On Tuesday, President Trump fired Federal Trade Commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya, the two Democratic members of the Commission, in an unprecedented maneuver that shatters long-standing precedent and threatens the independence of the FTC.

The following statement can be attributed to George Rakis, Executive Director for NextGen Competition (nextgencomp.tech):

We strongly oppose the President’s decision to remove two sitting members of the Federal Trade Commission. This action undermines a century-old norm that ensures the FTC remains an independent agency, free from political interference. Firing commissioners at will sets a dangerous precedent—one that jeopardizes the FTC’s ability to uphold fair competition without partisan influence.

As we’ve stated before, antitrust enforcement transcends politics. The FTC’s core mission is to promote fair competition and hold dominant firms accountable. Its work must continue, unimpeded by political maneuvering.

About NextGen Competition

Our mission is to support a robust and competitive technology ecosystem by opposing anti-competitive business practices and promoting greater industry accountability. Specifically, we oppose consolidation in the industry that undermines worker protections and employer accountability, threatens data privacy and security, encourages market concentration, and limits consumer choice. NextGen Competition intends to work with a broad coalition of unions and public interest partners as it seeks to oppose anti-competitive business practices.