The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability has opened an investigation into allegations against Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan.
The panel's chair, James Comer, R-Ky., announced the probe Thursday.
"FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson recently resigned from her role after concerns about the integrity of the FTC under Chair Khan's leadership, citing abuses of power and disregard for the rule of law and federal ethics standards," a statement on the panel's website said.
Wilson announced her resignation in February.
"Much ink has been spilled about Lina Khan's attempts to remake federal antitrust law as chairman of the Federal Trade Commission," Wilson wrote in a column for The Wall Street Journal. "Less has been said about her disregard for the rule of law and due process and the way senior FTC officials enable her."
In a letter to top officials at the FTC, Comer is now requesting documents and communications "to understand these allegations and Chair Khan's actions in this role."
"The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating matters raised by Commissioner Christine S. Wilson's February 14, 2023, announcement of her unexpected resignation from the Federal Trade Commission [Commission or FTC]," Comer wrote.
"Commissioner Wilson declared her intent to resign over deep concerns that the commission, under current Chair Lina M. Khan's leadership, is abusing its power and disregarding the rule of law, due process, and federal ethics laws. We seek documents and information to shed light on Commissioner Wilson's allegations and determine the extent to which the Commission has deviated from its mission to protect America's consumers.
"These matters raise questions whether the FTC under Chair Khan has become a rogue agency — particularly given Chair Khan's drive at the beginning of her tenure to 'bulldoz[e] procedural safeguards,' 'consolidate agency power,' 'unilaterally assert and expand regulatory authority,' and 'abandon bipartisan and open processes.' We also are concerned whether departures from prior norms under Chair Khan are due to White House influence. President [Joe] Biden, after all, called upon Chair Khan to play a leading role in implementation of his Executive Order 14036 on 'Promoting Competition in the American Economy.'"