As the second Trump administration reaches its 60-day mark, it is a good time to take stock of the US antitrust agencies’ actions. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division (DOJ) have been busy despite the broader government shakeup. Enforcement patterns are emerging. For example, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson has been transparent about his priorities—health care, technology platform dominance, and labor. As the timeline below shows, he has wasted no time in implementing initiatives and enforcement in these areas. As for the DOJ, Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater was sworn in last week, and her enforcement priorities will likely take more shape in the coming 60 days. The DOJ, however, has remained active, especially in the Sherman Act enforcement space.Continue Reading Antitrust in Trump 2.0—the First 60 Days
New DOJ Strike Force Targets Collusion in Federal Contract Awards
One of the bedrock principles of federal contracting is the demand for “full and open competition through the use of competitive procedures.” In order to foster competition and reduce costs, the Competition in Contracting Act was passed into law in 1984 in an effort to enhance competition in procurements and thereby reduce costs, eliminate waste and abuse, and protect taxpayer dollars. The effort to root out corruption and promote competition continues with the recent announcement by the Department of Justice (DOJ) of the newly formed Procurement Collusion Strike Force (“Strike Force”), with additional details and training materials—and an imposing antitrust violation complaint form—available on its recently launched website.
Continue Reading New DOJ Strike Force Targets Collusion in Federal Contract Awards