Statement from Attorney General Janet Reno regarding the resignation of Assistant Attorney General Anne K. Bingaman as head of the Department's Antitrust Division:

"Anne Bingaman has informed me that she intends to return to the private sector this fall. We will all miss Anne very much, and I personally will miss her wise counsel and tirelessness. As Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust she has made real strides in promoting competition for the benefit of American consumers and maintaining a level playing field for American businesses.

"She has accomplished so much, but I am particularly proud that she has aggressively prosecuted major criminal price fixing conspiracies and obtained record criminal antitrust fines, met the challenge of a global economy by removing anticompetitive restraints imposed on American exports, and successfully concluded some very high profile cases such as the Microsoft and Nasdaq matters.

"She was also instrumental in securing a major role for the Department in telecommunications reform, and creating the first ever set of antitrust enforcement policy statements for the health care industry.

"I once told a story about how you could hear Anne coming down the hall from a mile away. The halls of Justice will not be the same without her."

A copy of Bingaman's resignation letter to the Attorney General is attached.

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