President Biden has appointed Virginia Attorney General Andrew Ferguson and Utah Attorney General Melissa Holyoak to fill the Republican seats on the Federal Trade Commission, the White House said Monday.
If confirmed by the Senate, the 2 Republicans won’t change the balance of power inside the FTC, which enforces antitrust and deceptive promoting laws. It currently has a Democratic chairwoman, Lina Khan, and two Democratic commissioners.
Under Biden, the FTC took a tougher stance against mergers that could lead on to higher prices for consumers or competitive innovations.
Khan said in an announcement that Ferguson and Holyoak would “bring key skills, experience and knowledge to the Commission”.
The FTC “works best at full power and I look forward to working with them,” said Khan, who was heavily criticized by former Republican commissioner Christine Wilson.
![Virginia Attorney General Andrew Ferguson](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013558688.jpg)
![Utah Attorney General Melissa Holyoak](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013558719.jpg)
The agency is anticipated to file a lawsuit against Amazon, possibly as soon as this summer. He filed an antitrust lawsuit against Facebook through the administration of former President Donald Trump, which has yet to go to trial.
The FTC can also be considering Kroger’s plan to buy rival food market Albertsons, amongst other things.
Ferguson was the highest adviser to Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell from 2019 to 2021. He also worked for Sens. Lindsey Graham and Chuck Grassley.
McConnell, who’s chargeable for nominating candidates for the White House, praised the nominations. “We’d like good and talented leaders to concurrently protect American consumers and defend our economic future from far-left abuses,” McConnell said in an announcement calling on the Senate to “promptly approve them.”
Holyoak is the Utah Attorney General within the Office of the Utah Attorney General. Previously, she worked as an associate on the law firm O’Melveny & Myers LLP and on the Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute, which focuses on fighting class motion lawsuits and aggressive regulation, in addition to the Competitive Enterprise Institute and the Center for Class Motion Integrity.
Amongst ongoing cases, the FTC is suing to stop Microsoft’s $69 billion purchase of Activision and is awaiting a court decision on the matter.
![President Biden](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013440339.jpg?w=1024)
Also this yr, the agency filed complaints looking for to stop the pharmaceutical deal, Amgen’s purchase of Horizon Therapeutics, in addition to the planned purchase of Black Knight by Intercontinental Exchange. He also battles Illumina to purchase the Grail.