The Electronic Privacy Information Centre (EPIC) and the Centre for Digital Democracy (CDD) called on FTC chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras to recuse herself from the Google/DoubleClick review because of her husband’s involvement in the issue.
In a submission to the commission, the groups complain that DoubleClick has retained a Washington law firm in which Ms Platt Majoras’ husband is a partner to represent it before the FTC.
The submission further complains that Deborah Platt Majoras was also an equity partner in the law firm prior to become FTC chairwoman.
The law firm, Jones Day, is advising DoubleClick on its US$3.1 billion proposed acquision by Google. The companies would combine DoubleClick ad serving technology with Google’s search and cookie expertise.
“While at Jones Day, (Ms Platt Majoras) represented clients on civil and criminal antitrust litigation matters, including mergers and acquisitions, monopolization, price-fixing, distribution issues, and governmental investigations,” a biography on the FTC web site says.
Reports in the US say Ms Platt Majoras is consulting with the FTC’s ethics officer to see whether she should recuse herself from the review.
“As the Chairman of the Commission has previously recused herself in similar matters for similar reasons where there was a lesser conflict of interest, it is clear that she must recuse herself here,” EPIC and CDD said it the submission to the FTC.
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