Trump picks telecom lawyer Candeub to lead DOJ antitrust unit

Adam Candeub, the Federal Communications Commission's general counsel and a longtime tech critic, is set to take over the Justice Department's Antitrust Division, putting a telecommunications regulatory veteran atop the unit overseeing blockbuster cases against Google, Apple and Visa.

President Donald Trump plans to nominate Candeub to lead the division, according to people familiar with the plans. Justice Department staff members were informed this week to expect the nomination in the near future, and Candeub met with Trump earlier this week alongside acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson and White House counsel David Warrington.

"The nomination signals the administration intends to maintain an aggressive posture on Big Tech enforcement, particularly in the remedies phase of the Google search monopoly case," said William Kovacic, a former FTC chairman and professor at George Washington University Law School. "Candeub brings a telecom-specific perspective that could shape how the division approaches structural remedies in digital markets."

Candeub would replace Gail Slater, who resigned as assistant attorney general for antitrust on Feb. 12 after less than a year in the role. Omeed Assefi has been serving as acting head of the division since her departure and is expected to step down later this month, according to a person familiar with his plans.

The Antitrust Division is currently pursuing three of the most consequential corporate enforcement actions in a generation. A federal judge has already found Google maintained an illegal monopoly in search, with the remedies phase set to determine whether the company must divest parts of its business or accept mandatory interoperability requirements. The division is also pursuing cases against Apple over its App Store ecosystem and against Visa over its dominance in debit card markets.

A telecom insider with a regulatory track record

Candeub is no stranger to the Trump administration. He served as acting assistant secretary at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration from 2019 to 2021 during Trump's first term and held the title of deputy associate attorney general at the DOJ. He moved into his current role as FCC general counsel in February 2025.

During his tenure at the FCC, the broadcast regulator opened an investigation into Disney's diversity practices and probed whether ABC's "The View" violated equal-time rules for political candidate interviews. Candeub also authored the FTC chapter in the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 policy platform, which outlined ways the consumer protection and antitrust agency could champion conservative causes.

A longtime professor at Michigan State University, Candeub's background in telecommunications law could influence how the division approaches cases at the intersection of antitrust and communications regulation — an area that touches on everything from broadband market concentration to spectrum allocation.

What this means for Big Tech and investors

The nomination arrives at a pivotal moment for U.S. antitrust enforcement. The Google remedies phase alone could reshape the internet's competitive landscape, with potential outcomes ranging from forced divestiture of the Chrome browser to restrictions on default search agreements that currently cost Google more than $26 billion annually in revenue-sharing payments, according to court filings.

For investors with exposure to Big Tech, the appointment of a known tech critic to lead antitrust enforcement suggests the division will maintain — and potentially escalate — its scrutiny of dominant platforms. The last time the DOJ pursued structural remedies against a major technology company was the Microsoft case in the late 1990s, which ultimately resulted in behavioral remedies after an appeals court ruling. The S&P 500 information technology sector has gained roughly 40% since the Google monopoly ruling in August 2024, reflecting market expectations that any remedies will be limited in scope.

Visa's antitrust case carries particular weight for the payments industry. The company processes more than 60% of U.S. debit card transactions, and a successful DOJ action could open the door for competitors and alternative payment rails, including those built on blockchain technology.

Candeub's nomination requires Senate confirmation. The timeline for a confirmation hearing has not been set. If confirmed, he would inherit a division with a full docket of active litigation and a remedies phase in the Google case that could define U.S. antitrust enforcement for the next decade.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.