New York AG Calls On Congress To Protect Consumers By Providing FTC With Tools

New York Attorney General Letitia James is calling on Congress to protect consumers by providing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) with much-needed tools.

James is joining a bipartisan coalition of 28 attorneys general around the nation taking action to support the ability of the FTC to combat fraudulent and anti-competitive conduct.

In a letter to Congressional leaders, James and the Coalition are expressing their strong support for the Consumer Protection and Recovery Act.

The law would ensure the ability of the FTC to obtain equitable monetary relief, including restitution for consumers, after a U.S. Supreme Court decision stripped the agency of the ability to do so earlier this year.

“As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many consumers are more financially vulnerable than ever before and rely on federal and state enforcers to protect their interests and return their hard-earned money when they have been defrauded,” said James. “If the FTC does not have the ability to obtain monetary relief and redress harms, consumers will be the ones who lose out. Our federal partners at the FTC are vital in the fight to protect consumers, which is why I urge Congress to support consumers and honest businesses by restoring these essential enforcement tools.”

For 40 years, the FTC was able to obtain equitable monetary relief by suing wrongdoers in district court, rather than engaging in a lengthy administrative proceeding.

But a Supreme Court decision in April of 2021, AMG Capital Management, LLC, et al. v. Federal Trade Commission, limited the ability of the FTC to recover money for injured consumers.

James says the FTC is an important partner to states as they police anti-competeitive, unfair and deceptive trade practices.