House Chairman Accuses FTC of Skirting Antitrust Law via EU Probe

The FTC’s actions against Amazon’s deal to buy iRobot show the agency will work outside U.S. antitrust law and achieve its goals through European enforcers, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said Tuesday in a letter to the agency. Comer announced his office is investigating the FTC’s collaboration with European antitrust enforcers on the Amazon transaction (see 2402010063). The FTC filed a second request for information on the deal in September 2022, opening a probe of the agreement, and an EU investigation soon followed, Comer said. EU enforcers announced an in-depth investigation in July and told Amazon it was blocking the deal in January, he said: “The FTC’s actions indicate to American businesses that the FTC will work outside of U.S. antitrust law by using the EC to realize its desired outcomes.” It appears the agency “actively coordinated” with foreign enforcers to block a deal that “could have saved American jobs and promoted American innovation and standing in a vital market,” he said. The FTC declined comment Wednesday.