In the last week, four new commissioners were sworn in to their role as agency heads at the Federal Trade Commission, giving the FTC a full slate of commissioners for the first time in several years. The new commissioners – Republicans Noah Phillips and Chairman Joseph Simons; Democrats Rebecca Slaughter and Rohit Chopra – join Maureen Olhausen to fill all five seats atop the FTC. The fifth nominee by President Trump, Republican Christine Wilson, will take Maureen Olhausen’s seat pending Ms. Olhausen’s move to a judicial post at the Court of Federal Claims. The commissioners bring a diverse set of experiences to the agency, but with the exception of Rohit Chopra, their specialty is primarily in antitrust law. As a result, it will be interesting to see what kind of consumer protection agenda the new Commission sets. For more information on the new commissioners’ backgrounds, you can check out our previous blog post here.
Additionally, Tara Koslov has been appointed interim Chief of Staff. Ms. Koslov joined the Commission 1997 as a staff attorney in the Bureau of Competition, and since then she has served as an attorney advisor to three Commissioners. Ms. Koslov moves to her new appointment from the position of Acting Director of the Office of Policy Planning. Other changes are also likely in the coming weeks among senior FTC staff including the likely naming of a new Consumer Protection Bureau Director.