Nine former chiefs of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division wrote to leaders of the Senate and its Judiciary Committee, urging them to confirm President Joe Biden’s nominee to the position, Jonathan Kanter.
The letter is a striking show of bipartisan support behind Kanter, who was a progressive favorite for the role and a critic of Big Tech. The signatories include at least one representative from every administration since President Gerald Ford. Former President Donald Trump’s antitrust head, Makan Delrahim, is among them.
“Although we may disagree on some antitrust issues, we share two important convictions,” the former officials wrote. “First, the Antitrust Division needs a leader who is smart and experienced, who appreciates the important role antitrust enforcement plays in our economy and who is capable of inspiring the talented men and women of the Division to continue their efforts to promote competition in all sectors of the economy. Second, we agree that Jonathan Kanter has the talent and the leadership skills to do the job well.”
They added that several of the signatories had seen Kanter’s work firsthand while he worked as a trial attorney at the Federal Trade Commission and later as a private practice attorney.
“He knows the substance of antitrust. He appreciates its importance to the American consumer. He is a smart and articulate advocate. He respects his adversaries and inspires his colleagues and co-counsel,” they wrote. “In short, we believe Mr. Kanter is right for this important position.”
Here is the full list of signatories:
Donald I. Baker, Assistant Attorney General 1976 – 1977
Sanford Litvack, Assistant Attorney General 1980 – 1981
Charles F. Rule, Assistant Attorney General 1986 – 1989
James F. Rill, Assistant Attorney General 1989 – 1992
Joel I. Klein, Assistant Attorney General 1996 – 2000
Thomas O. Barnett, Assistant Attorney General 2006 – 2008
Christine A. Varney, Assistant Attorney General 2009 – 2011
William J. Baer, Assistant Attorney General 2013 – 2016
Makan Delrahim, Assistant Attorney General 2017 – 2021
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
BHP Unveils £31bn Mining Megamerger Proposal with Anglo American
Apr 25, 2024 by
nhoch@pymnts.com
ByteDance Prefers Shutdown Over Sale of TikTok Amid US Ban Threats
Apr 25, 2024 by
CPI
FCC Votes to Restore Net Neutrality Rules
Apr 25, 2024 by
nhoch@pymnts.com
Apple Rejects Spotify’s Updated App Over In-App Pricing Disclosure
Apr 25, 2024 by
CPI
FCC Set to Reinstate Net Neutrality Rules Today
Apr 25, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Economics of Criminal Antitrust
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Navigating Economic Expert Work in Criminal Antitrust Litigation
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
The Increased Importance of Economics in Cartel Cases
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
A Law and Economics Analysis of the Antitrust Treatment of Physician Collective Price Agreements
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Information Exchange In Criminal Antitrust Cases: How Economic Testimony Can Tip The Scales
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI