FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz Confirmed for Second Term as Commissioner;Maureen Ohlhausen Confirmed as new FTC Commissioner

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz and Maureen K. Ohlhausen were confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Thursday to serve as Commissioners of the FTC.

Leibowitz was first appointed to the Commission in 2004 and was designated by President Barack Obama to serve as Chairman in 2009. As Chairman, he has worked to stop scams that prey upon consumers suffering from the economic downturn, protect consumers’ privacy – especially on the Internet, preserve competition in healthcare and restrict anticompetitive “pay-for-delay” patent settlements in the pharmaceutical industry, and promote competition and innovation in the technology sector through law enforcement and policy initiatives. Leibowitz is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and the New York University School of Law.

Ohlhausen has been a partner at Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP since 2009, focused on privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity. She previously served for 11 years at the FTC, most recently as Director of the Office of Policy Planning from 2004 to 2008, leading the FTC’s Internet Access Task Force, and formerly was an attorney advisor for former Commissioner Orson Swindle. Earlier in her career, Ohlhausen worked at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit as a law clerk for Judge David Sentelle, and clerked for Judge Robert Yock of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. She is a senior editor of the American Bar Association Antitrust Law Journal and has taught privacy law and unfair trade practices as an adjunct professor at George Mason University School of Law. Ms. Ohlhausen is a graduate of the University of Virginia and George Mason University School of Law.

“My fellow Commissioners and I look forward to welcoming Maureen Ohlhausen as a new Commissioner. Her exceptional experience, knowledge and leadership will be of great service to the Federal Trade Commission and American consumers,” Chairman Leibowitz said. “I am humbled and grateful to the Members of the U.S. Senate for their confidence in my continued service at the nation’s premier consumer protection agency.”

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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