Soros' bid for Nationals gets political

0 Comments | USA TODAY, June, 2005 | by Hal Bodley

Republicans in Congress threatened Major League Baseball on Monday with repeal of its antitrust exemption if billionaire financier George Soros is involved in buying the Washington Nationals.

Soros, who contributed more than $20 million to groups in an attempt to unseat President Bush last year, recently joined an ownership group led by entrepreneur Jonathan Ledecky.

Seven groups have submitted bids for the former Montreal Expos franchise, which has been owned by the other 29 major league teams since 2002.

"I think Major League Baseball understands the stakes," House Government Reform chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., told Roll Call.

"I don't think they want to get involved in the political fights."

Davis, who convened the recent congressional...