Attorney General Bonta Responds to U.S. DOJ Antitrust Firing, Trump's Continuing Attacks on Affordability

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued the following statement regarding the firing of Gail Slater, head of the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division, an action that continues the Trump Administration’s relentless attacks on the federal watchdogs responsible for keeping life affordable for Americans:

“From President Trump’s efforts to dismantle the CFPB, to instituting tariffs that have raised prices on nearly everything, and now, firing the head of the federal DOJ’s antitrust office tasked with protecting fairness in the marketplace, it’s abundantly clear: The Trump Administration is more concerned with protecting corporate interests than making life affordable for American families. While our billionaire President may dismiss 'affordability' as a hoax, people across the nation are being forced to pay increasingly higher bills with increasingly emptier wallets. Allowing big corporations to raise prices and push competitors out of the marketplace with impunity will only worsen this crisis. While the federal government has abdicated its responsibility to look out for people’s economic wellbeing — in California, we never will. My office has led the nation in consumer protection and antitrust work for decades, and we will continue to do so. While President Trump is abandoning the economy that everyday Americans experience, we are standing up to tackle America's affordability crisis.”

Antitrust enforcement is an essential component of a healthy economy. Competitive marketplaces established through antitrust vigilance help consumers by ensuring fair prices for goods and services, an array of products to choose from, quality goods and services, and the steady introduction of innovative new products. As part of the Attorney General’s commitment to enforce antitrust laws, the California Department of Justice has launched an Antitrust Complaint Form for people to report anticompetitive conduct that potentially violates the antitrust laws.