Stacy Mitchell, Co-Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, issued the following statement in response to a letter from Members of the House Judiciary Committee urging the U.S. Justice Department to investigate potentially criminal conduct by Amazon and its senior executives.
“Throughout the committee’s investigation, Amazon acted as though it were above the law. Amazon refused to respond to the committee’s requests for information and in particular, sought to conceal its monopolistic practices with regard to independent sellers. In 2019, an Amazon executive lied under oath about these practices. Amazon has since engaged in an extensive effort to cover up the lie and evade additional questions about how it operates its dominant platform.
“Amazon’s attempt to obstruct Congress only further underscores the need for legislation to rein in Big Tech’s outsized power.
“The rule of law is a bedrock principle of democracy. We cannot allow the most powerful to sidestep the law. Amazon and its executives must be held to account and subject to meaningful penalties. We commend the committee for referring this matter to the Department of Justice, and we urge the department to investigate Amazon and its executives, including for potential criminal conduct.”
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