Washington, D.C. — In response to news that U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema has denied the Department of Justice Antitrust Division’s request for a jury trial in its lawsuit against Google’s adtech monopoly, after Google wrote a check to the DOJ for monetary damages it alleged, the American Economic Liberties Project released the following statement.

“The Antitrust Division was clear in its motion that it can win this case whether it’s heard by a jury or the judge,” said Lee Hepner, Senior Legal Counsel at the American Economic Liberties Project. “But this whole saga demonstrates that Google is terrified of this case being heard and judged by the American people—and for good reason. Last December a jury deliberated for less than 4 hours before unanimously finding Google liable for violation of federal anti-monopoly laws. Google has a long history of using its near-unlimited resources to shut the public out of its many antitrust cases, and this continues that pattern.”

“While judges take longer than juries, the Justice Department will present a strong case regardless,“ added Hepner. “At the very least, the Justice Department’s receipt of a multi-million dollar check from Google—as direct compensation for harm to American taxpayers—ought to serve as a legal admission of that monetary harm.”

Learn more about Economic Liberties here.

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The American Economic Liberties Project works to ensure America’s system of commerce is structured to advance, rather than undermine, economic liberty, fair commerce, and a secure, inclusive democracy. Economic Liberties believes true economic liberty means entrepreneurs and businesses large and small succeed on the merits of their ideas and hard work; commerce empowers consumers, workers, farmers, and engineers instead of subjecting them to discrimination and abuse from financiers and monopolists; foreign trade arrangements support domestic security and democracy; and wealth is broadly distributed to support equitable political power.