Raskin, Nadler Demand Answers Following Ouster of DOJ Antitrust Chief Gail Slater And ...

Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust, wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding an immediate briefing on the forced resignation of Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Gail Slater. Slater was forced out by Trump allies less than one year after her bipartisan confirmation by the U.S. Senate. AAG Slater’s departure leaves the Antitrust Division without accountable leadership when it is reviewing major mergers and enforcement actions, including the proposed acquisitions of Warner Bros Discovery by Netflix and Paramount, the landmark Google Search appeal, and lawsuits against Apple, Visa, and Live Nation Ticketmaster. “With the departure of AAG Slater, it appears there are no longer any principled antitrust experts left to guard the Antitrust Division from this cascade of corruption. The leadership vacuum is occurring just as the Antitrust Division is handling historic cases and merger reviews that will affect the welfare of every American,” wrote the Ranking Members. Just three days before AAG Slater was ousted, her Principal Deputy AAG, Mark Hamer, also resigned. Last July, AAG Slater’s previous Principal Deputy, Roger Alford, and the Antitrust Division’s head of Merger Enforcement, Bill Rinner, were fired amid alleged corruption regarding Hewlett-Packard Enterprises’ (HPE) proposed acquisition of Juniper Networks, Inc., a merger that has major implications for our country’s enterprise-grade wireless networking market. Alarming disclosures from former Principal Deputy AAG Alford allege that DOJ’s enforcement decisions were being made not based on the facts and the law, but by lobbyists, leading led to “perverted justice” and actions “inconsistent with the rule of law.” DOJ leadership also interfered with merger challenges to avoid disclosure requirements that could have exposed extensive lobbying activity and political involvement. Judiciary Democrats have repeatedly pressed DOJ for information about these decisions and demanded transparency. DOJ has failed to adequately respond, even after six months. Ranking Members Raskin and Nadler demand an immediate briefing from DOJ on the circumstances surrounding AAG Slater’s resignation, the firing and resignation of senior Antitrust Division officials, and the steps the Department will take to restore independence and integrity at the Division. Click here to read the letter. |