Antitrust head overseeing Netflix-Warner merger resigns

Source: Engadget

Resignation

“It is with great sadness and abiding hope that I leave my role as Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust today,” Gail Slater posted on X. “It was indeed the honor of a lifetime to serve in this role.”

Although Slater technically resigned, The Guardian reports that she was forced out after a longstanding feud with Attorney General Pam Bondi, centered on Slater’s skepticism of corporate mergers.

Background and Conflict

The tension between Slater and Bondi intensified last summer when Slater attempted to block the merger between Hewlett‑Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks, citing concerns that the deal could create a duopoly in cloud computing and wireless networking. Slater told Bondi that U.S. intelligence had not raised any concerns about blocking the merger.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe later claimed that blocking the deal would pose national‑security risks because it could lead to loss of business to China. The Trump administration’s merger‑friendly DOJ ultimately approved the transaction.

Bondi’s recent interactions with the White House reportedly emphasized that Slater’s views on the antitrust division’s direction made their working relationship irreconcilable.

Merger Oversight

While overseeing the DOJ’s review of Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Slater was also involved in broader regulatory scrutiny. In December, former President Trump announced his intention to be involved in the review, following intense lobbying by Netflix and Paramount (the latter launched a hostile takeover bid).

The Wall Street Journal reported that the department was investigating whether Netflix employed anticompetitive tactics during the merger process.

Upcoming Antitrust Actions

Slater’s departure comes weeks before the DOJ’s antitrust trial against Live Nation, the owner of Ticketmaster. The lawsuit, filed during the Biden administration, alleges that Live Nation operates as a monopoly that harms competition, fans, promoters, and artists.