Three Republican groups sent a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Tuesday, urging him to quickly fill two GOP vacancies on the Federal Trade Commission after both previous Republican commissioners resigned.
"The resignations of Republicans Noah J. Phillips and Christine S. Wilson in October 2022 and February 2023, respectively, have led to two Republican vacancies on the five-member agency," read a March 7 letter signed by leaders of the American Principles Project, Heritage Action America, and the Bull Moose Project.
"In August 2022, many of us wrote to you to urge the appointment of an individual with a strong commitment to reining in Big Tech to replace Phillips on the commission. The recent resignation of Wilson, which has led the body to become composed entirely of Democrats, means that there are two opportunities to elevate conservative skeptics of Big Tech to the body."
According to the agency, the FTC "works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers."
Wilson's resignation March 2 was due to her belief that President Joe Biden's appointment of Democrat Chair Lina Khan was causing a drop in confidence at the agency through an "abuse of power," according to Wilson's letter of resignation.
"I agree with the admonition you gave your appointees on Inauguration Day: 'Everybody is entitled to be treated with decency and dignity,' Wilson said in her letter. "Unfortunately, Chair Khan has not acted in keeping with this sentiment. Under her leadership, knowledgeable career staff have been scorned and sidelined. Most notably, early in her tenure, a gag order was imposed on staff that prevented them from engaging in consumer and business education — a vote of no confidence in our staff and a disservice to those we serve."
Wilson pointed to a federal employment survey that found the agency's credibility and morale dropped significantly in 2021 and 2022, going from one of the best perceived agencies in the government to work for to the worst.
"To the sorrow and dismay of current and former FTC employees and political appointees on both sides of the aisle, the FTC has gone from first to worst," Wilson wrote. "Rampant dissatisfaction among staff has led to the departures of many experienced personnel, causing a notable "brain drain." Longtime FTC employees cannot remember a similar exodus at any point in the last 30 years."
In her own statement Feb. 14, Kahn responded to Wilson's resignation from the commission.
"While we often disagreed with Commissioner Wilson, we respect her devotion to her beliefs and are grateful for her public service," Kahn's statement said. "We wish her well in her next endeavor."
The conservative organizations said McConnell needs to quickly fill the vacancies to keep GOP voices on the commission.
"No reasonable person can deny that Big Tech companies have put their thumbs on the scale to prop up the Democratic Party," the GOP groups wrote to McConnell. "But the sad truth is that despite Big Tech's lawless suppression of conservatives, previous FTC actions have enabled tech oligarchs' monopolistic practices."
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