Booker, Durbin Demand Answers Following Trump Administration's Removal of DOJ Antitrust Chief Gail Slater, Warn of Political Interference in DOJ’s Lawsuit Against Live[...]

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, and Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote a letter to President Donald Trump after Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater of the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division announced her resignation on social media, with subsequent reports indicating that she was terminated. Ms. Slater's removal underscores a troubling pattern: sidelining senior antitrust enforcers while aligning with powerful corporate interests that raise prices, depress wages, and crowd out small businesses, leaving families and workers to shoulder the consequences.

"The timing of this decision, particularly in light of imminent enforcement actions and pending litigation, raises serious concerns about potential improper influence. Of immediate concern is the Department's lawsuit against Live Nation/Ticketmaster, which alleges the company illegally inflated concert ticket prices and engaged in conduct that harmed both artists and consumers," the Senators wrote.

This week, Semafor reported that Live Nation executives and lobbyists had been negotiating with senior officials at the Department, allegedly circumventing the Antitrust Division, to avert a trial over whether the company operates an illegal monopoly that has driven up concert prices.

The Senators demanded the Trump Administration to immediately release the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission report on live event ticket pricing that was transmitted to the White House in September 2025 but has yet to be made public.

"Withholding its findings while the DOJ's enforcement decisions appear to shift behind closed doors only deepens public skepticism and fuels the perception that powerful industry interests are being shielded from scrutiny. If the Administration is truly committed to lowering prices and promoting fair competition, there is no legitimate justification for keeping this analysis from Congress and the American people. Failure to release it will only reinforce the growing perception that enforcement decisions are being shaped by backroom deals that reward powerful corporations while leaving American families to bear the cost," the Senators continued.

"Americans were promised lower prices, fair competition, and an end to corporate gatekeeping, not a system where powerful insiders can negotiate enforcement outcomes behind closed doors. If the Administration intends to stand by its commitments, it must immediately release this report," the Senators concluded.

To read the full text of the letter, click here.