Facebook Seeks FTC Chair Lina Khan’s Recusal in Antitrust Case
WASHINGTON— Facebook Inc. sought the recusal of Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan from the agency’s deliberations on whether to file a new antitrust case against the company, arguing she couldn’t be impartial because of her long history of criticizing it and other big-tech firms.
“For the entirety of her professional career, Chair Khan has consistently and very publicly concluded that Facebook is guilty of violating the antitrust laws,” the company said Wednesday in a formal recusal petition filed with the FTC.
“When a new commissioner has already drawn factual and legal conclusions and deemed the target a lawbreaker, due process requires that individual to recuse herself,” Facebook said in the petition.
An FTC spokeswoman declined to comment. Ms. Khan has said previously that she would consult with FTC ethics officials if recusal questions arose.
Facebook’s request comes two weeks after a similar recusal petition was filed by Amazon.com Inc., which is facing multiple investigations at the FTC. It is the latest sign that giant technology companies are favoring aggression over a conciliatory approach with Ms. Khan, who built her career advocating for bold antitrust action to rein in the dominant players in Silicon Valley.
