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The United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division is a division of the U.S. Department of Justice that enforces U.S. antitrust law. It has exclusive jurisdiction over federal criminal antitrust prosecutions, and it shares jurisdiction over civil antitrust enforcement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
 Seal of the United States Department of Justice | |
| Division overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1919 |
| Jurisdiction | Federal government of the United States |
| Headquarters | Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C., United States |
| Division executive |
|
| Parent department | U.S. Department of Justice |
| Website | Official website |
The Division is headed by an Assistant Attorney General, who is appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the Senate, and who reports to the Associate Attorney General. The current Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division is Jonathan Kanter, who was sworn into office November 16, 2021.[1]
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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.[citation needed]
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."[2]
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.[3][4][5] The Attorney General posited that the closure of these offices will save money and not negatively affect criminal enforcement.
A significant number of career prosecutors have voiced contrary opinions, noting that the elimination of half of the Division's criminal enforcement offices will increase travel expenses and diminish the likelihood of uncovering local or regional conspiracies.[citation needed]
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The head of the Antitrust Division is the Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust (AAG-AT) appointed by the President of the United States. Jonathan Kanter was confirmed as Assistant Attorney General on November 16, 2021.[6]
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."[7]
Front Office and Operations
As of June 25, 2015[update], the division consists of these sections and offices:[8]
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
| Name | Years of service | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|
| William Joseph Donovan | 1926–1927 | Calvin Coolidge |
| John Lord O'Brian | 1929–1933 | Herbert Hoover |
| Robert H. Jackson | 1937–1938 | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Thurman Arnold | 1938–1943 | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Wendell Berge | 1943–1947 | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| John F. Sonnett | 1947–1948 | Harry S. Truman |
| Herbert Bergson | 1948–1950 | Harry S. Truman |
| Leonard Bessman | 1950–1951 | Harry S. Truman |
| H. Graham Morison | 1951–1952 | Harry S. Truman |
| Newell A. Clapp | 1952–1953 | acting |
| Stanley Barnes | 1953–1956 | Eisenhower |
| Victor R. Hansen | 1956–1959 | Eisenhower |
| Robert A. Bicks | 1959–1961 | Eisenhower |
| Lee Loevinger | 1961–1963 | Kennedy |
| William Horsley Orrick, Jr. | 1963–1965 | Kennedy |
| Donald F. Turner | 1965–1968 | Lyndon Johnson |
| Edwin Zimmerman | 1968–1969 | Lyndon Johnson |
| Richard W. McLaren | 1969–1972 | Richard Nixon |
| Walker B. Comegys | 1972 | acting |
| Thomas E. Kauper | 1972–1976 | Richard Nixon |
| Donald I. Baker | 1976–1977 | Gerald R. Ford |
| John H. Shenefield | 1977–1979 | Jimmy Carter |
| Sanford Litvack | 1979–1981 | Jimmy Carter |
| William Baxter | 1981–1983 | Ronald Reagan |
| J. Paul McGrath | 1983–1985 | Ronald Reagan |
| Douglas H. Ginsburg | 1985–1986 | Ronald Reagan |
| Charles Rule | 1986–1989 | Ronald Reagan |
| James F. Rill | 1989–1992 | George H.W. Bush |
| Charles James | 1992 | acting |
| J. Mark Gidley | 1992–1993 | acting |
| Anne Bingaman | 1993–1996 | Bill Clinton |
| Joel Klein | 1996–2000 | Bill Clinton |
| Douglas Melamed | 2000–2001 | acting |
| Charles James | 2001–2003 | George W. Bush |
| R. Hewitt Pate | 2003–2005 | George W. Bush |
| Thomas O. Barnett | 2005–2008 | George W. Bush |
| Deborah A. Garza | 2008–2009 | acting |
| Christine A. Varney | 2009–2011 | Barack Obama |
| Sharis Pozen | 2011–2012 | acting |
| Joseph F. Wayland | 2012 | acting |
| Renata Hesse | 2012–2013 | acting |
| William Baer | 2013–2017 | Barack Obama |
| Makan Delrahim | 2017–2021 | Donald J. Trump |
| Jonathan Kanter | 2021–Present | Joe Biden |
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