FTC Commissioner Wilson Resigns, Cites "Abuses of Government Power"

Christine S. Wilson resigned as an FTC Commissioner, announcing her departure via an Op-Ed published in the Wall Street Journal. Ms. Wilson said that the primary reason for her resignation was "abuses of government power" by FTC Chair Lina M. Kahn.

Ms. Wilson stated that Ms. Kahn broke decades of bipartisan precedent by "consolidat[ing] power within the Office of the Chairman," which Ms. Wilson said undermined the bipartisan structure of the FTC mandated by Congress. Under Ms. Kahn's leadership, Ms. Wilson said that the FTC adopted an "I know it when I see it" approach to enforcement that effectively allowed the FTC to pursue enforcement actions for "any business conduct that three unelected commissioners find distasteful." Ms. Wilson also addressed disagreements with other FTC Commissioners on due-process considerations and federal ethics obligations, and expressed concern over how senior officials continuously "enable[d]" Ms. Kahn's conduct.

FTC Chair Lina M. Kahn, FTC Commissioner Rebecca K. Slaughter and FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya issued a joint statement on Ms. Wilson's resignation.