Trump considering tough antitrust advocate for justice department – FT

Donald Trump is evaluating naming a tough enforcer to head the Department of Justice’s antitrust team.

Trump is looking at Gail Slater, a top aide to vice-president-elect JD Vance, as a leading contender for the DOJ’s top antitrust position, according to a Financial Times report on Wednesday, which cited people familiar with the matter. Earlier this month, she was viewed as a frontrunner for the top spot at the Federal Trade Commission.

FTC Commissioner Melissa Holyoak, one of two Republican commissioners, is viewed as a top contender for Chair of the FTC, according to the report. Mark Meador, a former enforcer at the DOJ and the FTC, is another contender for the position.

The FT report comes after Bloomberg said on Wednesday that Microsoft (MSFT) is reportedly under a wide-ranging antitrust probe by the FTC. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in a note to clients that news of an investigation by the FTC is “not a worry” for Microsoft with FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan likely to depart with the arrival of the Trump administration.