Upcoming Private Meetings on Antitrust Issues

The leading Democrats from the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), are set to lead private discussions. Reports indicate that Rob Bonta, from the California Department of Justice, along with Roger Alford—who previously worked as President Trump’s antitrust attorney—will be in attendance.

In his reflections on his time at the Justice Department, Alford remarked on his commitment to holding Live Nation and Ticketmaster accountable. He said, “When I joined the Justice Department in 2025 as the second-highest ranking antitrust enforcement official, I was dedicated to bringing Live Nation-Ticketmaster to justice.” Moreover, he mentioned the president’s populist agenda significantly influenced their priorities.

Discussions surrounding this case have framed a dichotomy between “true MAGA reformers,” like Alford and former Assistant Attorney General Gale Slater, and those dubbed “magical MAGA lobbyists,” including figures like Kellyanne Conway and Mike Davis, who had ties to Live Nation.

Interestingly, both Slater and Alford opted for a settlement regarding the lawsuit. Just weeks following Slater’s departure from the Justice Department, this settlement was revealed. A senior official noted that Slater had backed a resolution that wouldn’t lead to the disbanding of Ticketmaster.

Furthermore, a source informed Breitbart News that prior to Alford’s termination, he and his aide Mark Hammer had engaged with Kellyanne Conway and Richard Grenell to negotiate a resolution for the lawsuit.

There’s also speculation about the MAGA credentials of both Slater and Alford. Reports suggest that Slater had dubious past associations prior to his role as the top antitrust official. He had connections with the “Transatlantic High-Level Working Group on Online Content Moderation,” which lauded Big Tech’s achievements.

Alford’s past actions also raise eyebrows; he’s been criticized for his left-leaning stances. For instance, he spoke out against the Trump administration’s policies, criticizing DEI initiatives as distractions from more pressing economic concerns for American workers. He even labeled Trump’s anti-China narrative as “ridiculous and ignorant” during a lecture in China.

• Alford criticized the Trump administration’s FCC and FTC for prioritizing cultural debates over economic issues.
• He openly supported Black Lives Matter, further illustrating his political leanings.

This isn’t the first instance where antitrust regulators appear to align with Democratic perspectives, raising questions about potential politicization within these ranks. One source likened Alford’s behavior to that of John Elias, a former antitrust chief of staff during Trump’s presidency, who also testified in favor of House Democrats.