“The closure of the Chicago and San Francisco field offices would weaken antitrust enforcement in two vital sectors of the economy: agriculture and tech.”
WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, are advocating for the Chicago and San Francisco antitrust field offices to remain open. Many agricultural and tech antitrust cases are referred to these offices.
“Now more than ever, antitrust enforcement is needed in the agricultural and technology sectors. Industries like meatpacking, fertilizers, and seeds are consolidating at an alarming rate. And Americans are struggling to afford their groceries. Additionally, the Antitrust Division has ongoing investigations into, and litigation against, large technology platforms,” the lawmakers wrote.
“We strongly urge you to reconsider the Department’s plans to shut down these critical field offices. We should be ramping up our enforcement operations across America, not scaling them back. At a time when Americans are deeply concerned about food prices and the influence of Big Tech, DOJ must root out any anticompetitive behavior that drives up prices, decreases quality or stifles innovation. Maintaining these field offices will further that objective,” they concluded.
Read the senators’ full letter HERE.
Background:
On March 25, 2025, the DOJ proposed eliminating its antitrust field offices in Chicago, Illinois, and San Francisco, California in order to secure additional savings for American taxpayers.
The Chicago field office plays a critical role in enforcing antitrust laws in the agricultural sector. The office serves as the main antitrust enforcement team in the Midwest and helped spearhead the landmark prosecution of Archer Daniels Midland for price-fixing of animal feed additives. This investigation culminated in the defendant pleading guilty and agreeing to pay the largest antitrust fine ever imposed at the time.
The San Francisco field office maintains a key role in civil enforcement, focusing on the technology and media industries, as well as criminal enforcement, prosecuting violations including bid-rigging and price-fixing. The San Francisco office recently led two of the Antitrust Division’s largest criminal investigations – the first culminating in over $125 million in fines and the second culminating in over $1.39 billion in fines, as well as 13 executives being sentenced to prison terms ranging from six months to three years.
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