(Bloomberg) – Antitrust executors are opposing the impact of a broad, Justice Department-wide restructuring plan that will disrupt key White House priorities, including law enforcement in the tech industry, a senior official said.
“To reorganize, reorganization means we just need to make strong arguments about why the proposal is a bad idea, or the idea that makes sense, or alternatives can be proposed,” said Gail Slater, director of Antrust Division Slater, at a meeting held Friday in Chicago.
The Justice Department leadership is seeking comments on the proposal, “We provide this in a detailed summary, in meetings and in phone calls,” Alford said.
In late March, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche proposed institutional changes within the scope, part of the efficiency division of the government’s Department of Efficiency to reduce all areas of the federal government. These include closing antitrust field offices in San Francisco and Chicago, and folding several teams into centralized policy offices.
According to people familiar with the matter, the Justice Department leaders are expected to propose final changes to the White House. A department spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
The proposed cuts are as the department is conducting landmark cases against Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and Visa Inc. and others. So far, the antitrust divisions have been largely exempted from the Trump administration’s arduous efforts to reduce the size of the federal government.
Alford said improving government efficiency was a “commendable goal”, a goal achieved by previous governments. He added that Slater is an economic policy aid from Vice President JD Vance, who “has the trust of leadership within the Justice Department and within the White House.”
President Donald Trump stressed the need to regulate the tech industry when he nominated Slater for the position last year, but Alford said Justice Department lawyers were paying more attention.
“Look at the most important thing for the average American, what are the market competitiveness.” Alford cites the meaning of housing, health care, transportation, entertainment and food. “Many of them are not.”
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