Antitrust Chief Gail Slater Resigns Amid Disputes Over Corporate Influence and Independence

Gail Slater, the Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, resigned on Thursday following 11 months in the role. Her departure comes weeks before a scheduled monopoly trial against Live Nation and triggered a 2.5% increase in that company's stock price. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed Assefi, who currently leads criminal enforcement, will serve as the division's acting head.

Slater’s tenure was marked by internal friction with senior officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and former chief of staff Chad Mizelle. Last year, two of Slater’s top deputies, Roger Alford and Bill Rinner, were terminated for what the department described as insubordination during a dispute over the merger of Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks. Alford subsequently alleged that lobbyists were influencing department officials to act inconsistently with the rule of law.

The leadership change occurs as the Antitrust Division manages several high-profile legal actions, including ongoing cases against Google and Apple. The division is also currently reviewing Netflix’s proposed $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery assets, as well as a rival bid from Paramount. While President Trump previously suggested involvement in the Netflix deal, he recently stated the Justice Department would handle the matter independently.