Gail Slater, head of the DOJ’s antitrust division, resigned in February 2026 amid disputes over major mergers and internal conflicts.

Gail Slater, head of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, has left her role in February 2026, citing personal reasons, amid reports of internal conflict with Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House officials. Her departure follows disagreements over major merger decisions, including the approval of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks, initially blocked for antitrust concerns. Slater, a former Fox and Roku attorney, had led high-profile cases against companies like Live Nation, Google, and Apple. Her exit, which coincided with pending reviews of major deals like Netflix’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, has raised concerns about political influence on antitrust enforcement. The department has not named a replacement.