Conservative tech critic seen as leading candidate to be DOJ antitrust chief

First on CBS Politics Conservative tech critic seen as leading candidate to oversee DOJ's antitrust division, sources say By Sarah N. Lynch, Sarah N. Lynch Senior Justice Department Reporter Sarah N. Lynch is the senior Justice Department reporter for CBS News, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Sarah N. Lynch, Gabe Kaminsky, Gabe Kaminsky Investigative Reporter Gabe Kaminsky is an investigative reporter for CBS News based in Washington, D.C., covering money and influence in politics. Read Full Bio Gabe Kaminsky, Jennifer Jacobs Jennifer Jacobs Senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs is a senior White House reporter at CBS News. Read Full Bio Jennifer Jacobs May 27, 2026 / 3:36 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google The leading candidate to oversee the Justice Department's antimonopoly enforcement has been a critic of the tech sector and is a government lawyer who led an effort to crack down on social media companies during President Trump's first term. Adam Candeub is being considered for assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News. He currently serves as the Federal Communications Commission's general counsel, working for Chairman Brendan Carr.Candeub did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Omeed Assefi, the acting assistant attorney general for antitrust, who oversaw a controversial settlement with concert and ticket giant Live Nation, is departing next month. He had long planned to exit in June, when his first child is due. Senior Trump administration officials are still considering candidates to take on the crucial role of DOJ antitrust chief, a position that oversees mergers and acquisitions and protects against price fixing. Candeub was previously a senior fellow at the Center for Renewing America, a conservative think tank founded by Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.Others who have been interviewed for the post in recent...