FTC Flip-Flops on Scant Resource Claim in Amazon Prime Case
- Agency lawyer cites cuts in US government personnel, spending
- In letter later in day, attorney says FTC can meet schedule
Prime trailers at an Amazon delivery station in Dallas, Texas.
Photographer: Kathy Tran/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The US Federal Trade Commission quickly walked back comments that resource constraints at the agency will hamper its ability to start a trial in September challenging Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime subscription practices, following a hearing Wednesday morning.
Earlier Wednesday, FTC lawyer Jonathan Cohen told US District Court Judge John Chun in Seattle that “there is an extremely severe resource shortfall in terms of money and personnel.” He asked to delay the Sept. 22 trial date, citing shortages in staff due to voluntary resignations and current caps of $1 on charges on government credit cards.