other brands.

Only three days after President Trump’s inauguration, AT&T paid $600,000 to President Trump’s personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen’s company for help advising the telecom giant on how to steer the planned merger through regulatory scrutiny.

Despite this money, the Justice Department sued to block the merger.  The approval of the AT&T-Time Warner deal is expected to spur a flurry of other mergers and corporate consolidation across industries.