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

A lawyer for the Federal Trade Commission has walked back his comments about a lack of resources and staff turnover interfering with the agency’s preparations for a trial involving Amazon’s Prime program. FTC lawyer Jonathan Cohen asked a federal judge during a hearing on Wednesday to delay the September trial and relax deadlines in the case, citing budgetary and staffing shortfalls. “The commission does not have resource constraints and we are fully prepared to litigate this case.” In a statement sent to The Associated Press on Thursday, FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson also said “the attorney was wrong.” “I have made it clear since Day 1 that we will commit the resources necessary for this case,” Ferguson said, adding that the FTC “will never back down from taking on Big Tech.” An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on the agency’s reversal. With the request coming amid the cost-cutting efforts driven by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, the judge asked if budget and staff reductions at federal agencies had affected the FTC’s readiness.