Ryuu96 said:
Khan has drawn criticism from the business world and its supporters. Her Republican commissioners have accused her of withholding information, jettisoning the FTC's prior norms of bipartisanship and collegiality. The US Chamber of Commerce, which has called out the FTC for creating a "black-box environment" for business, sued the agency this summer for failing to make public documents about its voting procedures and communications with international regulators.
House Republicans have indicated they plan to ratchet up scrutiny of Khan after they take control of the chamber in January, with the Judiciary Committee's top GOP member, Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, accusing her of pursuing a "radical, anti-free-market agenda."
Agency morale is at an all-time low after years in which the FTC was ranked as among the top places to work in the federal government. Employees have complained about Khan's lack of communication and decisions that move forward without staff input. In an employee survey that took place from May to July of this year, only 44% of the staff reported having a high level of respect for FTC leaders, while 32% said they plan to leave the agency within the year, according to a person who viewed the numbers but wasn't authorized to discuss the survey results because they aren't yet public.
"Our senior leadership takes the results of the survey seriously and is dedicated to creating an agency environment that best facilitates the meaningful work staff do on behalf of the American people," says Elizabeth Wilkins, who's serving as chief of staff on an interim basis.
The Microsoft-Activision complaint shouldn't have come as a surprise, considering it involves digital platforms, the tech industry and vertical integration, all areas Khan has said require heightened scrutiny, says Barry Nigro, an antitrust lawyer at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson.
"If they win, it will be a huge win," says Nigro, who was a senior DOJ official involved in the failed AT&T-Time Warner challenge. "If they lose, I think what it means is they are going to take more shots. They are trying to change the law. They may have to file and litigate a number of cases before they start to get traction." Microsoft-Activision Deal FTC Suit Is Lina Khan’s Next Test - Bloomberg |
