Flat Funding for DOJ Antitrust Division in Budget Proposal

The White House proposed a $1.1 billion cut in funding for the Justice Department in its fiscal 2018 budget, but the antitrust division won’t see any of those reductions.

The first major budget proposal of President Donald Trump’s administration, released May 23, requests $27.7 billion for the Justice Department, a 3.8 percent decrease from the department’s current funding level. The White House proposed that the antitrust division remain at its current level of funding, at just under $165 million.

The DOJ’s antitrust division is of particular interest to Wall Street because its officials review major mergers, and the agency can ...