The Justice Department’s antitrust assistant attorney general, Abigail Slater, resigned Thursday as speculation swirls that she was fired by the Trump administration.
Ms. Slater, who ran the Antitrust Division for nearly a year, announced her departure on social media: “It is with great sadness and abiding hope that I leave my role as AAG for Antitrust today.”
While she did not cite a reason for stepping down, her post suggests that she left on her own accord.
“On behalf of the Department of Justice, we thank Gail Slater for her service to the Antitrust Division which works to protect consumers, promote affordability, and expand economic opportunity,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
The announcement came after the White House pushed for Ms. Slater’s resignation as she found herself at odds with Ms. Bondi, according to multiple reports.
It’s unclear who will permanently fill her role, but Justice Department officials have tapped Omeed Assefi as acting antitrust chief, sources told CBS News.
Ms. Slater’s exit marks the end of a short tenure amid internal disagreement at the Justice Department.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.’s $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks Inc. was green-lighted by the department, but a dispute over the approval led officials to fire Ms. Slater’s two top attorneys, Bill Rinner and Roger Alford.
The Wall Street Journal reported that she did not support the firings or the settlement.
A court hearing will begin next month over whether the agency improperly approved the deal.
Ms. Slater also recently announced the departure of her chief of staff, Sara Matar, on social media before deleting the post, Semafor reported. This came after Ms. Bondi allegedly reversed Ms. Slater’s decision not to renew Ms. Matar’s contract.
Ms. Slater’s second-in-command, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mark Hamer, quit his position on Monday.
• Mary McCue Bell can be reached at mbell@washingtontimes.com.
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