FTC Says It Won’t 'Back Down' From US Chamber ‘Threats’
The FTC won’t “back down because corporate lobbyists are making threats,” an agency spokesperson responded to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce claiming the agency is overstepping its legal authority. Filings and letters from the chamber object to various practices under…
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Chair Lina Khan. The chamber Friday challenged so-called “zombie voting” by ex-Commissioner Rohit Chopra, or votes counted after he left office. The business group claimed the independent agency’s decision-making is being influenced by external parties like the White House, and it questioned FTC use of civil penalty authority, as suggested by Chopra. The chamber filed more than 30 Freedom of Information Act requests seeking “detailed information" on how the agency “manipulated its rules and procedures while potentially ceding its independent agency status to political interference.” It raised concerns about commissioners unilaterally authorizing compulsory investigations, changing the rulemaking process to give Khan more control and the repeal of competition-related policy statements and merger guidelines. “The FTC just announced we are ramping up efforts to combat corporate crime and now the Chamber declares ‘war’ on the agency,” said the agency in a statement. “We are not going to back down because corporate lobbyists are making threats. We will continue to do our job and stand up for consumers, honest businesses, workers, and entrepreneurs who deserve a fair marketplace.”