US Chamber of Commerce Hits FTC with Lawsuit

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeking information about its decision making processes.

“The FTC is pursuing an aggressive agenda with far-reaching implications for American businesses and the economy. It is bypassing longstanding norms to expansively regulate industries and manage our economy with a government-knows-best approach,” U.S. Chamber President and CEO Suzanne P. Clark said in a press release about the lawsuit.  

“We have witnessed the agency take a series of steps that collectively circumvent due process, concentrate power into the hands of the Chair, and utilize dubious legal means to achieve pre-ordained ends,” Clark said.

See also: Lawmakers Ask FTC to Probe Apple, Google Data Tracking

The complaint filed Thursday (July 14) in the district court for the District of Columbia is asking for information from the FTC about votes cast by departing commissioners, contacts with foreign regulators, and other information essential for understanding the commission’s operations. 

The Chamber points to examples of the FTC’s overreach and lack of transparency that include allegedly using “zombie votes” cast by departed commissioners and reportedly coordinating with foreign governments to block mergers that U.S. law may not prohibit, among other examples, according to the release.

Read more: ​​FTC Warns Congress About Using AI to Combat Harmful Speech

The Chamber of Commerce has had a tense relationship with the FTC and its new chair Lina Khan, who is working to enforce competition laws and question the practices of big business, Financial Times reported.

The FTC declined to comment.