US Chamber Sues FTC Over Withheld FOIA Documents

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Thursday sued the FTC in an effort to gain access to Freedom of Information Act documents it says the agency “unlawfully” withheld (see 2112030042). The FTC circumvented due process, concentrated power in the hands of Chair Lina Khan and used “dubious legal means to achieve pre-ordained ends,” Chamber CEO Suzanne Clark said in a statement. The Chamber is seeking access to documents on so-called “zombie votes,” which the commission counted after Commissioner Rohit Chopra left the agency. The Chamber requested communication between the FTC, the European Commission and other foreign bodies about the Illumina-Grail transaction. The FTC “may have collaborated with and relied upon a foreign government authority to strong-arm American corporations into abandoning a planned merger,” the Chamber said. It requested details of Khan’s “legal fellow” employment status under Chopra. “The position of ‘legal fellow’ is highly unusual and not a typical title used in relationship to staff positions in support of a commissioner,” the Chamber said. The lawsuit was filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The agency didn’t comment.