Amazon Wants FTC Chair Lina Khan Recused In Antitrust Probes

On Wednesday, June 30, Amazon filed a motion seeking to recuse Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Lina Khan from antitrust investigations into the company, reported CNBC.

Amazon spokesperson Jack Evans told CNBC in a statement, “While we have the utmost respect for FTC Chair Khan, her work for the Open Markets Institute (a longtime Amazon critic), law journal articles, and role as a chief author of the House Judiciary Committee Antitrust Subcommittee report all reflect preconceived views about the company that she has repeatedly confirmed in media interviews. Amazon should be scrutinized along with all large organizations. However, even large companies have the right to an impartial investigation. Chair Khan’s body of work and public statements demonstrate that she has prejudged the outcome of matters the FTC may examine during her term and, under established law, preclude her from participating in such matters.”

Earlier this month, Khan was sworn in as chair of the FTC. The surprise move came just hours after she was confirmed by the Senate to serve as a commissioner.

Khan made her first big splash in antitrust circles with her 2017 Yale Law Journal article, “Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox.” The article, which she wrote while still a law student, argued that the popular antitrust framework focused on consumer welfare, was inadequate to assess digital giants like Amazon.

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