FTC reverses its request for a delay in an Amazon trial, says it has resources to litigate the case

Jonathan Cohen, a lawyer for the FTC, had asked a national justice during a proceeding connected Wednesday to hold the way and unbend deadlines successful the case, citing budgetary and staffing shortfalls.

But the bureau made an about-face aboriginal successful the day, telling U.S. District Judge John Chun successful a missive submitted successful tribunal that the statements Cohen made were incorrect.

“I privation to clarify comments I made today: I was wrong,” Cohen wrote successful the letter. “The Commission does not person assets constraints and we are afloat prepared to litigate this case.”

In a connection sent to the AP connected Thursday, FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson besides said “the lawyer was wrong.”

“I person made it wide since Day One that we volition perpetrate the resources indispensable for this case,” Ferguson said, adding that his bureau “will ne'er backmost down from taking connected Big Tech.”

Cohen’s comments were made amid large-scale cost-cutting efforts crossed the national authorities driven by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, oregon DOGE.

During the proceeding connected Wednesday, Cohen said immoderate employees chose to permission the FTC pursuing the “Fork successful the road” email sent by the medication successful January. Staff members who resigned for different reasons besides person not been replaced owed to a authorities hiring freeze, helium said.

The proceedings is the effect of a suit the committee filed successful 2023 accusing Amazon of enrolling consumers successful its Prime programme without their consent and making it hard for them to cancel their subscriptions.

An Amazon spokesperson did not instantly reply for comment.