Antitrust official recused from Comcast-TWC review

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department said its top antitrust official, Bill Baer, is recusing himself from the department’s review of Comcast’s $45 billion purchase of Time Warner Cable Inc.

Spokeswoman Gina Talamona said that Baer, an assistant attorney general, was not heading the review due to some work he did while in private practice.

Baer represented NBCUniversal and General Electric Co. on antitrust matters as a partner at Arnold & Porter LLP when Comcast Corp. bought a majority stake in NBCU in 2011.

Talamona said Renata Hesse, principal deputy assistant attorney general, will lead the review of the deal along with Deputy Assistant Attorney General David Gelfand.