10/31/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/31/2024 07:31
Report details how Chair Khan undermined the FTC's bipartisan, independent mission through a relentless violation of legal, procedural, historical, and management norms
WASHINGTON-House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) released a staff report today titled "The Federal Trade Commission Under Chair Lina Khan: Undue Biden-Harris White House Influence and Sweeping Destruction of Agency Norms." The report finds that Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan has betrayed the Commission's independent mission by abusing her authority, trampling on the due process rights of regulated parties, upending the rule of law, and violating ethics standards to advance the Biden-Harris Administration's agenda. By shifting the FTC's focus to implement leftist policies, the Commission under Chair Khan disregards American consumer interests and U.S. antitrust policy.
"Rather than fulfill her obligation to ensure the FTC adheres to its independent role, our investigation reveals that Chair Lina Khan abused her power and bent the knee to the Biden-Harris White House. During her tenure, Chair Khan abandoned agency norms, disregarded ethical standards, subverted due process rights by colluding with foreign regulatory regimes, and willingly became a political tool for the Biden-Harris Administration to carry out its ideological goals. It's now clear that Chair Khan will stop at nothing to accomplish the radical left's desired ends. If this conduct is allowed to continue, it will further undermine Americans' confidence in the FTC's role in protecting American consumers and the U.S. marketplace. Chair Khan's term expired last month, and she should not be permitted to continue leading an independent agency," said Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.).
Since June 2023, the Oversight Committee has conducted multiple transcribed interviews with top Commission officials and requested documents and communications from the FTC to understand concerns related to abuses of power, collusion with foreign officials, improper conduct in the merger review process, and recently FTC Chair Khan's participation in 2024 campaign events with Democrat candidates.
Below are key findings from the report:
Read the report here.