Biden to Nominate 2 Antitrust-Minded Republicans for FTC

President Joe Biden announced two Republicans with antitrust backgrounds Monday to potentially serve as FTC commissioners. Biden plans to nominate Virginia Solicitor General Andrew Ferguson and Utah Solicitor General Melissa Holyoak. Ferguson previously was chief counsel to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., between 2019 and 2021. He practiced antitrust law at several D.C. law firms, where he represented clients before the FTC and DOJ. Ferguson worked on Capitol Hill for Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. Holyoak manages civil appeals, criminal appeals, constitutional defense and special litigation for the Utah attorney general’s office and its antitrust and data privacy divisions. She previously was general counsel at the Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute and worked as an attorney at O’Melveny. A former prosecutor, she has argued before the 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and D.C. Circuits. Chair Lina Khan praised the two, saying each "would bring key skills, experiences, and expertise" to the agency.