Jordan Accuses FTC of ‘Flouting’ Law With 'Unaccountable Consultants'

The FTC appears to be “flouting federal law” by relying on “unpaid and unaccountable consultants and so-called 'experts' to perform core functions at the agency,” House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, wrote in a letter to Chair Lina Khan on Thursday. He cited an inspector general report from earlier this month about the agency’s use of unpaid consultants and experts. The Aug. 1 report included a performance audit to “determine whether the FTC’s program used to hire and oversee unpaid consultants and experts is managed in accordance with federal and agency requirements.” The audit concluded that “without a deliberate control structure and stronger mitigation posture, the agency is vulnerable to a variety of risks.” The audit said the agency’s “unpaid consultant and expert program lacks a comprehensive system of controls” and the agency “identifies, recruits, and selects unpaid consultants and experts without uniformity and transparency across all agency stakeholders.” Jordan accused the FTC of disregarding the law and exposing the agency to conflicts of interest risks. The “lack of guardrails will make it easier for the Biden FTC to continue promoting a radical, far-left orthodoxy,” he said. The FTC confirmed receiving the letter but declined comment.