The Department of Justice has removed Gail Slater from her position as head of the antitrust division, where she was overseeing the review of Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros. Slater, who served for 11 months, expressed sadness in her departure statement. The move has drawn criticism from Senator Elizabeth Warren, who described it as appearing corrupt.
The Department of Justice ousted Gail Slater on Thursday, February 12, 2026, from her role as Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division. Slater had been leading the review of Netflix's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros., a deal that has sparked concerns on Capitol Hill regarding the potential concentration of streaming platforms and television production.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Slater stated, “It is with great sadness and abiding hope that I leave my role as AAG for Antitrust today. It was indeed the honor of a lifetime to serve in this role.” She had been in the position for 11 months, having been confirmed with bipartisan support. Prior to her DOJ role, Slater worked as an executive at Fox Corp and Roku, and served as an adviser to Vice President JD Vance.
Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement thanking Slater: “On behalf of the Department of Justice, we thank Gail Slater for her service to the Antitrust Division which works to protect consumers, promote affordability, and expand economic opportunity.” Reports indicate Slater clashed with Bondi, and CBS News, citing sources, noted that Slater had “lost the trust” of Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
The ouster follows internal turmoil in the antitrust office last summer over Hewlett Packard Enterprise's acquisition of Juniper Networks. The DOJ approved that merger with conditions, but two of Slater’s top deputies were forced out after attempting to block it.
In December, two Democratic senators urged Bondi to recuse herself from the Netflix-Warner Bros. review due to her previous work at Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm retained by Netflix and by Paramount Skydance, which is pursuing a hostile bid for Warner Bros. Senator Elizabeth Warren commented on Slater's removal, saying it “looks like corruption.” She added, “A small army of MAGA-aligned lawyers and lobbyists have been trying to sell off merger approvals that will increase prices and harm innovation to the highest bidder.”
