DOJ antitrust head targets pricey consultants amid DOGE cost cutting

By Jody Godoy

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice's newly confirmed head of antitrust enforcement said her division will review what it spends on expensive economic consultants as part of President Donald Trump's effort to cut costs across the federal government, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters.

Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater in a memo to staff on Thursday also said antitrust efforts would focus on inflation and making consumer markets competitive.

The review of consultants is an early indication of how antitrust officials will balance Trump's call for robust enforcement with his advisor Elon Musk's government-wide cost-cutting campaign, referred to as the Department of Government Efficiency.

The DOJ's antitrust cases seek to block mergers, break up companies, or impose other requirements aimed at stopping or preventing anticompetitive business behavior. They often rely on economic experts that can cost as much as $30 million for a single lawsuit.

“We have world-class economists in-house, and we can and should utilize and maximize their talents before seeking outside help,” Slater said in the memo.

The division will focus its limited resources on markets that affect U.S. consumers as well as protecting competition in areas that are key to national security.

"In an era of rising prices, pocketbook issues are front of mind, and we will prioritize these markets," Slater wrote, bringing the department's legal firepower to a central campaign promise of Trump, fighting inflation.

On the national security front, she noted global competition in artificial intelligence, 5G and quantum computing and said "we are relying on competitive markets to win these global technological races, and antitrust has a key role to play here,” suggesting the three areas may be a focus of her department going forward.

(Reporting by Jody Godoy; Editing by Andrea Ricci)