Charter Warns California Delay Could Jeopardize Cox Merger Timeline
Federal merger clearance expires Sept. 15, 2026 if state review lags.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2026 – Charter Communications urged the California Public Utilities Commission to issue a decision on its proposed acquisition of Cox Communications by July 16, 2026, citing the expiration of federal merger clearance later this year.
In a Feb. 17 filing responding to questions from a CPUC administrative law judge, Charter said the U.S. Department of Justice’s clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act – the federal law requiring large mergers to undergo antitrust review before closing, expires Sept. 15, 2026.
If the companies cannot close the transaction before that date because of ongoing state regulatory review, they would be required to submit a new federal filing and restart the review process.
