Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Industry Lawyer Expected to Head F.T.C. Consumer Protection
Another fox guarding another chicken coop,
Industry Lawyer Expected to Head F.T.C. Consumer Protection
Link to tweet
Industry Lawyer Expected to Head F.T.C. Consumer Protection
By Jack Nicas
May 11, 2018
WASHINGTON — The Federal Trade Commission is expected to appoint an industry lawyer who has represented Facebook, Uber and Equifax to lead the agency’s consumer protection bureau tasked with policing those companies.
The lawyer, Andrew M. Smith, would recuse himself from any potential investigations or enforcement involving dozens of companies he has worked for over the past two years while at Covington & Burling in Washington, including many banks, lenders, credit-reporting agencies and technology companies, according to two people familiar with his proposed appointment but were not authorized to speak publicly.
Those recusals would force Mr. Smith to step aside from his bureau’s most prominent investigations: the investigations into incidents at Facebook and Equifax that leaked the personal data of tens of millions of people. He also would not be involved in enforcing a F.T.C. settlement with Uber over a data breach.
Joseph J. Simons, the F.T.C.’s chairman, has put Mr. Smith’s appointment up for a vote, causing debate among the five commissioners, one person close to the F.T.C. said. Such appointments are typically perfunctory votes. Four of the commissioners, including Mr. Simons, were sworn in this month. Mr. Simons and the two other Republican commissioners are expected to approve Mr. Smith’s appointment, the person said.
By Jack Nicas
May 11, 2018
WASHINGTON — The Federal Trade Commission is expected to appoint an industry lawyer who has represented Facebook, Uber and Equifax to lead the agency’s consumer protection bureau tasked with policing those companies.
The lawyer, Andrew M. Smith, would recuse himself from any potential investigations or enforcement involving dozens of companies he has worked for over the past two years while at Covington & Burling in Washington, including many banks, lenders, credit-reporting agencies and technology companies, according to two people familiar with his proposed appointment but were not authorized to speak publicly.
Those recusals would force Mr. Smith to step aside from his bureau’s most prominent investigations: the investigations into incidents at Facebook and Equifax that leaked the personal data of tens of millions of people. He also would not be involved in enforcing a F.T.C. settlement with Uber over a data breach.
Joseph J. Simons, the F.T.C.’s chairman, has put Mr. Smith’s appointment up for a vote, causing debate among the five commissioners, one person close to the F.T.C. said. Such appointments are typically perfunctory votes. Four of the commissioners, including Mr. Simons, were sworn in this month. Mr. Simons and the two other Republican commissioners are expected to approve Mr. Smith’s appointment, the person said.
PowerPost Analysis
The Finance 202: Trump risks dealmaker rep with ZTE reversal
By Tory Newmyer May 14 [link:tory.newmyer@washpost.com|Email the author]
....
— Industry lawyer to head FTC consumer protection. NYT's Jack Nicas: "The Federal Trade Commission is expected to appoint an industry lawyer who has represented Facebook, Uber and Equifax to lead the agency’s consumer protection bureau tasked with policing those companies. The lawyer, Andrew M. Smith, would recuse himself from any potential investigations or enforcement involving dozens of companies he has worked for over the past two years while at Covington & Burling in Washington, including many banks, lenders, credit-reporting agencies and technology companies... Those recusals would force Mr. Smith to step aside from his bureau’s most prominent investigations: the investigations into incidents at Facebook and Equifax that leaked the personal data of tens of millions of people. He also would not be involved in enforcing a F.T.C. settlement with Uber over a data breach."
....
Covering financial services and economic policy for the Washington Post Follow @ToryNewmyer
The Finance 202: Trump risks dealmaker rep with ZTE reversal
By Tory Newmyer May 14 [link:tory.newmyer@washpost.com|Email the author]
....
— Industry lawyer to head FTC consumer protection. NYT's Jack Nicas: "The Federal Trade Commission is expected to appoint an industry lawyer who has represented Facebook, Uber and Equifax to lead the agency’s consumer protection bureau tasked with policing those companies. The lawyer, Andrew M. Smith, would recuse himself from any potential investigations or enforcement involving dozens of companies he has worked for over the past two years while at Covington & Burling in Washington, including many banks, lenders, credit-reporting agencies and technology companies... Those recusals would force Mr. Smith to step aside from his bureau’s most prominent investigations: the investigations into incidents at Facebook and Equifax that leaked the personal data of tens of millions of people. He also would not be involved in enforcing a F.T.C. settlement with Uber over a data breach."
....
Covering financial services and economic policy for the Washington Post Follow @ToryNewmyer
