Trump-appointed FTC commissioner resigns, accusing Khan of abusing power
Christopher Hutton
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A Trump-appointed member of the Federal Trade Commission announced that she was resigning because of Chairwoman Lina Khan’s aggressive approach to antitrust policy.
“I have failed repeatedly to persuade Ms. Khan and her enablers to do the right thing, and I refuse to give their endeavor any further hint of legitimacy by remaining,” FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson wrote in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.
Wilson accused Khan of “abuses of government power.”
Her departure will leave the commission with two open seats. The resignation occurred after the FTC’s failed attempt to block Facebook parent company Meta’s endeavor to acquire the virtual reality business Within.
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Wilson cited the failed effort as a reason for her resignation, noting her opposition to the suit on “due process” and federal ethics grounds. She also said that Khan’s allies hid the details of her dissent from the Within case by imposing “heavy redactions” to it.
The Republican-appointed commissioner also noted several decisions made by Khan that she said set concerning precedents. These included a November 2022 order that changed what the FTC considered an unfair method of competition, a January 2023 ban on noncompete clauses, and Khan’s approach to the merger review process.
Khan is a leader in what is called the “hipster antitrust” movement, which seeks to dislodge the consumer welfare standard for antitrust enforcement in favor of considering broader economic factors, such as corporate concentration and income inequality.
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Wilson is resigning half a year after former FTC Commissioner Noah Phillips stepped down from his role at the agency. Phillips was also a Republican-appointed commissioner and stated that he was resigning for family reasons and the inability to find compromise.
It is unclear who will be appointed to replace Wilson or Phillips.