FTC Under Khan Faulted by Watchdog on Hiring Unpaid Experts (1)

The US Federal Trade Commission under Chair Lina Khan has stepped up the use of unpaid experts and consultants without clear guidelines on their job responsibilities or transparency into how they were selected, the agency’s watchdog found.

The FTC’s Inspector General said in an audit posted Wednesday that the agency, in the late Trump administration and extending into President Joe Biden’s term, had recruited nine unpaid experts or consultants creating potential legal and compliance risks, including conflicts of interest.

Khan expanded the use of unpaid consultants in 2021, according to the audit, which covered the period between October 2020 ...