The Justice Department just lost its top antitrust enforcer at a critical moment. Gail Slater announced her departure Thursday as Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, leaving a leadership vacuum just weeks before the government's high-stakes monopoly trial against Live Nation begins. The timing raises immediate questions about the continuity of the DOJ's aggressive antitrust agenda and its ongoing cases against major tech companies.
The Department of Justice is scrambling to regroup after losing its top antitrust cop. Gail Slater, who served as Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division, dropped the news Thursday in a personal post on X, calling the role "the honor of a lifetime" while offering no explanation for the abrupt exit.
The timing couldn't be more awkward. The DOJ is set to face off against Live Nation in court in just a few weeks, seeking to break up the entertainment giant's grip on the live events industry through its Ticketmaster subsidiary. That case represents one of the government's most significant monopoly challenges in years, and now it's moving forward without the person who's been steering the ship.
"It is with great sadness and abiding hope that I leave my role as AAG for Antitrust today," Slater wrote in her departure message. She thanked the Antitrust Division staff but gave no hint about her next move or what triggered the decision.
Attorney General Pam Bondi acknowledged Slater's service in a statement but dodged the obvious questions. She didn't explain why Slater left or reveal who might take over one of the most consequential positions in government antitrust enforcement. That silence is fueling speculation in legal and policy circles about whether this was a voluntary departure or something more complicated.
Slater came into the role with serious credentials. She'd worked on antitrust issues for years, including stints at the Federal Trade Commission and in private practice. She took the helm at a moment when the DOJ was ramping up its scrutiny of both tech platforms and traditional industries where competition had withered.
