DOJ Antitrust Division 2025: The Cop is Still on the Beat

In this blog post, authors Jack Prindle & Steve Cernak (The Antitrust Attorney) look into the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division’s continued aggressive enforcement efforts under the 2025 Trump administration. Despite speculation that antitrust enforcement might ease with the change in leadership, the DOJ has maintained a firm stance, especially on criminal violations like price fixing and bid rigging. The authors highlight that antitrust investigations and prosecutions are ongoing, with recent cases demonstrating that the administration is taking such offenses seriously.

A clear example is the sentencing of an asphalt executive involved in a bid-rigging scheme in Michigan. Although the individual pleaded guilty in 2023, his sentencing in May 2025 shows that the current administration is not softening its approach. Other co-conspirators also pleaded guilty earlier in 2024, reinforcing the DOJ’s consistency in punishing anticompetitive behavior. The Antitrust Division’s mission remains unchanged: those who interfere with market competition can expect rigorous prosecution, regardless of the political backdrop.

However, the Trump administration has added its own emphasis by leveraging the Antitrust Division’s full toolkit. In a recent Idaho case involving collusion over firefighting contracts, the DOJ went beyond traditional bid-rigging charges. Defendants were also charged with conspiracy to monopolize and wire fraud, increasing potential penalties and signaling tougher enforcement. DOJ and FBI officials emphasized these charges as a warning to deter future collusive schemes, illustrating that the current administration sees strong antitrust enforcement as aligned with its broader policy goals…

CONTINUE READING…