A Dublin-born lawyer is said to be in the running for one of the top jobs in the new US administration.
Gail Slater (52), originally from Dalkey in south Co Dublin and a graduate of UCD law school, is understood to be a front-runner to lead the US’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which will shape competition policy under the incoming Trump government.
Under current chair Lina Khan, the FTC has pursued an aggressive antitrust agenda, taking on the likes of Google, Meta, Apple and Amazon for alleged monopoly practices. It has been heavily criticised by Republicans as “anti-business”.
The second Trump administration is expected to continue the tough stance against Big Tech while potentially being more lenient with Big Oil.
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Ms Slater, an aide to vice president-elect JD Vance, is currently advising president-elect Donald Trump’s transition team on antitrust policy.
Having previously worked at the FTC for a decade, including as an adviser to former Democratic FTC commissioner Julie Brill, Ms Slater is said to be “well-positioned to get whatever she wants”, according to a source cited in the Financial Times.
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The Oxford University-educated lawyer, whose maiden name is Conlon, held a role in the previous Trump administration as a special adviser on technology, telecommunications and cybersecurity.
She was later hired by media group Fox and US streaming group Roku. Earlier this year, she took up a role on Mr Vance’s team, advising on antitrust and economic policy.
Several big antitrust cases are still being pursued by the FTC.
Mr Trump’s antitrust enforcers started ongoing monopoly cases against technology platforms Google and Meta. More recently Biden-appointed officials brought big actions against Live Nation Entertainment’s Ticketmaster, Visa, Amazon and Apple.
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