Democratic senator lifts hold on Trump antitrust nominee: aide

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has lifted her hold on President Donald Trump's pick to run the Justice Department's Antitrust Division, a move that will allow the Senate to vote to confirm Makan Delrahim, a senior Republican aide said on Friday.

Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, had met with Delrahim early in September where she pressed him about her concerns about lobbying and political interference in antitrust.

Delrahim, a lawyer and a lobbyist, has been nominated to be assistant attorney general. It was not immediately clear when the vote would go forward.

Warren's office and Delrahim did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Senator Orrin Hatch, a member of the Judiciary Committee and a Utah Republican, has worked with Warren and others to address concerns about Seraphim's nomination, Hatch's office said in a statement.

Warren had been concerned about Trump attempting to exert political influence on antitrust decisions. As a candidate, Trump had said he would oppose AT&T's proposed $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner, owner of CNN and one of the country's largest film and television companies.

Delrahim said in his confirmation hearing in May that on his watch, the division's merger reviews would be free from any political influence.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz, editing by G Crosse)