Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Meta is back in the hot seat in Washington just as CEO Mark Zuckerberg makes moves to get closer to President Trump.
The big picture: Meta's got an upcoming FTC antitrust trial, a potentially huge European competition fine, and congressional attention on a new whistleblower book.
- Cue Zuckerberg making moves in Washington.
Driving the news: Sen. Josh Hawley announced on Wednesday that Meta whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams will testify before the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on crime and counterterrorism on "her explosive evidence of Facebook's cooperation with the Communist regime in China."
- Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said: "We do not operate our services in China today," pointing to a 2019 announcement from Zuckerberg that they would not pursue plans in China.
Zuckerberg visited the Oval Office on Wednesday, the day it was revealed he bought a $23 million D.C. mansion.
- Zuckerberg was spotted in the West Wing by various reporters. WSJ reported that Meta has been meeting with Trump and advisers ahead of Meta's FTC trial that starts this month, urging for a settlement.
- "We regularly meet with policymakers to discuss issues impacting competitiveness, national security, and economic growth," Stone said.
- Beyond the FTC trial, Meta is hoping to see Trump defend the company against an incoming antitrust fine and remedies from Europe.
What they're saying: "I welcome the fact that Zuckerberg says he's going to stop engaging in obvious, outrageous censorship. Congratulations, but that doesn't mean you get to violate the antitrust laws," Hawley told reporters at Wednesday's Y Combinator event.
- On the Digital Markets Act and if Trump should defend U.S. companies abroad, Hawley said: "I'm not a huge fan of carrying water for Big Tech companies anywhere."
