US FTC won’t back down on Chamber of Commerce criticism

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (Reuters) – The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said on Friday it would not change course despite criticism from the United States Chamber of Commerce over a series of actions by FTC President Lina Khan.

The Chamber of Commerce said on Friday it had written three letters and filed more than 30 Freedom of Information Act requests over what it called the FTC’s breach of rules and political interference.

The House expressed particular concern at the votes cast by Commissioner Rohit Chopra before his departure from the FTC but which were announced after his departure. He now heads the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

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The House expressed concern over what it said was White House interference in FTC decision-making and the agency’s decision to use the civil sanction power.

The FTC, which enforces antitrust law and prosecutes companies accused of deceiving consumers, has said it will not change direction.

“The FTC has just announced that we are stepping up our efforts to fight corporate crime and now the House is declaring ‘war’ on the agency. We are not going to back down because corporate lobbyists are making threats. “said FTC spokesman Peter Kaplan.

“We will continue to do our job and stand up for consumers, honest businesses, workers and entrepreneurs who deserve a fair deal,” he said.

House President and CEO Suzanne Clark said in a statement that the FTC was the one “waging a war on American businesses” and also said the FTC “was going rogue.”

The agency has filed a lawsuit accusing Facebook of violating antitrust law, tightened some merger reviews, has been asked to investigate high gasoline prices, and is considering a study to probe the role of competition in supply chain disruptions. find out more nL1N2RL234]

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Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Edmund Blair

Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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