00:00It's Benzinga, bringing Wall Street to Main Street.
00:02A top Justice Department official told antitrust enforcers he prefers settlements over trials,
00:07according to the Wall Street Journal. Stanley Woodward, the department's third-ranking official,
00:12now directly oversees antitrust enforcement and has said internally that he favors avoiding
00:17drawn-out litigation. Some lawyers interpreted his comments as a directive to resolve litigation
00:22against companies and avoid future cases. The shift could weaken the department's ability
00:27to challenge anti-competitive mergers and accelerate settlements in monopolization lawsuits.
00:32The department has sued to block one merger since President Trump took office for a second time
00:37in early 2025 and is trying to settle that case with Hewlett-Packard Enterprise.
00:42The Justice Department has said it remains focused on antitrust enforcement in healthcare,
00:47agriculture, and energy. For all things money, visit Benzinga.com.
