Top DOJ Antitrust Boss Quits Amid Drama, Leaves Monopoly Case Hanging
KEY POINTS
- •Gail Slater, chief of DOJ's Antitrust Division, announced her departure in mid-February on her personal X account.
- •Her exit came weeks before a major antitrust case against Live Nation-Ticketmaster was scheduled to begin.
- •Months of reported tensions between Slater's team and DOJ leadership, amidst President Trump's dealmaking, preceded her sudden resignation.
In a plot twist worthy of a courtroom drama, Gail Slater, the chief enforcer of the DOJ's Antitrust Division, dropped her resignation bomb via her personal X account in mid-February, mere weeks before a major Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly showdown. Sources say internal drama simmered all year, with tensions high between Slater and DOJ higher-ups, topped off by President Trump's alleged penchant for personal dealmaking muddying waters. Two of Slater's deputies mysteriously vanished over the summer, fueling conspiracy theories rivaling reality TV. It's a classic case of a DOJ antitrust boss stepping out just when the trial heat turned fiercest, leaving fans of competition, or chaos, on the edge of their seats.
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Source: Theverge | Published: 2/23/2026 | Author: Lauren Feiner