The United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division is a division of the

U.S. Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of federal laws and the administration of justice. It is equi ...

that enforces U.S. antitrust law. It has exclusive jurisdiction over federal

criminal In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...

antitrust prosecutions, and it shares jurisdiction over civil antitrust enforcement with the

Federal Trade Commission The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) United States antitrust law, antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. It ...

(FTC). The Division is headed by an assistant attorney general, who is appointed by the

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

with the

advice and consent Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in List of enacting formulae, enacting formulae of bill (proposed law), bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts. It describes either of two situations: where a weak executive ...

of the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

, and who reports to the associate attorney general. The current Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division is Gail Slater.

History

On February 25, 1903, Congress earmarked $500,000 for antitrust enforcement. On March 3, 1903, Congress created the position of Antitrust AG, with a salary to be paid out of the funds earmarked for antitrust enforcement. The 1904 DOJ ''Register'' identified two professional staffers responsible for enforcement of antitrust laws, but the Division was not formally established until 1919. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer “effected the first important reorganization" of DOJ since it was first established in 1870. Palmer organized DOJ into divisions, and placed the AtAG “in charge of the Anti-Trust Division.” Palmer's annual report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1919 contained the first public statement that DOJ had a component called the "Antitrust Division."

2013 closure of field offices

The closure of four of the Antitrust Division's criminal antitrust offices in January 2013 generated significant controversy within the Division and among members of Congress. The Attorney General posited that the closure of these offices would save money and not negatively affect criminal enforcement. A significant number of career prosecutors voiced contrary opinions, noting that the elimination of half of the Division's criminal enforcement offices would increase travel expenses and diminish the likelihood of uncovering local or regional conspiracies.

Leadership

The head of the Antitrust Division is the Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust (AAG-AT) appointed by the

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

Jonathan Kanter Jonathan Seth Kanter (born July 30, 1973) is an American lawyer who served as United States Assistant Attorney General, Assistant Attorney General for the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division, Antitrust Division of the United St ...

was confirmed as Assistant Attorney General on November 16, 2021. The Assistant Attorney General is assisted by six Deputy Assistant Attorneys General (DAAG) who each oversee a different branch of the Division. One of the DAAGs holds the position of "Principal Deputy," that is "first among equals," and "will typically assume the powers of the Assistant Attorney General in the Assistant Attorney General's absence."

Front Office and Operations

, the division consists of these sections and offices:

Office of the Assistant Attorney General

* Assistant Attorney General * Deputy Assistant Attorneys General * Chief of Staff and Senior Advisors * Directors of Enforcement * Office of the Chief Legal Advisor

Office of Operations

Civil Sections

* Civil Conduct Task Force *Defense, Industrials, and Aerospace Section *Financial Services, Fintech, and Banking Section * Healthcare and Consumer Products Section * Media, Entertainment, and Communications Section * Technology and Digital Platforms Section * Transportation, Energy, and Agriculture Section

Criminal Sections and Offices

* Chicago Office * New York Office * Procurement Collusion Strike Force * San Francisco Office * Washington Criminal Section

Economic Sections

* Economic Analysis Group

Other Offices

* Appellate Section * Competition Policy and Advocacy Section * Executive Office * International Section

List of Assistant Attorneys General for the Antitrust Division

References

External links

Official homepage of the Antitrust Division

About the Antitrust Division – Mission, History, Sections and Offices
{{authority control Competition regulators Antitrust Division United States antitrust law Consumer organizations in the United States

Antitrust Competition law is the field of law that promotes or seeks to maintain market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies. Competition law is implemented through public and private enforcement. It is also known as antitrust l ...