Gail Slater stepped down Thursday as head of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, ending a short and contentious tenure at a pivotal moment for major corporate mergers. Her departure took effect immediately. Multiple officials familiar with the matter said Slater was given the choice to resign or be dismissed after losing the confidence of senior leadership, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Justice Department officials have named Omeed Assefi, who previously served as acting antitrust chief, to lead the division on an interim basis.

Slater wrote on X, “It is with great sadness and abiding hope that I leave my role as AAG for Antitrust today,” adding that it was “the honor of a lifetime to serve in this role,” and thanking colleagues across the department. Slater had previously served as an adviser to Vice President JD Vance and as a senior official on tech and cybersecurity issues during Trump’s first term. She was confirmed by the Senate last year with broad bipartisan support, winning 78 votes.

Slater’s exit comes as the Justice Department faces several high-stakes matters, including scrutiny of a potential deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery, where Netflix and Paramount Skydance are vying for control. The timing also coincides with an upcoming court fight over Live Nation’s ownership of Ticketmaster, a case set to test the department’s aggressive antitrust posture.

Slater’s relationship with Bondi had deteriorated over months, fueled by disagreements about management style, merger policy, and internal decision-making. Tensions peaked over the Justice Department’s handling of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks. Slater had sought to block the deal on competition grounds, but higher-level officials ultimately allowed it to proceed through a settlement, overruling her division.

Two senior antitrust officials were removed last summer, a move that drew criticism from Senate Democrats, who alleged political interference. Bondi later accused Slater of misrepresenting national security considerations tied to the HPE deal, after intelligence officials raised concerns about blocking the merger. Bondi also denied Slater permission to attend an OECD conference in Paris, but Slater went anyway, prompting Bondi to cancel her government credit cards, according to people familiar with the matter. Trump officials also said Slater ignored other directives, including guidance on travel and internal communications.

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mark Hamer resigned earlier this week, writing on LinkedIn that he was returning to private practice and praising Slater as a leader of “exceptional wisdom, strength and integrity.” Other senior officials were fired or reassigned amid disputes over merger enforcement and staffing decisions, including disagreements involving Slater’s chief of staff.

Bondi said in a statement, “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.”

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