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#The Wall Street Journal: Amazon seeks recusal of FTC chair Lina Khan in antitrust investigation

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“#The Wall Street Journal: Amazon seeks recusal of FTC chair Lina Khan in antitrust investigation”

Online giant questions Lina Khan’s ability to be impartial in light of her repeated criticisms of Amazon

WASHINGTON — Amazon.com Inc.
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filed a request with the Federal Trade Commission seeking the recusal of new Chairwoman Lina Khan from antitrust investigations of the company, in light of her extensive past criticisms of the online giant.

“Given her long track record of detailed pronouncements about Amazon, and her repeated proclamations that Amazon has violated the antitrust laws, a reasonable observer would conclude that she no longer can consider the company’s antitrust defenses with an open mind,” Amazon said in a 25-page motion filed Wednesday with the FTC.

An FTC spokeswoman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ms. Khan has been a leading critic of dominant technology companies—especially Amazon—and a central figure in a progressive movement that favors sweeping changes to antitrust enforcement to take on the nation’s most powerful firms. The Senate confirmed her earlier this month for the FTC, and President Biden immediately installed her as the head of the agency.

An expanded version of this article appears on WSJ.com.

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