FTC Chair Lina Khan sees parallels in Kamala Harris’ story and the regulator’s work

Federal Trade Commission chairwoman Lina Khan’s aggressive antitrust stance during the Biden administration has made her a lightning rod for corporate America and among the Democratic Party’s top donors.

Now, as the presidential campaign comes to an end, the most important thing is the election result and its potential impact on the economy.

In an extensive interview for New York Times published on Saturday, Khan looked back on her term and was asked what might happen if Kamala Harris wins the election.

As for the White House race, Khan was pressed on whether she feared her job could be cut short, given doubts about whether she will be able to stay in the new administration.

“I can’t predict what will happen in November or beyond,” she replied.

She was then asked if she had received any indication that she would not be wanted in the Harris administration.

“No, I think quite the opposite,” Khan said. “We saw the vice president note that as a prosecutor she targeted illegal corporate practices that harmed homeowners and patients, and that’s the kind of work the FTC is doing as well.”

Harris’ campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Some billionaire donors to Harris’ campaign have reportedly urged her to dump Khan and SEC Chairman Gary Gensler if she wins in November.

For its part, another Trump administration may also take an unfavorable view of megamergers, especially in the technology sector. Donald Trump’s running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, has expressed support for Khan in the past.

“To be clear, I don’t agree with Lina Khan on all issues, but I think she was very smart to try to attack some of these big tech companies that monopolize what we are allowed to say in our country,” he said last month on CBS.

Although Khan technically ended her three-year term on Wednesday, she can continue to serve in the role until a successor takes over.

Previously in Q&A with Timessummarized its history and said the FTC “has won many victories,” including a court victory in a vertical merger case and a ruling in a consumer privacy case against a data broker.

She also expressed skepticism about the argument that the acquisition of a smaller company by a larger company can increase market efficiency by combining sufficient financial resources with new innovations.

Such benefits often do not materialize, Khan said, adding that even when they do, companies do not pass them on to consumers if there is not enough competition in the market.

This raises the question of whether the post-pandemic spike in inflation was partly due to industry consolidation and anti-competitive practices.

“If you don’t enforce antitrust laws, you allow decades of consolidation that can more easily trigger spikes in inflation because the system as a whole is less resistant to such disruptions,” Khan said. “Second, a more concentrated market with fewer players will make it easier to coordinate actions to raise prices or keep them high.”

This story was originally published on Fortune.com