Former Officials: FTC ‘Substantially Diminished’ Under Current Leadership

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2025 – Once the nation’s guardian of fair markets and consumer rights, the Federal Trade Commission has drifted from its independent mandate, former officials warned Wednesday.

Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, a Democrat removed by President Donald Trump without cause in March, said that under current leadership the FTC has curtailed open commission meetings, narrowed opportunities for public input, and sidelined dissenting voices that traditionally kept the agency grounded in law and evidence.

“We want the law to be administered without fear or favor,” Slaughter said, speaking at Public Knowledge’s People’s Oversight Hearing in Washington. “It is not okay for those decisions to be made based on doing political favors and rewarding political donors.”