Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, ANTITRUST NEWS: Appointment of Adam Candeub, presumed next DOJ antitrust head, announced, (Jul 22, 2026)

By Peter Reap, J.D., LL.M.

The White House announced the appointment of the FCC General Counsel Candeub July 21.

The White House on July 21 sent the Senate the nomination of Adam Candeub, of the District of Columbia, a Michigan State University law professor and former FCC General Counsel, to be an Assistant Attorney General. It has been widely reported that Candeub is going to be the next Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi had led the Antitrust Division until June 26, 2026, after welcoming the birth of his first child with his wife.

According to a biographical sketch of Candeub, released by the Office of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr as he congratulated Candeub on his nomination:

Candeub has served as the General Counsel of the Federal Communications Commission since January 2025. Since 2004, Candeub worked as a professor of law at Michigan State University where he focused on competition, regulatory, and antitrust matters. Previously, he served in government at both the Commerce Department and Justice Department. After graduating from Yale and the University of Pennsylvania’s school of law, Candeub started his career with a clerkship on a federal court of appeals before working in private practice, including at Jones Day in Washington D.C. Candeub is well known for his scholarly work and research, which has been cited and relied upon in Supreme Court opinions.

Carr also added the following personal statement of congratulations:

I want to congratulate Adam on his nomination to serve as an Assistant Attorney General at the Department of Justice. Prior to joining the FCC as General Counsel, Candeub joined the faculty of Michigan State University as a tenured professor where he focused on competition, antitrust, and regulatory matters. Candeub has a long and distinguished career in public service as well, having served previously in roles within the Commerce Department and Department of Justice in addition to a federal clerkship. At the FCC, Candeub has always brought a thoughtful and sensible approach to matters that draws on his deep experience in academia and the relevant scholarly literature. With the advice and consent of the Senate, Candeub would do a wonderful job at the DOJ advancing common sense policies.

Candeub has spoken at several events of the Federalist society, including a 2026 panel entitled “When Free Speech and Free Markets Intersect ” and “Arthur N. Rupe Debate: Section 230 in the Algorithmic Age,” both of which are available to livestream.

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