Republican FTC Commissioner Noah Phillips to Resign

By:  Jennifer Mills

Noah Phillips, a Republication commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), has announced his plans to step down in the fall. 

According to reports by POLITICO, his departure only adds to an already tense environment at the commission, as skepticism of the agency has escalated in the past year with new Chair Lina Khan, a progressive Democrat, setting her eyes on tech giants and pursuing antitrust legislation to thwart corporate consolidation within the U.S. 

Phillips is one of just two Republicans sitting on the commission, and the timing of his leaving may fall before midterm elections. If this is the case, it could swell the existing division between political parties as they battle over his replacement, though precedent would likely still see a Republican in his seat. (A sitting President normally looks to the opposing party for minority commissioner selection).

Phillips shared his intentions by memo with FTC staff Aug. 8, according to the news article, and stated his main reason for exiting the agency was “about prioritizing his family” though he further acknowledged “his sense that other commissioners weren’t open to discussion or compromise.”