The Biden Administration Strikes Again, FTC Commissioner Resigns
Today, the resignation of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioner Christine Wilson is a reminder that the Biden Administration’s abuses of government power will not be tolerated by those who value the rule of law.
Since her appointment in June 2021, Chair Lina Khan has created controversy with her exclusion of Republican colleagues from aspects of antitrust enforcement. Commissioner Wilson, in a Wall Street Journal column, called out Khan’s “willful disregard of congressionally imposed limits on agency jurisdiction, her defiance of legal precedent, and her abuse of power to achieve desired outcomes.”
These abuses of power, which have been enabled by “senior FTC officials,” are particularly concerning in light of the FTC’s challenge to Meta’s acquisition of virtual–reality gaming company Within. According to Wilson, Khan wrote a report on the same issues as a congressional staffer and then refused to recuse herself from deciding whether Meta can acquire Within. This blatant disregard for due process and federal ethics obligations is abhorrent, and has been met with justifiable criticism from Republicans.
The Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey has shown a drastic decrease in confidence under Khan’s leadership. In 2020, 87% of surveyed FTC employees agreed that senior agency officials maintain high standards of honesty and integrity, whereas only 49% do today.
The FTC’s response to Wilson’s resignation failed to address the accusations against Khan, and instead said they “respect her devotion to her beliefs and are grateful for her public service.” It may be that this is not enough. Wilson’s actions are implying that the Biden Administration should be held accountable for the abuses of power that have occurred under Khan’s leadership.
The resignation of Commissioner Wilson is a reminder that Americans must remain vigilant in protecting the rule of law. She did not allow a few individuals to use their positions of power to undermine the trust that she put in the American government and neither should we.
Take a look:
Statement of FTC Chair Lina M. Khan, Commissioner Rebecca K. Slaughter, and Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya on the resignation of Commissioner Christine Wilson: https://t.co/hZImLtNhNI pic.twitter.com/APdjrZZMCv
— FTC (@FTC) February 14, 2023
