House Committee Probes FTC Chair Lina Khan

The House Oversight Committee has initiated an investigation into US Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, increasing tensions between the GOP and Khan as she seeks to revitalize the consumer protection agency.

James Comer, the House Oversight Committee Chair, requested documents from Khan regarding the FTC’s authority to regulate corporate America and a case involving Meta Platforms Inc. The documents include an unredacted opinion from former Republican Commissioner Christine Wilson and communications among commissioners. The letter was first shared with Bloomberg News.

House Republicans have launched an investigation against Khan, citing concerns over her perceived accumulation of power at the FTC. Khan and her supporters maintain that she is utilizing the agency’s authority to combat harmful business practices throughout the US economy. The House Judiciary Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee have each initiated their own investigations into Khan’s leadership at the FTC.

Related: FTC’s Lina Khan Presses Ahead With Antitrust Agenda Despite Republican Opposition

The Oversight Committee will investigate allegations made by former Republican commissioner Wilson, who left the agency earlier this year. Wilson claimed in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that Khan was acting in defiance of legal precedent.

 “We seek documents and information to shed light on Commissioner Wilson’s allegations and determine the extent to which the Commission has deviated from its mission to protect America’s consumer,” Comer wrote.

The committee is interested in reviewing Wilson’s complete objection to the rejection of Meta’s request to exclude Khan from an administrative case regarding the acquisition of virtual-reality startup Within. The FTC later retracted the complaint in February.