Chamber of Commerce suit against U.S. FTC to be heard by Trump-nominated judge

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Chamber of Commerce’s lawsuit accusing the U.S. Federal Trade Commission of illegally refusing to turn over requested records will be heard by Judge Trevor McFadden, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2017.

The Chamber, a trade group for U.S. businesses, sued on Thursday after being denied records regarding what the Chamber called “zombie” votes by departing FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra, the agency’s collaboration with Europe on a probe of the merger of biotech companies Illumina and Grail, and the work that the current chair, Lina Khan, did for Chopra before she took over the agency’s top post.

The Chamber had requested the records under the Freedom of Information Act.

McFadden’s appointment by Trump suggests a conservative viewpoint that is often more supportive of business while favoring less regulation.

He is a conservative and a veteran of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Leslie Adler)