New Letter Urges Senate Committee Inquiry on FTC Nominees’ Relationship With Disgraced Former Member Joshua Wright, Following Bombshell Sexual Misconduct Scandal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, September 19, 2023
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New Letter Urges Senate Committee Inquiry on FTC Nominees’ Relationship With Disgraced Former Member Joshua Wright, Following Bombshell Sexual Misconduct Scandal
Ahead of Wednesday’s Senate Committee Hearing, Women’s Group Asks Senator Maria Cantwell, Ted Cruz Ask Nominees Melissa Holyoak, Andrew Ferguson About Relationship to Joshua Wright
WASHINGTON, DC — A new letter sent to Sen. Maria Cantwell and Sen. Ted Cruz today by UltraViolet, a leading national gender justice group, urges the Senate to investigate Federal Trade Commission (FTC) nominees for possible ties to Joshua D. Wright, a former FTC member and highly influential figure in antitrust law, who is currently facing well-documented allegations of sexual misconduct by multiple women.
In the letter, UltraViolet encourages Cantwell and Cruz, Chairs of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, to question FTC nominees, Melissa A. Holyoak and Andrew D. Ferguson, for their professional connections to Wright. Specifically, whether Wright played a role in securing their nominations, and what, if anything, they knew about the allegations and investigation into Wright. Although Wright’s tenure on the FTC expired in 2015, his influence in the antitrust law community is well-established. As UltraViolet’s letter explains:
“… it is critical that the committee thoroughly examines the character and professional histories of commission nominees. Following recent disturbing allegations against former FTC member Joshua D. Wright, we urge the committee to look into any past professional relationships between Wright and Melissa A. Holyoak and Andrew D. Ferguson. Specifically, we urge the committee to inquire about what role, if any, Wright played in helping advance their respective nominations.”
“…’Wright held outsized influence in the antitrust circles,’ with the ‘allegations also portray[ing] a cozy network between prominent law firms, well-connected insiders and the FTC.’…”
VIEW THE FULL LETTER HERE: https://weareultraviolet.org/ahead-of-senate-committee-hearing-ultraviolet-asks-senators-maria-cantwell-and-ted-cruz-to-ask-nominees-about-relationship-to-joshua-wright/
“With the information we now know about Joshua Wright, including accounts from eight women describing his propositioning of female students, staffers and job applicants at George Mason University, it’s absolutely crucial that we investigate the judgment of those who knew him well,” said Shaunna Thomas, executive director of UltraViolet. “We urge the Senate to thoroughly question Melissa Holyoak and Andrew Ferguson about their relationships with Wright as part of the FTC confirmation process. If they knowingly associated with an abuser who exploited his own power to coerce and manipulate women, that would represent a significant lapse in moral judgment. Those who demonstrate such a lapse do not belong in positions of power within our government.”
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