Sports Fans Coalition Statement on the Firing of DOJ Antitrust Chief Gail Slater
Sports Fans Coalition views the abrupt ousting of Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater as deeply troubling especially in light of recent reports that the DOJ is settling with Live Nation/Ticketmaster after the company hired high-powered, politically connected lobbyists, rather than choose to defend themselves in the court of law, as Live Nation’s Executive Vice President, Dan Wall, insinuated they would do when asked under oath by Senator Klobuchar about whether the DOJ’s lawsuit should be resolved based on the law and not by political pressure.
“Sports fans smell the stench of Live Nation/Ticketmaster’s big-money bullying behind Assistant AG Slater’s removal,” said Brian Hess, Executive Director of Sports Fans Coalition. “Is President Trump going soft and capitulating to Live Nation/Ticketmaster’s power grab? American sports fans certainly hope not.”
Ms. Slater was overseeing the Department of Justice's landmark lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, a case that directly impacts millions of American sports fans and concertgoers who have been subjected to inflated prices, junk fees, and anti-competitive practices for far too long. Her removal raises serious questions about whether political interference or corporate influence played a role in this decision.
“Sports fans across the country have waited years for the government to hold Live Nation/Ticketmaster accountable for their stranglehold on the live entertainment industry,” continued Mr. Hess. “This lawsuit represents the best opportunity in a generation to restore competition and fairness to the ticketing marketplace. Any attempt to undermine, delay, or weaken this enforcement action would be a betrayal of American consumers and a capitulation to monopoly power.”
Hess added:
“We call on the Department of Justice to continue the Live Nation/Ticketmaster lawsuit and bring it to trial in March, as was expected. The American people are watching. Sports fans are watching. And we will not accept corruption or backroom deals that protect monopolies at the expense of consumers.”