On February 12, Reuters reported that the nominee for overseeing the U.S. Department of Justice's significant antitrust litigation against Apple and Alphabet's Google addressed the Senate confirmation hearing. Gail Slater, an economic advisor to Vice President JD Vance, would head the DOJ division enforcing laws against illegal monopolies and anticompetitive practices if confirmed as assistant attorney general of the antitrust division.
During the hearing, Senator Mike Lee, a leading Utah Republican on the antitrust subcommittee, inquired about Slater's dedication to continuing antitrust oversight over Big Tech, a practice initiated during Trump's term and continued under President Joe Biden. Slater emphasized the need for adequate resources to pursue these complex and expensive civil litigations, stating, "Resources are of course a very important consideration in antitrust litigation... It is very complex civil litigation and costly."
If confirmed, Slater pledged to advocate for sufficient resources for the division to carry out its duties effectively. The DOJ's ongoing antitrust cases involve suing Google for market dominance in online advertising and securing a significant ruling in a case related to online search. Additionally, in collaboration with state attorneys general, the DOJ has leveled accusations against Apple, LiveNation, and Visa for maintaining illegal monopolies.
During the hearing, Slater expressed her commitment to collaborating with both Republican and Democratic state attorneys general. Senator Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat and ranking member of the Senate's antitrust committee, expressed concerns about potential impacts on the antitrust division's operations due to efforts by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former President Trump to reduce the federal workforce.
Booker cautioned that any attempts by Musk and Trump to tamper with federal employees responsible for enforcing antitrust laws could adversely affect Americans amid financial challenges. Slater's professional background includes roles at Fox Corp and Roku, along with representation of major tech companies at the now-defunct Internet Association trade group. She initiated her career at the law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and accumulated ten years of experience at the Federal Trade Commission.