Top Trump antitrust official leaves post following disputes over big mergers

Justice Department’s Top Antitrust Official Resigns Amid Merger Controversy

The Department of Justice’s top antitrust enforcer, Gail Slater, announced her resignation Thursday after serving just one year in the role, amid growing controversy over the department’s handling of major corporate mergers.

Slater, who previously worked as an attorney for Fox Corporation and Roku, announced her departure on social media platform X, expressing “great sadness” about leaving the position. Her exit comes at a critical juncture for the Justice Department’s antitrust division, which is currently engaged in several high-profile cases against major corporations including Visa, Google, and Live Nation Entertainment.

The resignation follows significant internal tension regarding the department’s approach to corporate consolidation, particularly surrounding Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks. The Justice Department initially sued to block the merger, arguing that the combined entity would control approximately 70% of the telecommunications networking gear market, potentially leading to “higher prices and less innovation.” However, in a controversial reversal, the department ultimately settled the case, allowing the merger to proceed.

Roger Alford, Slater’s former top deputy who has since joined Notre Dame Law School as a professor, has publicly criticized the department’s decision-making process. In an August speech at the Aspen Institute, Alford made the explosive claim that antitrust cases “are being resolved based on political connections, not the legal merits,” suggesting that corporate lobbying efforts have undermined the integrity of the department’s work.

Market reaction to Slater’s departure was immediate, with Live Nation Entertainment’s stock rising 2.5% by the day’s close. The entertainment giant is currently defending itself against a Justice Department lawsuit alleging it operates an illegal monopoly through its Ticketmaster subsidiary.

Prior to her role at the Justice Department, Slater served as a policy adviser to JD Vance during his vice-presidential campaign, highlighting the political connections that have become increasingly scrutinized in the department’s antitrust enforcement decisions.

Slater’s resignation also comes shortly after a brief controversy involving President Donald Trump, who publicly announced his intention to personally review Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The president later backtracked on this statement, promising not to interfere with the Justice Department’s standard review process.

The leadership change at the antitrust division occurs during a period of heightened scrutiny of corporate consolidation across multiple industries. Under the Biden administration, federal regulators took a more aggressive stance toward mergers and acquisitions, but questions have emerged about whether this approach will continue under the new administration.

Industry analysts suggest that Slater’s departure could signal a shift in how the Justice Department approaches antitrust enforcement moving forward, potentially creating uncertainty for pending and future corporate mergers. The antitrust division faces the challenge of balancing competitive markets with business interests in an increasingly concentrated corporate landscape.

The division’s ongoing cases against tech giants and entertainment conglomerates will now proceed under new leadership, with observers closely watching for indications of how enforcement priorities might evolve. The Justice Department has not yet announced who will replace Slater or whether an interim head will be appointed while a permanent successor is selected.

As corporate consolidation continues across various sectors of the economy, the Justice Department’s antitrust enforcement decisions remain crucial to determining the competitive landscape of American business. Slater’s departure marks another chapter in the ongoing debate about the appropriate role and independence of antitrust regulators in an increasingly concentrated marketplace.