Apple Battles Justice Department over Federal Monitor

Related to anti-trust ruling on e-books

A bitter battle between Apple Inc and a lawyer appointed to monitor its compliance with a court antitrust ruling escalated on Monday, as the U.S. government and the monitor both hit back at Apple.

Over the last two months, Apple has launched a broad legal attack on the monitor, Michael Bromwich, who was appointed by a federal judge after a ruling that the company conspired to fix e-book prices.

Apple has said in court filings that Bromwich overstepped his mandate and that he was causing irreparable harm to the company. Apple has also argued that Bromwich's personal financial interest in investigating the company violated its right to a disinterested prosecutor under the due process clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Apple also asked U.S. District Judge Denise Cote to stay her order requiring a monitor pending its appeals of the price-fixing judgment.