Justice Department antitrust chief Gail Slater said Thursday she is stepping down from the role – amid reports of infighting over how the Trump administration should handle key cases including a pending lawsuit against Ticketmaster.
“It is with great sadness and abiding hope that I leave my role as AAG for Antitrust today,” Slater wrote on X. “It was indeed the honor of a lifetime to serve in this role. Huge thanks to all who supported me this past year, most especially the men and women of” the antitrust division.
The announcement from Slater, who previously served as a top economic adviser to Vice President JD Vance, came after the White House asked for her resignation, Bloomberg reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.
The Post has reached out to the DOJ and the White House for comment.
An Irish-born and Oxford-trained attorney, Slater entered the DOJ with broad support from antitrust hawks on both sides of the aisle. However, a divide quickly emerged between Slater, who along with populist conservatives preferred an aggressive anti-monopoly strategy, and other Republicans who favored a more traditional, lenient approach to enforcement that encouraged dealmaking.
Slater’s exit occurred shortly after a bizarre episode in which she declined to renew the contract of her chief of staff, Sara Matar – and even posted a tweet thanking her for her service – only for Attorney General Pam Bondi to overrule her decision and reinstate Matar, Semafor reported. Slater later took down the post.
Slater has recently been “sidelined” as senior DOJ officials held talks with Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation about a potential settlement, Semafor reported last week.
Live Nation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The outgoing DOJ chief had pushed to take the live event giant to trial in March over allegations it has operated an illegal monopoly that results in higher ticket prices for consumers.
Last July, top Justice Department officials settled a bid to block Hewlett Packard’s $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks despite Slater’s strong objections. At the time, rumors swirled that MAGA-aligned lobbyists had leaned on their White House connections to kill the case.
Shortly after the settlement was announced, two of Slater’s top aides – Roger Alford and William Rinner – were abruptly fired from their posts.
Alford went scorched earth in an August speech, blasting “MAGA-in-name-only lobbyists and DOJ officials enabling them” who he claimed were undermining Trump’s antitrust agenda.
Former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway and prominent Trump ally Mike Davis have reportedly advised Live Nation during the settlement negotiations and previously did the same for Hewlett Packard and Juniper.
Davis, who has clashed behind the scenes with Slater and her supporters, celebrated her exit on X, writing “Good riddance.”
