April 16 (Reuters) – The White House is considering appointing attorney Michael Murray to lead antitrust enforcement at the U.S. Justice Department, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Murray served in various positions at the DOJ during the previous Trump administration, including as principal deputy assistant attorney general for the department’s antitrust division.
No final decision has been made for DOJ’s top antitrust job, the report said.
The role is currently held by acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed Assefi.
Assefi plans to leave when a replacement is confirmed, the report added.
“(Murray) understands how the DOJ works … I expect him to be very much in favor of a predictable business climate,” Andrew Finch, who was a top Justice Department antitrust official in the first Trump administration, told Bloomberg.
The White House and the DOJ did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump ousted Attorney General Pam Bondi after mounting frustration with her performance, especially over the release of files on late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim in Barcelona; Editing by Rod Nickel)
