Some top Judiciary Republicans have laid brutal accusations on the Biden-Harris administration official of violating the Hatch Act by touring the country with Democratic politicians ahead of the all-important November elections.
The House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Ohio, and Sen. Mike Lee, Utah, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, has claimed that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan could be found guilty of engaging in partisan political activity while in her official capacity which is a prohibition under the Hatch Act.
In some reports recently, the lawmakers who wrote a letter on Monday noted that Lina Khan was seen in attendance at a series of events in Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin and Arizona with some of the candidates for elected office. The statement further explained that some media reports had described the outing as a campaign gauntlet, noting that the timing of the event was close to the election, which is why ignoring it is hard and difficult.
The letter noted that the style used by the government official showed that there was an interest in wanting the Democrat candidates to excel in the november elections.
The Biden-Harris FTC chair has become a fan favourite among the more progressive contingent of the Democratic Party. However, she has also become a point of contention among the coalition trying to elect Vice President Kamala Harris. While some politicians are staunch supporters of Khan and her actions against Big Tech and other industries to prevent supposedly anti-competitive behaviour, many of Harris’ wealthy donors have pushed for her removal, putting the vice president in the middle.
It has been noted that Khan is an individual who is hyper-vigilant about business moves. There was no hesitation to take on some key players in the tech health care and grocery industries. In a significant criticism, Jordan has characterized her exerting of the FTC against some businesses as harassment. Jordan was explicitly critical of her action against X, which is owned by Elon Musk, one of the US billionaires.
Earlier in the month, it was learnt that she was with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, and Texas labour leaders and workers for a discussion on worker freedom.
In the same week, she appeared as a guest in Illinois at a fireside chat with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill. During her appearance, she discussed grocery prices and health care, among other topics.
Khan also made a conspicuous surprise visit to the swing state of Wisconsin. In her appearance, she spoke to the residents about the potential sale of a county-owned nursing home.
She noted while speaking to Wisconsinites during her visit that the government have been watching with some alarm as more and more mergers and consolidation mean that fewer and fewer players are coming to control essential parts of the health care system.
Nevertheless, this wasn’t the only swing state the chair contained. It was disclosed that in her appearance, she also joined Rep. Ruben Gallego in Phoenix, Arizona; in her discussion, it was noted that she had discussed rising rent prices. Gallego is notably in one of the most competitive Senate races in the country.
All the events have been seen as no campaigns, but the period and time in which they were organised have made it to be in the centre of attraction for both Jordan and Lee. According to the lawmakers, within less than two months of the general election, the official events with Khan merited scrutiny.
In the comments made by the Republicans, it was established that the concerns were significant because of the history which is available shows that the agency has been avoided in the area of ethics advice, which concerns the appearance of partiality along with subsequent dishonest testimony on the subject, and the numerous complaints from FTC staff which shows a level of mismanagement. The Republicans noted that the mismanagement has made her the bottleneck that has prevented the FTC from successfully protecting consumers and bringing successful cases.
In other request Jordan and Lee have stated that Khan should make available all the communications regarding the scheduling of the various events, as well as the funding for travel and accommodations. They also asked that she produce documents and communications regarding any guidance she was given by the FTC’s Designates Agency Ethics Official on doing public events with candidates.
The FTC declined to comment on the allegations and the request made by the Republicans.
